According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, yard waste such as leaves accounted for more than 13 percent of the 250 million tons of garbage that Americans put in landfills in 2008. Just think of the impact that has on landfills and townships collecting leaves and disposing of them.
An environmentally friendly and garden friendly was to clean your yard of leaves is to use a black bag composting method. I use this method when I am in a hurry and want to collect leaves and forget about them until spring.
All you need are black garbage bags and a place to set them until spring. I will often set them in a place where I might want to put in a new garden the following year – if its out of site and not in the front yard! Along a garage or by a storage shed or woodpile is also a good location.
Why black garbage bags? They will attract and hold heat from the sun helping the leaves to compost faster.
First rake the yard and fill the black bags with leaves. Add a little water and close them with tie wraps. If you have grass clipping you light want to mix some of them in. Place them in an out of the way place and ignore until spring.
In the spring check the leaves to see how they are breaking down. You may want to add grass clipping or straw if you have it. I lightly sprinkle the leave mix and seal it up.
Usually by march the leaves have broken down and can be used in gardens or added t o compost and stirred in. I use the leaf compost around new shrubs or perennials. Its a cheap green gardening technique for your home and garden areas.
One thing that will also help leaves to break down quicker is if they have been mowed. By mowing the leaves you break them into smaller pieces that will decompose at a quicker rate.
Composting by black garbage bags works well in towns and suburban areas where you might not be able to set up a composting bin. They can be easily moved and tucked into small spaces. And within a few months you will have a rich soil mix to add to the soil.
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