How To Reuse Yard Waste Like Leaves

While it might take a little bit of elbow grease and effort, there are different ways that organic waste and materials from your yard can be re-purposed for various “do-it-yourself" (D.I.Y.) projects. There are many types of yard waste such as stones, branches, or leaves, which can all prove to be useful materials for different D.I.Y. plans and for crafting unique designs in your landscape. This article will look at a few creative applications of gardening waste or materials for D.I.Y. projects.

 

Reusing Sticks and Branches: Sticks and branches, and other fallen materials from trees, are other materials commonly found in yards and they can have different project applications as well. If you're working on creating a new gardening bed, these sticks and branches can be used as a bottom layer. By adding these sticks to your beds, you can reduce the total amount of soil you need to add later, and doing this can help save money with making new gardening beds.

 

Reusing Stones and Rocks: Stones and rocks can be one of the more commonly used D.I.Y. materials for gardening projects, since they are often easy to find. With the right sized and shaped stones, you can use them as ornaments or decorations for your gardening beds. Stones can also be placed at the bottom of gardening beds or indoor pots to help with water drainage and to prevent water from pooling in your pots. Overwatering can be damaging to plants since it can cause roots to rot, so proper drainage is important for maintaining your plant’s health. 

 

Reusing Fallen Leaves: Each fall, many gardeners are met with waves of dried leaves in their yards. While it might take some effort to rake all the leaves in your yard, leaves can have many practical uses for D.I.Y. projects. Leaves are useful for creating your own rich, nutrient dense soil. Converting leaves to dirt is a great and cost effective way to produce your own soil. These leaves can be used as brown material for composting bins and different composting projects. Browns, such as leaves, are typically carbon dense materials and can provide a strong base for composting. Just be sure to add greens to your composting mixes as well, which can help incorporate nitrogen into composting mixtures. 

 

Alternatively, like with branches, you can also rake and use your dead leaves as a layer for new gardening beds. First add any sticks or branches to the bottom of  your gardening bed, if you do not plan on using a lot of soil. Next, you get to add the leaves. As an optional step, you can kickstart the decomposition process for the leaves if you want them to break down quicker. To do so, you can begin by chopping them up. There are many different ways to do this, but you can grab a tool, such as a shovel or rake, and then stir up and disintegrate the leaves. This step can be important, because it can make it easier for decomposers, such as bugs, bacteria, and fungi to break them down. Next, you can get a hose and add water to soften the leaves. By adding moisture to the leaves, you can encourage the chopped up leaves to break down further. Water is a factor as wells because it provides better living conditions for decomposers like worms, which actually need the water to survive. Gradually, the browns and greens will eventually break down, until you are left with a fresh batch of dirt.  

 

Reusing yard waste and materials can an interesting way to bolster your landscaping plans, but it can also just be a way to save on different supplies like soil and fertilizer.