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Composting and Leaf Management
Composting and Leaf Management
Eighty to ninety percent of a plant’s nutrients are found in its leaves. As leaves fall to the ground, they decompose and these nutrients return to the soil. Composting is an easy and inexpensive way to increase soil fertility.
Free Composting Classes
Composting is natural recycling. Put your yard trimmings and kitchen scraps to work by creating nutrient rich homemade compost in your own back yard. For one week out of each month the Environmental Services Department is focusing on backyard composting. Whether you are just starting to compost or are an experienced home composter, you can learn more about composting with these great resources. For more information, please access The Woodlands Township Environmental Services blog.
Classes are sponsored by Montgomery County Master Gardener Association and Waste Management.
Compost Bins for Sale
High quality collapsible C.E. Shepherd compost bins are available for $65 at The Woodlands Township’s Parks, Recreation and Environmental Facility. The bin dimensions are 3.5' X 3.5' X 4', about one cubic yard. If purchased from a retailer, these bins sell for $200-$250. Find tips for assembling your compost bin. Call 281-210-3800 for online payment options or visit the Parks Department facility located at 8203 Millennium Forest Drive.
Pick-Up Times
- Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Parks, Recreation and Environmental Services Facility, 8203 Millennium Forest. Call 281-210-3800.
- Last Saturday in September at The Woodlands Landscaping Solutions event
Brown Stuff + Green Stuff + Air + Water = Recipe for Success!
- Place composting bin on bare soil in a convenient location near a water source.
- Start compost pile with leaves and plant trimmings.
- Cut kitchen scraps into small pieces to speed decomposition.
- Bury kitchen scraps.
- Keep material as moist as a well-wrung out sponge.
- Stir or turn pile regularly to add air.
An undervalued commodity, leaves are an investment for the health of your landscape! Leaves bank 50 to 80 percent of a tree’s nutrients, yielding a treasure trove for plants. Reap the benefits of leaves by recycling nutrients back into the soil in these easy ways.
For Light Leaf Drop: Mow and Leave
- Mulching mower works best
- Remove bag, close discharge shoot and mow
- A light layer shreds easily and decomposes quickly
- Improves soil by adding organic matter
- Efficient and easy
For Heavy Leaf Fall: Gather for Mulch
- Rake or blow leaves and pine needles into beds
- Greatly reduces weeds
- Conserves soil moisture
- Protects plant roots from temperature extremes
- Adds nutrients to soil as leaves break down
Make Compost
- Collect leaves in a compost bin
- Add grass clippings, produce scraps, air and water
- In time, the mixture becomes crumbly, rich humus
- Use to topdress lawn and garden beds or mix into soil
- Improves physical, chemical and microbial properties of soil