No wonder it is called fall: temperatures fall; gas prices fall; stock markets fall; nights fall earlier, and leaves fall.
It is that time again: From now until the end of November, the Township of Centre Wellington Public Works Department trucks in urban Fergus, Elora, and Salem will pick up bags of leaves that people have dragged to the curb.
Those bruised red, purple, orange, magenta, pink, and crimson leaves, deprived of chlorophyll and wrenched from tenacious grips on the arms of their tree-hosts, are free to scatter across lawns skitter across the road, and into ditches or neighbours’ driveways. Those loose leaves that swirl and frolic and pile up are ready to be harvested.
Stuff them into bio-degradable paper bags and haul them to the end of the driveway. Centre Wellington Public Works Department trucks will pick them up and take them to Gerries Farm Market at 7646 Colborne Street in Elora, where they will compost them, spread them on their fields to nourish the fruits and vegetables people buy at their year-round market.
Anyone who misses the township pick up can still take leftover leaves to the Gerries, too.
Must be bagged
If people do not want to or cannot bag them, those loose leaves that they have placed at the end of the driveway with that raucous leaf blower, will fester and suffer in the gutter. They will gradually deteriorate, mix with left-over winter salt and sand and that slimy mixture will migrate into the storm sewer system, spew into the Grand River, which will transport this doubtful bounty to communities downstream.
Options for leaves
Mulch – Rejoice and re-cycle leaves. Do not bemoan them; mow them. A grass- and leaf- munching lawn mower can pulverize and shred leaves, last-cut grass clippings, and deadheads into the perfect nutrient-rich mulch to leave on the lawn and spread around plants. In the spring, Mother Nature and a lower water bill will thank people for looking after her progeny, which will nourish and protect the ground they grew up in.
Compost – Chuck those green and lovely leaves and lawn clippings into the composter along with organic kitchen waste, which will also produce nutrients for the yard and garden.
Many County of Wellington solid waste services landfill sites or transfer stations accept bags of leaves, and wood and brush debris. They also have fact sheets on composting, grasscycling and managing leaves and, for the adventuresome, indoor composting with worms. For information contact: www.county.wellington.on.ca/community or phone (519) 837-2601 or 1-800-663-0750, ext. 220.
Louise Fletcher is a member of the Centre Wellington Township environmental advisory committee.
