Happy Leaves, Happy Mulching

Mounds of leaves are still pilling up in yards everywhere, leaving many with the question of what to do with all of them. Here at Bailey Tree, we ask that you pause for a moment and check on the health of your leaves.

Why should I look at my fallen leaves?
Leaves are a good sign of potential diseases and pests in your trees, shrubs, and perennials. If you notice your once brilliant fall colors are marred by odd spots/discoloration, black marks, bumps, insects or generally look off, you may want to consider removing them from your yard altogether and having a good look at the health of your landscape.

My fall leaves look healthy. What should I do with them?

We recommend reusing them in your landscape! Fall leaves are a fantastic mulch and a good way to get nutrients back into your yard. This will also minimize fertilizer needs the following year, retain soil moisture, and promote overall soil health.

How do I mulch healthy leaves?
The easiest way to mulch leaves is to use your lawnmower! Rake leaves onto your turf, set the deck at the highest setting, attach the bag, and start mowing. Once you’re done, remove the bag and add the shredded leaf mulch to shrub beds, perennial beds, garden plots, trees, etc. We recommend adding a mulch layer of about 3-6” of shredded leaves to get the most benefit. If needed, you can add a wire cage to the plant or area you’re mulching to keep it all in one spot.

Remember to mulch your turf too! Shredded leaf mulch in turf is a great way to preserve soil moisture and reduce weeds by creating a barrier on open space between grass plants. An extra bonus is that it doesn’t add to thatch. To mulch your turf, first, check to
see if some grass can be seen through the leaves to make sure the layer won’t be too thick. Then, remove the bag attachment and begin to mow. Try to make at least two passes over the leaves to chop them up small enough to get in-between individual
grass plants. Once spring comes, shredded leaf mulch can be amended into the soil through tilling or turning. As a warning, make sure to not over-amend soil as this can lead to other problems in your landscape.

What else can I do with fall leaves?

Feel free to add whole, healthy leaves into your compost bins. Consider leaving a small pile of leaves in a place that is undisturbed to offer a safe hibernation spots for beneficial insects, such as our native bumblebees. Leaf litter left on lawns has the potential to smother your grass or cause diseases, so try to place these piles away from your turf.

My fall leaves look unhealthy. What can I do?
Pathogens, larvae, and eggs can potentially survive the heating process of home composting options, so we don’t recommend adding diseased or pest-ridden leaves to your own compost pile. We do recommend finding local municipal composting options for your diseased leaves. A good example would be Denver’s LeafDrop program. If a local option isn’t available, we would recommend you try to commercially* compost your diseased leaves instead of disposing of them.

If you think your trees and shrubs are starting to show signs of pests or disease, please feel free to reach out to our plant health care experts at Bailey Tree. We offer free estimates and would love to help you come up with a plan to keep your landscape happy and healthy!

*Bailey Tree LLC does not offer leaf removal or composting services.