Collect Yard Waste and Put it to Good Use

Fall is here, or soon will be. Here in Pennsylvania the leaves are already beginning to fall and I know that in just a month or so my yard will be covered with them. Not only from my own trees but from every tree in the neighborhood. I have been thinking that there must be a better way to deal with all these leaves then just piling them up and burning them or bagging them for pick up by the local trash collection. There must be a better way to collect yard waste and dispose of it. There must be a way to actually re-use some of it.

Leaves may be the prominent debris in your yard but they surely aren't the only thing piling up on the grass. Twigs, rocks, small branches, fallen fruit and nuts may also be contributing to the general clutter. And no matter how diligent you may be about keeping your yard clean there is bound to be a few pieces of everyday trash found in your yard at clean up time. Things like pieces of newspaper, scraps of paper and even plastic bottles of varying sizes. The wind is no respecter of persons; it blows indiscriminately in all directions.

So, what to do with all this stuff? How do you collect yard waste and how can you possibly re-use some of it? I have come up with several ways to collect yard waste and put it to use. Perhaps you may want to try a few of my suggestions.

Leaves: There are several ways to deal with leaves; you can bag them, box them, mulch them or compost them. If you like to decorate for Halloween, you may want to bag your leaves in Pumpkin Lawn Bags. These are large leaf bags colored orange with large Pumpkin faces printed on them. They are a great way to use the leaves before actually disposing of them. When my children were small I did this every year. We bagged the leaves together and then set up the bags in the yard. It was a nice and non-scary way to decorate for Halloween especially if you don't go for the make believe corpse hanging in a tree. These bags can usually be found at major discount and grocery store chains in the fall and I also found them on Amazon and EBay using the search term "Pumpkin Lawn Bags". You can also stuff these bags with regular paper trash such as scraps of newspaper and small twigs and any other non-stinky debris that you may find in your yard.

If you are really determined to do something constructive with all those pesky leaves and you have small children to entertain you might want to box the leaves. You simply stuff plastic shopping bags with leaves (be sure they are dry, wet leaves will grow mold) and then stuff the bags of leaves into small cardboard boxes. Then tape the boxes shut securely with packing tape. You can take it a step further by painting the boxes with non-toxic paint. They make wonderful, giant building blocks and small children will delight in building forts and tunnels with them. The leaves give the boxes just enough weight to stack nicely but not enough to be dangerous to young children.

Of course, if you have a garden or like to grow flowers you may want to turn your leaves into cheap mulch and compost. If you already own a chipper you are all set but if not they can be rented. Check your local yellow pages under equipment rentals. If you have a lot of leaves, twigs and small branches can also be used for this, it may just be worth the expense of a rented chipper to get the mulch and compost. Composting is not difficult but it does require you to have a space to pile it all and a way to contain it. You will need to add to it occasionally and turn it regularly. Leaves, non-processed wood such as twigs and branches, uncooked fruit and even paper, provided it is not glossy, can be added to your compost heap. If you have fruit trees in your yard that drop fruit you can add this to your compost too. Composting is a great way to collect yard waste and re-use it. It makes wonderful fertilizer and it is good for the environment too. Check out How To Compost.Org for more information.

Rocks and large branches may also appear in your yard from time to time. Rocks will be exposed over time as the top layer of soil blows or washes away and branches will sometime fall from trees. A nice, and natural, thing to do with rocks and branches is to use them to create natural borders around flower beds walkways or gardens. Simply collect the rocks and branches and arrange them in border. You can also use cinder blocks to make natural and decorative fences. Simply up end the cinder block so that the holes are accessible and insert the ends of the branches in the holes. This makes a decorative, although not functional, fence. Rocks can also be used as borders or as a way to promote good drainage in the bottom of potted plants.

Branches can also be chipped for use as mulch or can be composted. They can also be used as fire wood. Simply cut them or chop them into appropriately sized pieces. Branches can also be piled up in a corner of the yard for use by small animals and birds. They make great natural cover and winter habitat.

In fact, if you like the idea of helping out the birds and enjoy attracting small wildlife, such as squirrels and rabbits, to your yard you can also put fallen fruit to good use by making a nail feeder. A nail feeder is simply made by driving a long nail into a fence post or old tree stump and then pressing a piece of fruit down over the nail. Apples and pears work best for this feeder. Of course, you could just leave the fruit on the ground but a nail feeder provides you with a better view of the animals and birds that will take advantage of your kindness.

There are plenty of ways to put organic yard waste to good use but what about the non-organic? The newspaper scraps and the plastic bottles? Granted, these may be just an occasional annoyance but there are still ways to re-use them. As mentioned before, non-glossy paper can be added to compost. Plastic bottles can be turned into automatic waterers for your potted plants. Simply water the plant thoroughly so that the soil is saturated, then feel the bottle and quickly and firmly press it into the soil, twisting it gently as you do so. As the soil in the pot dries out the water will be released from the bottle thus watering the plant. When the bottle is empty, simply remove it, re-fill it and repeat the process.

Of course, the fastest and easiest way to collect yard waste and dispose of it may be to simply pile it all up and burn it. If you decide to use this method be sure and practice safety first. Monitor the flames closely and constantly. Keep a shovel and a rake close by and be sure to have a hose connected to a steady water supply at hand and be sure it is legal to burn yard waste in your area before striking the match.