What to do with my leaves

Every year, every yard, every tree. Leaves.

            Oh, you don’t have any trees? Still. Leaves. Everywhere. It’s as if they grow on… well, you get the idea.

            The idea you might not have is what to do with all the leaves?? Hopefully, you get some inspiration from our list of “what to do with our leaves”.

1.     Shred them with a Lawn Mower

a.     Seems simple enough. This one we find ourselves doing the most often, due to it’s low difficulty and effort levels. When you shred the leaves they break down faster for your soil. That way the next spring they are ready to provide nutrients for the grass or pollinator you have in your yard.

2.     Put them under trees and bushes

a.     Leaves are a part of natures cycle. They were meant to fall below the trees, be decomposed and give nutrients to the diverse flora and fauna below. If you pile the leaves to the base of trees and bushes, it helps speed up the cycle of nature and the leaves can start to break down and give life to the trees and the insects residing around the trees and bushes.

3.     Leave them (Puns…)  

a.     All puns aside, if you leave the leaves where they’re at, then they can fulfill their duty in their part of the cycle. This does cause a bit more of a mess, and often neighbors are less thankful than the ground below, but if you’re able, the best thing to do with your leaves is… nothing.

4.     Use them for mulch in your garden

a.     Taking the leaves and using them as mulch allows nutrients to collect in your garden which attracts insects and more excitingly… worms. This does wonders for the health of your garden. It also creates a thin layer to protect from weeds coming through.

5.     Put them in your compost

a.     Similar to using them for mulch, you could use them to make compost. The leaves are the perfect source of brown matter in your compost. If you want to know more about creating compost, check out our “how to make compost” blog.

6.     Make leaf mold

a.     Leafe mold is probably not as gross as you’re thinking. It’s just leaf compost made solely out of leaves. It takes almost a full year to create leaf mold, but it is some of the best compost you will ever find. It also is what gives the forest that earthy smell. So instead of a forest scented candle, you could just make leaf mold. \_(:/)_/

We hope this gives a little inspiration for how to responsibly deal with the incredible resource falling to us from Heaven every year.

If you’re looking for local Iowa seed, plugs, or compost, check out our Prairie Shop.

Best of luck, land owners!