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Removing leaves from your lawn in the fall is a necessary task as leaving them on the lawn through the winter can lead to damage. The leaves can smother the lawn and cause the grass to die or can cause damage by decomposing under a layer of snow.

You may be planning on using the leaves later in the year do it is important that you consider their ultimate use before you remove them. Are you going to use them as mulch or compost them to be added to your flower beds or vegetable garden?

Composting

Composting is a process where the garden waste is completely broken down so that the nutrients in it are released into the soil. Composting leaves can involve a great deal of work. To decompose the leaves quickly it is a good idea to shred them before you add them to a compost bin. You can easily shred the leaves by using a lawnmower with a mulching attachment and running it over the leaves. Even after the leaves are decomposed they need to be kept in a container to prevent the elements removing the nutrients they contain. Composting in a bin also requires some skill. You cannot just add leaves and other garden debris to a bin and hope it produces good compost. The materials in the bin need to be mixed well and sufficient water added. The layers in the bin also need to be swapped regularly.

Mulching

A mulch is different from compost. Although a mulch will eventually break down into a compost but a mulch refers to chipped up organic matter, leaves for instance or grass clipping, that are placed on the lawn or soil surface. The mulch acts as a protection for the soil or lawn surface from the elements as well as acting as a weed suppressor. Completely decomposed matter would not be able to act as an efficient barrier. Mulch will eventually decompose into a compost and provide nutrients to the lawn or the soil.

If you intend to use the leaves you remove from the lawn as a mulch they should not be added to the compost bin but placed in a separate container that can act as a 'mulch bin'. The leaves should be shredded before being placed in the bin. Shredded leaves will not pack down as much as unshredded leaves. Your aim for the mulch bin is to keep the leaves from composting as long as possible. So there is no need to add water or turn the leaves as you would do to the material in a compost bin.

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