– Christine Gelley, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Noble County OSU Extension
While there are many tasks on a gardeners list in the fall, the “clean up” that is best for our ecosystem may not look all that “clean”. Leaving residue on the soil is beneficial in many ways, especially deciduous tree leaf litter. Leaf litter may seem like a nuisance, but the litter is a valuable resource that I hope you will consider recycling.
Leaves contain valuable nutrients for soil health. Healthy soils provide plants and animals with healthy habitats. Keep the nutrients held within fallen leaves in use by reincorporating them into your landscape in the form of compost or mulch.
It is important to take care of the leaves that fall on your property. Leaf litter can smother your lawn by reducing light infiltration, which can create patchy lawn growth in the spring. Leaves should also be cleaned from your gutter systems and drains to facilitate good water flow.
Leaves can be beneficial to lawns as fertilizer if they are shredded into small particles. This can be accomplished by using a mulching blade on your lawn mower or by doing double passes across your lawn to shred the leaves. Shredded leaves will decompose more quickly than whole leaves.
Leaving leaf litter on the soil surface may be even more beneficial this fall than in years prior. Persistent drought conditions continue to stress the landscape. Leaf litter helps provide a protective barrier that can help hold moisture on the soil surface and prevent soil crusting. Decomposed leaf litter will be valuable fertilizer for recovering lawns and gardens come spring. Incorporating decomposing leaf litter into the soil will add organic matter and improve soil tilth in the next growing season.
If you have a compost pile, add the leaf litter. Be sure to add a good source of nitrogen (such as grass clippings) to the mix to aid breakdown. After the material has broken down it can be used as a soil amendment or mulch for other plants.
For those who live within the Village of Caldwell or many other municipalities, there are regulations on how to dispose of your leaves. Seldom do they want you to rake or blow autumn leaves into the street. The bulky leaves can plug storm drains and sewer lines causing backups.
State law dictates that yard waste, including autumn leaves, should not be accepted by landfills in Ohio. Please do not combine leaf litter and household waste into the same bags. Keep them separate. Using paper waste bags is beneficial for all parties. These bags are biodegradable and do not need to be separated when the leaves are dropped off at the composting facility. Plastic bags are often still accepted for containing yard waste, but create an extra step in the process, because the bags must be emptied and disposed of separately from the leaf litter.
For more details about nutrient recycling, visit: https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/SAG-16 or contact your local Extension Office.