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Q:  What’s the best environmentally friendly way to handle all of the fallen leaves that come down from the trees in the fall?

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A:  The leaves that drop to the ground in fall are God’s way of preparing the Earth for the next year’s harvest.  Fallen leaves are, quite literally, a gold mine when it comes to fetilizing your soil organically and there are many ways to use this gift from God to nurture your lawn and garden.

Small leaves can be used directly as a mulch. Simply rake them into flower beds and gardens where they will naturally create a thick carpet of organic material that chokes out weeds and slowly decomposes to enhance the soil with nutrients.

Larger leaves can be added to your compost pile. Or, you can shred the larger leaves (using a lawn mower or other lawn device) into smaller pieces and use as a mulch or as a top dressing in your gardens and flower beds.

Don’t want to rake up the leaves? Simply run your lawn mower over the leaves on your lawn and leave the small pieces behind to work as a natural fetilizer during the winter.

If you want to totally remove the leaves from your lawn and garden,a good old fashioned rake is the best eco-friendly option. Gas-powered leaf blowers use oil and spew toxic chemicals back into the air.   

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