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Leave the Leaves
The City of Brentwood invites residents this fall to participate in "Leave the Leaves" with us.
Residents may pick up their free yard sign for "Leave the Leaves" at the Brentwood Community Center located at 2505 S Brentwood Blvd. Please speak with a staff member at the front desk for more assistance.
Leave the Leaves is a program championed by the groups the USDA and Missouri Department of Conservation. The program encourages homeowners to leave fallen leaves in their yard instead of raking, bagging and taking them to the landfill and reducing greenhouse gasses at the same time.
Leaves create a natural mulch that helps to suppress weeds while fertilizing the soil as it breaks down. The leaves also serve as a habitat for wildlife including lizards, birds, turtles, frogs, and insects that overwinter in the fallen leaves. These living creatures help keep pests down and increase pollination in gardens, so having a habitat for them in the fallen leaves can help to keep them around when you need them the most.
The more leaves left on your garden, the more feed for these micro-organisms that make soil healthier and plants grow stronger. As the leaves decay, they add organic matter back into the soil, which lessens the need for fertilizer. Leaves can also been included in a compost mix that can be used in gardens. Mulching can protect the soil surface and help stop erosion from rainfall. Mulch also helps to moderate temperature extremes by keeping roots warmer during the winter and cooler in the summer, and helps to keep moisture in the ground, which is especially helpful during times of drought.
You can mulch leaves where they fall, chop them up with your mower, or choose to move the leaves. Leaves work well in between rows of crops or around fruit trees, areas where there is heavy machine or foot traffic, and shaded areas where vegetation doesn’t grow well. They can also be used in between growing seasons rather than leaving the soil bare. The leaves can also be useful in areas that have compacted soil as they help to reduce runoff as well as using their nutrients to create healthier soils.
Additional Resources:
https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2022/10/17/fall-leave-leaves
https://mdc.mo.gov/magazines/conservationist/1995-10/autumn-leaves-myth-reality