Whether it’s from regular mowing, weeding, sod installation or keeping your hedges trimmed, yard maintenance produces debris. That debris could be as small as grass clippings or as large as fallen branches, but either way, you’ll need to do something with what’s left behind.

Here are a few options for ways you can discard yard waste (and maybe even make your lawn a little more eco-friendly in the process)!

Request a Waste Management Pickup

This might be the simplest option for taking care of debris. If you give your local sanitation department a call, they should be able to arrange a pickup of your lawn leftovers.

If you have your own truck, you might also be able to drop it off at your local dump yourself. Once again, call ahead just to make sure that your dump accepts and recycles debris of this kind.

Start a Compost Pile
 

Especially if you have any interest in gardening, starting a compost pile could be a productive use of your green debris. You’ll want to designate an area of your property for the compost pile, preferably out of the way of any common traffic areas. Once you’ve decided on an area, you should add a balanced amount of green and brown organic materials to start the chemical process that breaks it all down.

When you get a significant amount of decayed material built up, you can use it as fertilizer for your garden. If you keep regularly adding new waste for the pile to break down, this option is the gift that keeps on giving.

If you have large branches that need to be taken care of, be aware that you’ll need a chipper or something similar to get the pieces small enough that they will decompose.

Perimeter Plant
 

This is a bigger picture suggestion that requires some commitment, but if you’re really intent on making sure that your debris always has a place to go, consider landscaping around the edges of your yard and using clippings and leaves as the mulch for those areas. Mulching mowers are readily available to get your fallen foliage ready for spreading out, and perimeter planting also holds a unique visual appeal.

Know When to Leave It Behind

Sometimes, it’s better to let your debris lie. Reasonable amounts of fine grass clippings can decompose and further feed your lawn. Mulched leaves can do the same. Large items like branches shouldn’t be left lying due to the fact that the weight can crush and smother your grass, so not all debris can stay behind. However, strategically distributing some of it can add to the overall health of your yard.

Need help dealing with your own lawn leavings? Let us do the work for you! Contact us to get started.