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Backyard Leaf Compost
As an alternative to bagging or dumping leaves on to the street this fall, consider establishing your own backyard leaf mulch pile. It is not hard to do, and after about 9 months, you should have a pile of dark, organic material that will enrich your flower and plant beds. 
Please follow the link below to the Rutgers Cooperative’s Backyard Leaf Composting brochure to learn how it is done:
Cut and Leave
Leaving a small amount of finely chopped leaves on your lawn over the winter will not harm it. A mower equipped with a mulching blade will cut leaves and grass clippings into small pieces. A side-discharge mower works too, but you will probably have to go over the leaves two or three times to reduce them to a size that will decompose quickly.
If you have a thick layer of shredded leaves on top of the lawn, you must suck up the excess by attaching your bag to the mower and making a few more passes. You can then empty the bag around tree, flow and plant beds. Lightly working the leaves into the soil will keep them from blowing back on the lawn and accelerate decomposition.
