I actually spent my weekend collecting leaves with my mower and then bagging them. But, that might not fly up north.
New York officials are encouraging residents to mulch leaves, instead of collecting them for someone to take away. And there’s good reason behind this thinking: Westchester, New York, spends $3.5 million a year on private contractors to haul away the leaves, reports The New York Times.
Landscapers are also following this practice by mulching the leaves, which helps with the soil’s water retention and provide nutrients.
“It’s utterly insane to be driving tractor-trailers 90 miles away,” says Tim Downey, owner of Aesthetic Landscape Care in Hastings-on-Hudson, to The New York Times. “My feeling is that if I’m taking away your leaves, I’m stealing from your property.”
But how realistic is that? I know clients can be demanding about their yards, so how would they react if you just mulched the leaves?
It would definitely be easier to just mow and go, instead of having to empty the leaves into bags every so often.
So, what’s your pick for getting rid of leaves this fall: bag or mulch?
