Cleaning up fall leaves keeps our neighborhood neat, prevents flooding, and even protects stormwater ponds and local streams. Follow these tips for a tidy yard this fall:
Tips for Cleaning Up Leaves
- Mark your calendar for community leaf pickup days – Participating in curbside leaf collection is an easy way to take care of leaves on your property.
- Make clean-up easier by mowing leaves into your lawn—Try mulching leaves into your lawn with a mower to tackle leaves even faster. A mulching mower works best, but you can also try a normal mower at the highest blade setting. Mulching the leaves breaks them into small pieces that will fertilize your lawn as they decompose.
- Use leaves as a resource—In addition to mulching leaves with a mower to fertilize your grass, you can also add mulched leaves to landscaping or compost leaves along with other yard waste and food scraps.
- Keep leaves out of streets and storm drains—Leaves in the streets make flooding more likely. Leaves tend to collect in storm drains and block stormwater from exiting the street. A moderate or heavy rainfall can cause a backup of water when storm drains are not clear. To avoid flooding in our neighborhood, rake up leaves and sweep leaves off the street and storm drain, especially before forecasted rainfall.
- Never blow or dump leaves into natural areas and common spaces—Dumping leaves in stormwater ponds, streams, and natural areas negatively impacts water quality and wildlife. Leaves are nutrient-rich and feed algae that form an unattractive green layer on our neighborhood ponds.
Thanks for following these tips for healthy yards, common areas, and ponds!
