The morning air feels crisp. The leaves are beginning to change colors. Fall is in the air. That means you’ll soon be raking!

Rather than picking up, bagging, and disposing of your fall leaves, consider using them in your yard. Here are three simple options to turn your fall leaves into garden gold:

1. Carry the raked leaves to your compost bin. Mix in the leaves using a shovel. Keep in mind that too many leaves may slow down the composting process. If you have a lot of leaves, pile the extras near your compost pile or bin and mix them in slowly over the next several months as you add “green” debris, such as fruit and vegetable scraps.
2. Shred the leaves with a bagging mower. Use the leaf bits as mulch around trees and plants or to cover your garden for winter. Leaf mulch protects the soil and the beneficial creatures that live in it from the harsh winter temperatures.
3. Forget the rake. Use your mulching mower to shred the leaves onto your lawn. These leaf bits provide protective cover for the grass plants and will decompose by spring. This is perfect if your lawn has only a few younger trees. Your grass will initially look like it has been “sprinkled” with leaf bits. If it looks “frosted” and not "sprinkled,” you are going to have to rake!

(Images provided by Buncombe County.)

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