Recycle for a healthier habitat!
Every year, we throw out millions of cubic yards of leaves, grass clippings, prunings, and kitchen scraps that can comprise a large percentage of our waste stream, if not handled responsibly. These materials can and should be recycled in your garden.
What you can do:
- Spread grass clipping in a half inch thick layer around garden plants. This mulch holds moisture and improves the soil.
- Apply leaves and pine needles directly as a mulch, or shred first and then mulch, or set them aside for composting.
- Chip tree and shrub prunings and use as mulch or add to your compost pile. Larger branches can go directly into a brush pile, providing quality wildlife cover.
- Establish a compost pile and add kitchen scraps (no meat, fats, or bones) along with narrow layers of yard wastes.
- If you can't compost, urge your community to start a leaf-composting program. As a result, the community will have compost for enriching individual and community gardens.
