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Print | YORK REGION>Services>Garbage and Recycling |
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Leaf Mulching |
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What is leaf mulching?
Leaf mulching is the process of shredding leaves with a lawnmower and using them as a mulch on your gardens and lawn.
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Why leaf mulch?
Soil Enrichment: Leaf mulch returns nutrients back to the soil. Your lawn and gardens will require less fertilizer and other additives.
Water Conservation: Leaf mulch helps retain moisture in soils. When soil is covered with leaf mulch, the mulch lowers the soil's exposure to sun and wind which reduces evaporation.
Banned from Landfill: If yard waste is found in regular garbage sent to Michigan landfills, the entire load of garbage can be rejected at a significant cost to Regional tax payers.
Saves Money: By managing your leaves on site, you reduce the need to buy paper yard waste bags.
Insulation: Mulch acts like an insulating barrier from the heat in the summer, from the cold in the winter and from the wind all year round. Mulch prevents compaction and erosion of soils from wind and rain.
Weed Control: Leaf mulch can help prevent the growth of weeds. Add a thick layer (5 to 7.5 cm or 2 to 3 inches) to gardens to reduce the need for herbicides.
Water Conservation: Leaf mulch helps retain moisture in soils. When soil is covered with leaf mulch, the mulch lowers the soil's exposure to sun and wind which reduces evaporation.
Banned from Landfill: If yard waste is found in regular garbage sent to Michigan landfills, the entire load of garbage can be rejected at a significant cost to Regional tax payers.
Saves Money: By managing your leaves on site, you reduce the need to buy paper yard waste bags.
Insulation: Mulch acts like an insulating barrier from the heat in the summer, from the cold in the winter and from the wind all year round. Mulch prevents compaction and erosion of soils from wind and rain.
Weed Control: Leaf mulch can help prevent the growth of weeds. Add a thick layer (5 to 7.5 cm or 2 to 3 inches) to gardens to reduce the need for herbicides.
Leaf Mulching Tips
- Keep your mower blade sharp.
- Set your mower blade to 6 cm (2.5 inches) high.
- Mow leaves when dry to prevent clumping.
- Push lawnmower slowly to give mower time to chop up leaves.
- Mow leaves when there is no more than 2.5 cm (1 inch) of leaf litter.
- When adding mulch to gardens, do not put mulch right up to the base of plants or trees and make the mulch no deeper than 5 to 7.5 cm (2 to 3 inches).
- If your lawnmower bags yard waste, either remove the bag to spread mulch evenly over the lawn, or use the bagged mulch where necessary around trees, shrubs and gardens.
- You may be able to convert your mower to a mulching mower by purchasing a mulching blade retrofit kit which is available at hardware stores and garden centres. Mulching blades chop up leaves many times, producing very small leaf pieces.
- If you use a lawn service, ask them to leaf mulch.
What can you do with leaf mulch?
Leave it on your lawn: Use your lawnmower to chop up leaves and leave the pieces on your lawn. It is important to make sure leaf pieces are small enough to let light get through to your grass. This may require you to mow twice where there is a lot of leaf litter.
Dig leaves into your garden: Dig leaves directly into your garden to add organic matter and nutrients to the soil.
Use leaves as mulch: Put leaf mulch on gardens and flower beds and around trees and shrubs.
What can you do if leaf mulching is not possible?
- Compost your leaves. Add thin layers of leaf mulch (2.5 cm or 1 inch) to your composter while alternating with other materials. You can also use a separate composter for only leaves. For a leaf composter, alternate 15 cm (6 inches) of leaf mulch with a thin layer (2.5 cm or 1 inch) of soil or finished compost and maintain as usual by turning it regularly and keeping it moist.
- Put your leaves in paper yard waste bags or reusable containers and set out for yard waste pickup by your local municipality on your scheduled collection days.
- Take your leaves to one of York Region's yard waste drop of depots.
Contact Us
For more information, please e-mail us at: EnvironmentalServices@york.ca or call the Region at 905-895-1207 for waste management information.
