Arlo and Janis by Jimmy Johnson for November 06, 2015

The problem with leaving them alone is all it takes is one careless neighbor to toss a lit cigarette but into your yard, and the whole thing goes up like a tinderbox after a few years of leaves. There’s also the problem of composting them before next year’s leaves: they don’t decompose fast enough unless you shred them, add other organic bits, and regularly turn and moisten the pile.

Um… you do know that this is a comic… right?

@peterhuppertz-tell that to the ones who carry on about Janis’ bust and Arlo’s lust for her

Where is Arlo’s leaf blower? Didn’t he use it to chase around a skirt wearing Janis, at this time of year?

Boots at the Boar

That is what a lawn mower is for.

I stopped raking leaves several years ago. It looks a little ugly in December but by January they are covered by snow (Michigan) and when the snow melts they have magically melted into the lawn. Kind of miraculous, really. I still wonder why everyone else rakes the leaves around here… Habit, I think.

Ditto. I mulch them into the lawn when I mow, & after the yard’s last haircut for the season, if they pile up-oh well! They decompose naturally, & then, for the 1st mowing of the spring, it all gets mulched back into the lawn again. Totally recyclable without costing you a cent in pick-up fees, lawn bags, etc.. Especially time & physical effort!

We have a LARGE elm tree and desert landscaping….no lawn…just rock. HAVE to clean them up every year! But the rock cuts the water bill and the tree cuts the air conditioning bill here in desert Phoenix.

I grind up the leaves with the lawn mower.They make good fertilizer.

Raking leaves into a trash bag, only to dump them onto a compost pile is an exhausting waste of time. Rake them onto a large tarp and then drag the pile over. Bagging is far too much work if you’re not going to transport them elsewhere..In the town I used to live in, you only had to blow/rake leaves to the curb. A town truck would vacuum them up on three days (once each in October, November and December.) The leaves go to a town compost facility (along with all other brush refuse). The compost, when ready, is given out to residents free of charge (either bring your own truck and shovels to get some or pay a nominal fee for them to dump a truckload on your property.)

The wind blows the leaves everywhere, but away.

What town was that, Shamino? It sounds like a fantastic idea! (Not that I’m planning on moving based on the compost facilities.)

Nah, what would happen is there would be several clumps that stayed put and come the spring you’d have little round dead patches in your lawn.