Leafcycling

In the forest, plant leaves die in autumn, piling up on top of root systems to cover the soil and protect them from the rigours of winter, then serving as nutrients for their parent plant as they begin to decompose in spring. Foliage is an essential nutrient for the tree or plant from which it fell. At home, you can enhance this life cycle and reduce the volume sent to the composting site.

Leafcycling: mimicking the natural cycle of leaves

To preserve the ecological value of autumn leaves, you need to mimic (or almost mimic) their natural cycle by practicing leafcycling. The leaves gradually fall onto the lawn. They can then be shredded with a mower equipped with a mulching blade specially designed for leafcycling. If you opt for this practice, make sure not to let them pile up too high, because the mower won’t be able shred a thick carpet of leaves. Rich in carbon and minerals, dead leaves are a natural soil improver for lawns and other garden plants.

You can also let the leaves stay on the lawn; they will provide welcome shelter for many insects and butterflies over winter... and nutritious food for birds in spring. However, too many wet leaves can choke the lawn, so you can pick up some of them.

Save leaves for spring

Collecting leaves and storing them to prepare the soil for next spring is another way to put fallen leaves to good use. By collecting the leaves and leaving them to dry in a container or paper bag, you can use this raw material as mulch, placing them at the foot of trees or in flower beds as early as autumn or the following spring. Some perennials survive winter best by being covered with leaves after the first or second frost.

Excess leaves can be deposited in the backyard compost bin or organics bin. If you have a lot of leaves on your property, once they’ve been collected, they’re a great addition to your home compost. If they are stored in a box or bag, leaves can regularly be added to the compost to ensure a good balance between carbon-rich brown matter, such as leaves, twigs and paper fibres, and nitrogen-rich green matter, such as food scraps or grass. If you don’t have a compost bin, leaves are accepted at all times in the green wheeled bin.

Finally, you can also take advantage of municipal leaf collections. Consult the collection guide for more information.

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