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Fall Leaves

Earthsense

Those fall leaves make this time of year special, but once all the leaves have fallen, what should you do with all the debris in your yard?  While leaves contain a large amount of nutrients, leaving them on your grass traps moisture, inhibits sunlight, and harbors insects, all of which could kill patches of your lawn.  So what should you do with those leaves and pine needles? 

You could collect them, mulch them and use them to nourish and protect plants in your garden or flower bed.  Or add them to your compost pile.  Check with your municipality to see if your county offers yard debris pick-up, but try to avoid burning your raked leaves.  Moist leaves burn slowly and can cause higher amounts of airborne particles while dry leaves can get out of control and lead to brush or forest fires.