3 Ways to Reuse Fall Leaves

1. Compost them - Leaves are a very nice additive to your compost bin and help in making excellent compost. They can be put in whole or shredded which can be done by shredding them with a mulching mower. Mulched leaves will decompose much faster and will have your compost ready much quicker.  They will need to be put in a compost bin with other ingredients to break down properly; you can add non-protein foods and also a little water to this mix as well. You will also have to turn over the pile on a regular basis by either using a shovel or turning the compost bin handle depending on what you are using for a bin. Once thorough decomposition is achieved it will still have to be housed in a bin to protect it from elements that would rob it of its hard earned nutrients.

2. Mulch them in to your lawn - If you stay on top of your leaves throughout the fall and you have a mulching mower you can continue to mulch them in to the ground. This is certainly more time consuming since you have to stay on top of the leaves as they fall but the benefits make the time worth it. Studies have proven that mulching your leaves into your lawn increases microbial activity and helps with water penetration. However, if you let the leaves get too far ahead of you there will be too many to mulch. Once the leaves aren't going away with mowing they have become too heavy and should be removed. Don't let dense mulched or full leaves stay on your lawn or they will likely damage it.

3. Use them as mulch - Save money next spring and let the fall leaves do some work in your gardens. Using leaves as mulch is great for the simple fact that they are free and also give a lot of nutrients to the soil as they decompose. They also deter weed germination and create a buffer for the soil to keep it warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Leaves used for mulch are typically used in vegetable gardens and other similar gardens. They can be used as mulch in any setting but typically due to aesthetics and neatness they are not used as broad mulch around foundation plantings and in flower gardens.