Leaves are falling on your lawn, what should you do?

To find more information on leaf management, click here. (WJBC file photo)

By WMBD-TV

NORMAL – Trees are showing their colors and dropping their leaves, but where should they go?

People will be out in their yards raking their leaves, which may not be an environmentally friendly option.

Katie Vogler, education coordinator for the Ecology Action Center in Normal, said there are four options for leaf management.

“Leaf” them where they lie

First, an option Vogler said is to not move the leaves at all.

“Raking leaves, although sometimes fun, sometimes a chore, is not actually that great for the environment,” Vogler said. “A lot of the time pollinators will actually burrow under the leaves and make their winter homes, as well as the worms and other decomposers will kind of break down those leaves and help to re-enter nutrients into the soil.”

This may not always work for people, especially those in a neighborhood affiliated with a homeowners association, so what could they do?

Mowing your leaves

Some homeowners associations have certain rules about what a person’s yard can look like.

If you aren’t allowed to have piles of leaves in your yard, Vogel said there is a solution.

“Another great option would be mulching the leaves by just running them over with your lawn mower,” she said. “The pollinators won’t be able to find home there, but you’re still getting that benefit of those leaves getting re-entered into the soil.”

Carbon impact

Vogel said the way you manage your leaves can actually help the air as well.

“Composting your leaves is fantastic,” she said. “It’s a great source of carbon. You can rake them into a pile in your backyard where you can have some pollinators living in that top layer, and add it into your compost as you add your food scraps in.”

This would make it a natural fertilizer which she said can then be spread into your garden beds to “keep them up” for the winter.

Where to rake your leaves

Raking your leaves is not out of the question, Vogel said.

“If you are choosing to rake your leaves,” she said, “We ask if your municipality picks them up to rake them to the curb but never into the street.”

She said if leaves are left in the street they can block storm drains, causing flash floods and removing oxygen from water.

To find more information on leaf management, click here.

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