U of I Extension Says Fallen Leaves Good For Mulching

(Undated) -- Fall brings wiener roasts, festivals and leaf removal. Rhonda Ferree, Horticulture Educator with the University of Illinois Extension, suggests making good use of the fallen leaves in your yard. The tree leaves that accumulate in and around your landscape represent a valuable natural resource that can be used to provide a good source of organic matter and nutrients for use in your landscape. Leaves contain 50 to 80 percent of the nutrients a plant extracts from the soil and air during the season. Therefore, leaves should be managed and used rather than bagged or burned. According to Ferree there are ways in which leaves can be managed and used in the landscape. They include when there is a light covering of leaves, they can be mowed. Also, mulching is a simmple and effective way to recyle leaves and improve your landscape.