Mow them over: Benefits of using leaves in your garden

MILWAUKEE - Leaves are falling and instead of raking them into a pile to be taken away -- breakout the lawnmower instead. Gardening expert Melinda Myers joins FOX6 WakeUp with the benefits of using leaves in your garden. 

Eco-friendly Strategies for Managing Fall Leaves and Improving Your Landscape -  Put away the rake and break out the mower to recycle leaves into a valuable soil additive for your landscape

              -Mow over them and leave on the lawn - as long as leaf pieces are the size of quarter or smaller you won`t hurt the lawn

             - Mow, bag and use as mulch around perennials

             - Mow, bag and save for mulch in next year`s annual gardens

            -  Mow, collect and incorporate into annual and new gardens to break down over summer and improve the soil

            -  Use them in compost piles

             - Keeping leaves on your property saves time raking them to the curb and money spent on mulch and amendments

              -Another benefit -- it keeps them out of the street - leaves in street are often washed into storm sewer and pollute our waterways