As thoughts to turn to spring and gardens we all imagine how magazine ready our gardens will look this year. Hope reigns eternal (I have a high gardening hope to reality ratio which keeps me very optimistic year after year!)As you start your clean up, don't throw out your yard waste! This week in Thornton we have our free bulk pick up and I am astounded by the number of leaf bags and tree limbs I see out there - none of that is trash. Not only can it be composted, thus saving our landfills from piling up, but they are also too wonderful to toss. Leaf mulch makes some of the best compost.
The easiest way to compost leaves is to leave them on your grass (or put them there if they are in garden areas - I use a leaf blower to move them) and run your lawn mower over them. As soon as it is warm they will quickly compost (composting is a heat process). Once the grass starts growing they will disappear. For leaves not near grass I use a leaf vacuum that has a mulcher. It is easy to use and I can even use it over bark mulch. I simply suck up the leaves, which are mulched in the process, then dump them in my garden to compost. They are very rich in nutrients. So, save plastic garden bags, landfills (leaves and garden waste make up about 20$% of our landfills!), and fertilize your yard all in one easy step!
For garden limbs, many communities offer residents a fabulous service where you can drop off your tree limbs, etc for free and then pick up the mulched results for free.
Mulch can be used as compost or to keep your garden roots cool and moist during the hot dry summer. Save money on buying mulch from the stores and save our landfills!
Happy composting and happy gardening!
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