Fall leaves: while they may be natural, our urban area is not. Leaves clog up our pipes and inlets, keeping water out. That water ends up flooding your neighborhood. The leaves in the pipes slowly break down into nitrogenous fertilizer which (eventually) makes its way to waterways and causes algae blooms. Mow your leaves onto your yard to keep them out of the pipes.
Fall fertilizer: fertilizing in the cooler months promotes root growth which leads to a healthier lawn in the spring. When you are applying lawn chemicals, only apply as much as you need and be sure to follow the instructions on the package. Any chemicals that aren’t taken up by your yard end up in our waterways.
Pet waste: dog poo is loaded with bacteria and viruses that can make humans sick. It doesn’t make good fertilizer because we don’t feed them things high in nitrogen or phosphorus. Their poo doesn’t break down, it just washes away into our waterways. There are so many of them in our towns that the problem just keeps piling up. Always pick up the poo.
Remember: stormwater doesn’t go to a water treatment facility. Anything left on the ground becomes a pollutant in surface waters. Leaves, grass clippings, lawn chemicals, and pet waste get washed down into a storm drain. Storm drains are piped directly to lakes and streams. Keep our water clean.
Acceptable yard waste management? Mow over it and leave it on your lawn as free fertilizer. Pile it on tender vegetation for insulation from the cold. Bag it and deliver it to your local yard waste facility. Collect it and compost it for next year’s garden.
Whatever you do, always pick up poo.