Botanica Atlanta | Landscape Design, Construction & Maintenance

It could have been the leaf duty that I was roped into while visiting my parents in Athens this weekend, or perhaps it is the tangible change in the air that indicates fall is coming. Either way, I figure that it does not hurt to get a head start on thinking about all of the leaves that deciduous trees will be dropping for the next few months and the options that a person has for dealing with them.

I spent some time studying other gardeners’ opinions and searching for creative solutions for managing the litter that oaks, maples, hickories, and other hardwoods drop on yards this time of year. Unfortunately, my search did not turn up any way to prevent the leaves from falling, but the good news is that there are a variety of strategies (and philosophies) that one can take when it comes to fallen leaves.

The first advice that I came across was in the form of a column written by Liza Field, a gardener who quite enthusiastically defends her decision to allow leaves to loiter permanently in her yard. You may think that she goes a bit far when she describes collecting leaves from other yards along her street, but her basic reasoning is actually quite sound. After centuries of agriculture and development, most of the South’s soils have long ago been stripped of their natural, fertile topsoil, and smothering your landscape with leaves is a way of fast-forwarding topsoil regeneration. Any future perennials, shrubs, or trees that you might plant in your landscape will likely show their appreciation for your forward-thinking generosity.

However, if you are not the type to shove bags of your neighbors’ leaves into a compact car, you still have two excellent options that will allow you to take advantage of the nutrients and organic matter contained by the leaves on your property.

If your leaves have fallen onto a lawn area, you can simply roll over them with a mulching mower. The notion of allowing mulched leaves to sit on top of your dormant grass from fall until spring might seem counter-intuitive, especially since mulch is most often used to cover and block plant growth. Recent research, however, has shown that this practice is not only an easier solution than raking and hauling, but mulching might actually suppress weed populations while enriching your lawn with natural fertilizing nutrients.

On-site composting is a different option that will allow you to reap the benefits of leaf matter, even if you do want to maintain a cleared lawn. Depending on your interest in composting, there are a range of options. To get the most out of your leaves, as well as other plant waste and even food scraps from your kitchen, you can follow instructions to build a proper composting system. If this seems daunting, you can also informally compost by simply raking up your leaves and dumping them into designated “wild” areas on your property.

Though it is certainly the least creative strategy, perhaps the most traditional way of dealing with the annual problem of fallen leaves is by raking and piling them at the curb. Most municipalities offer leaf collection on scheduled dates, and many of these local governments also grind the collected leaves into useful mulch. There is certainly nothing wrong with this strategy, but just remember that, as you see the truck take away your leaves, they are also hauling off the mulching, weed-suppressing, and lawn-fertilizing properties that this resource naturally offers you. When spring rolls around, you probably will end up spending time and money acquiring artificial products that provide the same qualities that you just gave away.

Images and text by Sam Valentine, BLA, LEED AP