What Can I do with My Fallen Leaves? - Ask BrightView
Ask BrightView: Episode 26
Fall is the time of year when leaves are everywhere but what should you be doing with these leaves? BrightView's Bill Paige, a certified arborist, gives some useful tips for re-purposing leaves and what not to do.
(For the full transcript, see below.)
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Video Transcription
What can I do with my fallen leaves?
Bill Paige, expert:
Hello, my name is Bill Page with BrightView Landscape Services and today we're going to talk about leaf removal and cleanup.
I often get questions about leaf removal and what to do with leaves after they come off the tree. Leaves are actually beneficial in your soils and we're going to talk a little bit of that how that happens and how you can turn these leaves into fertilizer for your lawn.
There is a science aspect to this leaf removal process called the carbon nitrogen ratio. Essentially, the grass that you've been mowing all season long is the nitrogen component and the fallen leaves become the carbon component. These two elements mix together and become a beneficial component for soils and healthy grass. The benefits include an increase in the water holding capacity of soils, which act like a sponge they can grab and hold water, and air can enter between the porous spaces to add a micro and macro nutrients. These elements are all important for healthy lawns and can hold and degrade pollutants, which are important aspects of a healthy soil and a healthy lawn.
it's important to remember to not leave the leaves whole on the ground because hauled matted leaves can kill turf. You should grind up your leaves; don't bag them don't burn them, turn those leaves into a benefit.
