Mulch as Compost Best  practices  for  lawn  care  include  adding  a  half-­‐inch  layer  of  compost  in  a  “top  dressing”  to  the  lawn  each  year.  This  is  not  always  done  as  it  is  time  consuming  and  costly.  The  same  result  can  easily  be  achieved  simply  by  mulching  leaves  right  into  lawns.      

The  mulched  leaves  fall  between  the  grass  blades  and  slowly  decompose,  nourishing  the  soil.  Complete  decomposition  may  not  happen  until  spring.    

Excess  leaf  mulch  can  be  composted.  It’s  not  necessary  to  mulch  leaves  (chop  them  into  small  pieces)  to  compost  them,  but  it  does  speed  up  the  composting  process.  

 

Leaf  mulch  is  very  easy  to  compost  and  has  the  significant  advantage  of  being  weed-­‐free.  

Compost  can  be  added  to  the  soil  around  annual,  perennials,  trees  and  shrubs  to  enrich  the  soil  and  improve  soil  structure.    

Uses for Leaf Mulch Uses for Leaf Mulch Leaf Mulching  Mulching-in-Place  Volume Reduction

Mulching  reduces  leaf  volume  by  a  factor  of  ten.  

 

Gardeners  who  use  leaf  mulch  to  enrich  their  soils  and  protect  their  garden  beds  usually  lament  the  fact  that  they  “never  have  enough  leaves.”    

 

More  information  can  be  found  at:  

www.leaveleavesalone.org  www.leleny.org  http://blogs.cornell.edu/horticulture/mulch    

 Cornell  Cooperative  Extension  provides  

equal  program  and  employment  opportunities.  

3  West  Main  Street,  Suite  112,        Elmsford,  NY  10523-­‐2414  

Leaf Mulching

Why it’s good for lawns and gardens

Why it’s good for the environment

Why it’s fiscally prudent

New  equipment  for  residential  and  commercial  lawn  mowers  has  made  mulching-­‐in-­‐place,  or  leaf  mulching,  

a  viable  alternative  to  the  leaf  removal  methods  commonly  

practiced  throughout  Westchester  County.  A  “clean  look”  can  now  be  achieved  on  lawns  where  leaves  are  

mulched.  

 

 

 

 

 

Mulch as Protection A  few  inches  of  mulch  helps  protect  garden  beds  from  extreme  weather:  In  summer,  mulch  helps  keep  moisture  in  topsoil;  in  winter  it  helps  moderate  the  temperature  in  garden  beds,  preventing  heaving.   Leaf  mulch  acts  just  like  any  other  mulch,  such  as  wood  chips.  But  leaf  mulch  has  some  advantages  over  commercially  purchased  mulch:  • It’s  free!  When  you  mulch  your  leaves,  

they  are  there,  right  on  site,  for  you  to  use.    

• You  know  where  it  came  from.  You  know  the  history  of  disease  or  pesticide  applications  on  your  property.  

• Leaf  mulch  decomposes  relatively  quickly,  adding  nutrients  and  organic  matter  to  your  soil.  

 For  homeowners  who  like  the  look  of  commercial  mulches,  use  the  leaf  mulch  as  an  under  layer  and  add  an  inch  of  commercial  mulch  on  top.      

 

 

 

    Mulching-in-Place

FAQs

♦ The  chopped  leaves  fall  right  between  the  grass  blades  and  “disappear”  into  the  lawn.  

♦ It’s  a  time  saver.  When  you  mow  over    leaves,  you  touch  them  once  …  and  they  are  gone.  No  blowing  back  onto  your  property  for  the  landscaper  to  repeatedly  move  back  onto  the  street.    

♦ No  need  for  hours  of  raking  or  leaf  blowing  

♦ Chopped  leaves  decompose  right  into  the  lawn  topsoil,  adding  nutrients  to  the  soil  

♦ Decomposed  leaves  add  organic  matter  to  the  soil,  helping  lawns  tolerate  stress    

♦ No  need  for  your  town  to  spend  taxpayer  money  picking  up  leaves  

♦ You  have  your  own  source  of  mulch  

Disadvantages of Traditional Leaf Removal

Equipment and Resources  

Mulching-­‐in-­‐place  means  mowing  leaves  right  where  they  fall.  On  lawns,  leaves  are  mulched  into  the  grass  where  they  decompose,  improving  the  soil.    

Using  a  mulching  mower,  leaves  can  be  mulched  into  lawns  just  where  they  fall;  deep  leaf  piles  can  be  mulched  by  repeated  passes  with  the  mower,  or  the  leaves  can  be  spread  more  thinly  over  the  lawn,  and  mulched  in  place  right  there.    

What  if  I  Don’t  Have  Much  Lawn?  Leaves  can  be  raked  or  blown  off  flowerbeds,  slopes,  rocks,  etc.  and  mulched  either  with  a  lawn  mower  or  a  leaf  shredder.  The  mulched  leaves  can  be  used  in  the  garden  or  added  to  a  compost  pile.  A  lawnmower  can  be  used  to  mulch  leaves  on  a  driveway,  as  long  as  it  is  a  reasonably  level  surface.  The  mulched  leaves  can  then  be  moved  to  where  they  are  needed.  

When  is  Mulching  Done?  Leaves  can  be  mulched  during  both  fall  and  spring  clean  up.    

Can  Wet  Leaves  Be  Mulched?  Mulching  is  most  easily  done  with  dry  leaves  but    professional  landscaper  mowers  equipped  with  mulching  blades  can  mulch  wet  leaves  very  efficiently.    

Blowing  leaves  to  sidewalks  for  removal  has  many  disadvantages:  

♦ It  generates  excessive  leaf  blower  noise  ♦ Leaf  blowing  removes  valuable  topsoil  from  

garden  beds  ♦ It’s  time  consuming;  no  matter  what  size  

the  yard,  whether  you  use  a  rake  and  a  tarp  or  a  leaf  blower,  moving  leaves  takes  time  

♦ Leaf  piles  on  roads  and  sidewalks  can  be  hazardous  

♦ Leaves  piled  on  impervious  surfaces,  such  as  sidewalks  or  streets,  can  easily  be  washed  into  storm  sewers  and  raise  phosphorus  levels  in  drinking  water  reservoirs.  This  can  cause  algal  blooms  and  lower  drinking  water  quality  

♦ Leaf  piles  clog  storm  drains,  causing  flooding  

♦ Piled  leaves  often  blow  around  neighborhoods  and  have  to  be  repeatedly  returned  to  the  street  

♦ The  practice  requires  landscapers  or  municipalities  to  remove  leaves.  This  is  extremely  expensive,  costing  some  municipalities  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  every  year.  

♦ It  generates  unnecessary  use  of  fossil  fuels  in  trucking  leaves  to  composting  facilities.  Several  municipalities  truck  leaves  out  of  the  county,  some  north  of  Albany.    

The Many Advantages of

Leaf Mulching

Mulching  mowers  mulch  grass  (leaving  grass  clippings  on  lawns  –  another  CCE-­‐recommended  practice)  as  well  as  leaves.  They  are  equipped  with  special  blades  that  keep  the  grass  and  leaves  in  the  mower  deck  for  multiple  blade  rotations  to  ensure  that  everything  is  chopped  into  small  enough  pieces  to  fall  between  grass  blades  and  not  leave  a  line  of  clippings  behind. Equipment for Homeowners Mulching  mowers  for  residential  use  are  readily  available.  On  a  regular  mower,  a  mulching  blade  and  a  closed  chute  flap  will  mulch  leaves  and  grass  fairly  effectively.    

Equipment for Landscapers Commercial  mowers  for  professional  landscaper  use  can  be  equipped  with  relatively  inexpensive  devices  for  very  efficient  leaf  and  grass  mulching.  A  mulcher  blade,  available  at  any  mower  equipment  store  or  online,  and  a  deck  chute  plate  are  very  effective.  There  is  also  a  device  that  can  be  attached  to  a  mower  deck  that  ensures  that  everything  is  cut  to  the  size  of  a  dime  or  smaller.    

Leaf  shredders,  available  at  various  online  gardening  sources,  can  be  used  as  an  alternative  to  mulching  with  a  lawn  mower.  The  chopped  leaves  can  then  be  placed  back  into  flowerbeds  and  around  shrubs,  where  they  will  slowly  decompose,  nourishing  the  soil.