Fall Leaf Tips to Keep Our Waterways Clean Whether we decide to keep our autumn leaves for beneficial use or decide to get rid of them, it's important to remember to do our part in preventing them from ending up in our local waterways MOW INSULATE AROUND TENDER PLANTS MAKE LEAF MOLD This is the easiest solution as it involves no raking whatsoever. Fall leaves are full of nutrients. Run the mower over them. Leave them. The shredded leaves will disperse enough to let the grass breathe. The pieces will decompose over the winter supplying the soil with nutrients. Leaf Mold is what remains when leaves are left to decompose on their own. It doesn't add a lot of nu- trients, but it does improve the structure of the soil, and it improves its ability to hold water Build a cage around the plant and add leaves to pro- tect over the winter months. If you are using the city's yard waste pick- up, here are two tips to help protect our MULCH COMPOST Autumn leaves are great "brown" or carbon ingre- dients for a compost pile. Leaves will decompose even faster if they are shredded.A lawnmower will do the trick.Alternate layers of shredded leaves with "green" materials in your compost pile. Running over the leaves with a mower will shred them.After they are shredded, they can be used as mulch in flower beds, gardens, under trees and shrubs. Shredded leaves suppress weed growth and will eventually decompose and add nutrients back into the soil waterways: 1. Collect the leaves as close to collection day as possible. 2. Keep the leaves as far away from storm drains as possible. Storm drains are a direct route to our streams and rivers. Angola's Clean Water Utilities (260) 665-2514 www.angolain.org This message is brought to you by... Fall Leaf Tips to Keep Our Waterways Clean Whether we decide to keep our autumn leaves for beneficial use or decide to get rid of them, it's important to remember to do our part in preventing them from ending up in our local waterways MOW INSULATE AROUND TENDER PLANTS MAKE LEAF MOLD This is the easiest solution as it involves no raking whatsoever. Fall leaves are full of nutrients. Run the mower over them. Leave them. The shredded leaves will disperse enough to let the grass breathe. The pieces will decompose over the winter supplying the soil with nutrients. Leaf Mold is what remains when leaves are left to decompose on their own. It doesn't add a lot of nu- trients, but it does improve the structure of the soil, and it improves its ability to hold water Build a cage around the plant and add leaves to pro- tect over the winter months. If you are using the city's yard waste pick- up, here are two tips to help protect our MULCH COMPOST Autumn leaves are great "brown" or carbon ingre- dients for a compost pile. Leaves will decompose even faster if they are shredded.A lawnmower will do the trick.Alternate layers of shredded leaves with "green" materials in your compost pile. Running over the leaves with a mower will shred them.After they are shredded, they can be used as mulch in flower beds, gardens, under trees and shrubs. Shredded leaves suppress weed growth and will eventually decompose and add nutrients back into the soil waterways: 1. Collect the leaves as close to collection day as possible. 2. Keep the leaves as far away from storm drains as possible. Storm drains are a direct route to our streams and rivers. Angola's Clean Water Utilities (260) 665-2514 www.angolain.org This message is brought to you by...