A free gardening option with incredible benefits sounds too good to be true, but it is! Use the leaves surrounding your home for good – easily transform them from lawn care nightmare into useful, free mulch. 

The piles of autumn leaves scattered across the lawn can be your own gardener’s gold!

What Is Leaf Mulch?

Mulch is considered an invaluable gardening tool. It’s placed on top of the soil to help moderate the moisture and act as a barrier against evaporation from heat and wind. There are different types of mulch available to purchase, but they aren’t free like your very own leaf mulch!

Leaf mulch is created from fall leaves around your lawn. This organic mulch is packed with benefits!

• Improves the soil’s fertility
• Improves moisture
• Prevents soil erosion and crusting 
• Stops the growth of weeds around the base of your plants 
• Adds valuable nutrients to your budding garden
• Removes residual effects of pesticides, fertilizers, and heavy metals

How Do You Make Leaf Mulch?

One of the best ways to break down your leaves is by shredding them. You can shred the leaves a couple of different ways, but an easy way is to let them dry out and chop them with a lawnmower. Dried leaves are easier to shred and break down quicker. 

No lawnmower? No worries. Simply rake your leaves around the trees and bases of your shrubs. Typically, about three inches of leaf mulch works best for traditional mulching applications. 

No Garden, No Problem

You can also compost your dead foliage! Use the three-bin system, a composter, or just leave your pile of leaves in an area that occasionally gets wet. If you leave the pile alone for about two years, it will become nutrient-rich compost ready for use. 

Don’t garden? Compost your leaves and give the end product to your friends and family or sell it!

Purchase composting bins right through Rockland Green.

Environmentally Friendly

Outside of being a gardening goldmine, leaf mulch promotes proactive environmental stewardship. By keeping your yard waste at home, you’re significantly reducing landfill volume. 

Leaf mulch also helps prevent clogged-up sewers. Being kept away from surface water where the broken-down nutrients from the dead leaves can create algae blooms. 

Nature Knows Best

Mother Nature knows what she's doing. Throwing away nutrients she produces to help sustain and grow plant life is a waste! Saving the planet doesn't have to be complicated. It can be done one step at a time, and the first step can be feeding your garden your composted leaves!

If you’re interested in learning more about turning leaves into mulch, Rockland Green is the resource for you. Contact us with any questions you may have!