Those colorful, autumnal leaves that adorn trees are pleasant to look at. When those leaves fall, they create a pile that’s perfect for the kids to jump in. After a few weeks, those leaves begin to lose their charm, and you’re tired of them blocking your path. Now what?
Once you rake those leaves into a pile and out of your way, you’ll want to dispose of them. Disposing of leaves isn’t as simple as just throwing them into a trash bag or burning them. Believe it or not, there are town and state ordinances that you have to follow when throwing out leaves.
Most municipalities have ordinances in place to control leaf burning, bagging, leaf blowing, and leaf vacuuming. For example, one town only allows residents to leaf blow on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. Check your town’s website before beginning this everyday chore. Here are some ways in which you can dispose of leaves.
Blow Leaves Into the Woods
If there are fields or woods behind your home, consider blowing leaves into these natural areas because they’ll decompose and continue the circle of life. This is an efficient way to dispose of leaves because you won’t have to wait for the city’s leaf vacuum to pick them up. Make sure to blow leaves deep into the woods or field so that they don’t blowback onto your property. Otherwise, you’ll be trapped in a frustrating cycle of removing leaves from your backyard.
Bag Your Leaves
You thought disposing of leaves would be effortless, but the reality is that it’s a very particular task that’s dependent on your city’s regulations. Check local laws to see which type of bags are considered legal for leaf bagging. Some services only pick up leaves that are stored in clear plastic bags. Other services won’t even give your leaves a second glance if they are bagged in plastic bags, as some cities prefer leaves in recyclable paper bags. Be sure you know which days your town picks up bagged leaves. You’ll need to invest in a lot of bags, but at least your leaves will be prepared for leaf pick-up or drop-off. Fortunately, several cities in Utah have leaf drop off sites.
Vacuum Leaves Away
Many towns send leaf vacuum trucks around town each season to vacuum leaves up. Your only job is to pile leaves at the curb as close to pick up dates as possible. Here are a few rules to remember:
- Don’t block fire hydrants
- Don’t cover storm drains
- Don’t park your car near the leaf pile. This will make it more difficult for vacuum trucks to gather leaves, and your vehicle will be covered in leaf dust after collection. Never park your car on top of leaves, as this is a fire hazard.
Although getting rid of leaves is more involved than you initially anticipated this task to be, once you know your city’s regulations, this task becomes more manageable. Try your best to be eco-friendly when disposing of your leaves. Once those leaves are gone, you probably won’t recognize your lawn anymore.
If you need other lawn care services, contact All Green Pest Control today.