Do you get tired of dealing with the leaves in your yard every fall? There is a great solution that will make your job easier, and provide many secondary benefits. Save time and money all while helping the environment by doing one thing this fall. Save time and money all while helping the environment by doing one thing this fall.
Leaf mulching.
Leaf mulching can be done by simply mowing over the leaves while you cut the grass. This requires no additional equipment and you can accomplish two chores with one pass saving you time and money. But, the benefits extrapolate way beyond this. In their natural habitat, trees grow in the forest with layers and layers of organic materials covering their root system.
1. In their natural habitat, trees layers and layers of organic matter to take advantage of. That is because in the forest, trees drop their leaves and they remain there until total decomposition. In the city, we strip all of that away. It is no coincidence that leaves contain an abundance of nutrients, through evolution, an important dependance of these nutrients was established. Allowing your trees leaves to remain provides trees with the exact nutrients they require to grow. This reduces the need for supplemental fertilizers, saving you money.
2. Mulching leaves expedites the breakdown of leaves in your lawn. This is an efficient way to add organic material to the soil, which improves soil structure and quality. Doing this chemical free- with leaves, protects our water by mitigating potential run off. Fertilizer run off that reaches waterways can lead to algal blooms- a leading environmental issue for the state of Ohio.
3. Healthy soil is easier for roots to penetrate, which translates to a more structurally sound tree. Trees with good root systems are also more resilient to extreme weather conditions and pests. Soil with proper structure also allows more water to percolate, mitigating common stormwater issues seen in cities due to impermeable surfaces.
4. Leaving leaves behind benefits pollinators and other microorganisms as a place to overwinter or lay eggs. These organisms play a critical role in our ecosystem and are rapidly losing habitat in urban settings. In order to benefit pollinators in this way, it is recommended to leave the leaves whole. In other words, do not mulch the leaves, rather leave them where they fall or rake them to designated areas of your lawn where they can remain until spring.
5. Mulching leaves while you mow cuts down noise pollution because it eliminates the need to leaf blow for extended periods of time.
6. Not all leaves need to be mulched, some can be left whole and used in garden beds to suppress weeds and retain moisture. This is a great place for those leaves to go that are hosting pollinator eggs. A popular approach is to preserve or to mulch or the leaves that fall for the first few weeks of fall. This way you can at least partially benefit from the fallen leaves. Then, when the leaves really start to accumulate - collect the remaining leaves in a more traditional way such as bagging or city pick up.
7. Mulching a portion of your leaves speeds up municipal leaf collection. Any bit of mulching or leaf retention residents assume greatly reduces the total volume at the curb. The leaf collection process requires heavy diesel equipment and a lot of personnel. A lot of time and resources can be saved, along with reducing noise and emissions just by mulching leaves.
As you can see, there are many benefits to utilizing the leaves your tree is dropping. Would you consider mulching your leaves this year?