Sustainability Tip of the Week

Stephen Kevlin

 

Sustainability Tip of the Week
A simple wish for a better tomorrow


Leaf Me Alone:
Why You Should Keep Your Leaves In Your Yard

As the leaves continue to fall, many of us will use our time or money to rid our lawns of leaves. Keeping our leaves nearby is a simpler, more environmentally-friendly solution, as leaves contain nutrients that are good for the soil.

Here are some ways to make the most of your leaves:

  1. Mulch your leaves in place. Shred your leaves with a lawn mower and leave them on your lawn. It’s faster and easier than raking or leaf blowing and adds nutrients to the soil.
  2. Add shredded leaves to your garden and landscaping. Shredded leaves can be used as a mulch to help prevent weeds and keep moisture in the soil. The leaves will also slowly release nutrients into the soil.
  3. Save your leaves for composting. Fall allows us to collect and store a great carbon rich source for our compost pile and that’s leaves! Leaves balance out nitrogen rich materials in your pile like food scraps and grass clippings. One of the biggest challenges to composting food scraps at home is the release of water into your compost pile as the food breaks down. One of the best ways to fix this is to add leaves every time you add food scraps. (Compost tip: shredded leaves absorb water better than whole leaves.).
  4. Insulate your compost bin for the winter. Place leaves around and on top of your compost bin. This will insulate your bin and allow the material to continue to breakdown throughout the winter. In the spring, you will have fresh compost without waiting for your pile to thaw out, and the leaves can be added to your spring compost pile.

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/NYSDEC/bulletins/2a119ed

Faculty, staff and students, please keep sending your sustainable ideas to share as a weekly tip to j.coons@hvcc.edu.

 

Published: Tue, 06 Oct 2020 12:02:18 +0000 by j.coons