It's Fall and the leaves do fall. Even in Southwest Kansas, where trees are sparse, there is plenty of yard waste that makes its way into the landfill via dumpsters. Our nicely manicured lawns are deprived of their natural covering of decaying grass and leaves during this season. The problem is we do not recognize the value of composted organic material. I used to accept bags of leaves and grass from neighbors so I could create a huge pile of composting material. Some of my neighbors didn't appreciate my enthusiasm for composting nor did they like the ammonia odor from overly nitrogen-rich piles of debris that were too moist. In order to compost well, the compost pile must have the correct mix of ingredients, the right moisture levels, and be turned regularly. If this sounds like a lot of work to you, you are correct. That is the reason I do not compost on the larger scale anymore. Now, I take kitchen scraps and add them to some garden waste and soil and place it all in my compost bin. I seldom give the bin much attention. But, in the Spring, I take out the lower levels of compost from the bin and use it to augment the soil around garden transplants. My garden plants do well.
But what about the yard waste--leaves, etc. One possibility is to just leave the leaves where they lay or to use a mulching blade on your mower and chop them up. The idea is to allow the natural layer of organic material to protect the lawn from the ravages of winter and to naturally decay. Such material has been shown to improve the soil in lawns. During the cooler months earthworms eat the decaying leaves and turn them into soil. Another idea is to bag up the leaves, seal the bags and place them in a hidden area in your yard. The material in the bags will begin to break down naturally. Wait for several months and then open the bags in order to use the partially composted organic material as mulch around yard shrubs and in flower beds. For additional ideas for using fallen leaves and yard waste, go to:
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