Why Mulch Leaves?

A “green” alternative to raking and bagging is simply to mulch leaves in place using your lawn mower. This is an excellent option that not only reduces the amount of fuel and energy expended to collect and dispose of leaves, but is also beneficial to lawns. Mulched leaves increase the nitrogen content, reduce weed growth, and improve the moisture retention in landscapes. There are many studies published online by various universities proclaiming the benefits of mulching. Below are links to a few of these publications.

“When Leaves Turn Into Litter”

http://www.grounds-mag.com/mag/grounds_maintenance_leaves_turn_litter/

“’Leave’ Them Alone: Lawn Leaf Management”

http://www.ext.vt.edu/news/periodicals/cses/2004-11/leave.html

“Don’t Bag It – Leaf Management Plan”

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/homelandscape/dontbag/dontbag.html

“Composting 101: How To Compost Without Much Effort”

http://igniteindiana.org/articles/composting.htm

City Leaf Pickup Info:

The Street Department encourages citizens to have their leaves raked to the curb and ready for pick up on the first day of their scheduled collection week. Due to the volume of leaves, a tight schedule, and the amount of area that each crew is required to cover week to week, they are not able to “double back” to pick up piles raked out after crews have gone by. Any leaves raked out after crews have collected a given area will remain at the curbside until the next collection cycle.

One alternative to raking leaves to the curb is to put them into bio-degradable lawn bags. Bagged leaves can be reported to the 311 “One call to City Hall” call center for pickup within two business days.

Citizens are also encouraged to avoid raking leaf piles into the street, keeping piles contained within their park strips. Leaves placed in the streets create problems by clogging up storm sewer catch basins, resulting in flooded intersections; can be a safety concern for children whom may find leaves piled in streets attractive to play in; and can potentially be a fire concern for cars parking over dry leaves. It is also much appreciated whenever citizens can avoid piling leaves in ditches, or behind parked cars. These difficult areas are very labor intensive and significantly slow down the collection process.

Daily updates to pickup schedules can be accessed via the City’s website. The subdivisions listed on the website are a general guide to where each crew is likely, but not necessarily guaranteed to be the next business day. If they don’t make it through the entire detailed list, uncollected areas will likely be taken care of the following business day. The link below will connect you with the daily pickup schedule.

http://www.cityoffortwayne.org/index.php/content/view/248/343/

This list of subdivisions can also be accessed via the telephone by dialing 427-2302. This recorded message is also updated daily and will give the same list of where crews will be the following business day.