City of Roswell News | Roswell, GA

Putting yard waste to work in your outdoor spaces will help you grow a healthy and productive landscape and save money spent on mulch, soil amendments, and even hardscapes. With spring around the corner, your yard will appreciate it! So why not put some of it back to work in your landscape? Here are some ideas to keep your yard waste in place:

Create borders, trellises, and structures with branches – You can decrease the time you put into breaking down large branches for curbside collection by turning them into borders or trellises for trailing plants. Edging beds and pathways with logs and branches creates a natural look, and is much cheaper than brick or stone borders. If you have children who use the yard, challenge them to use the branches and twigs to make a fort or hideout.

Convert tree and shrub trimmings to mulch – Mulch has a variety of uses such as enriching soil, trapping moisture, blocking weed growth, and covering walking paths and play areas. Chipping your woody debris can create a free source of mulch. Many people do not own a chipper, so consider renting a chipper for the weekend and inviting the neighbors to participate to decrease the cost of rental.

Build a compost pile – Use the pile compost method to build a natural recycling center in your backyard. Layer nitrogen-rich plant waste like grass clippings and plant-based kitchen waste with carbon-rich materials like fall leaves, twigs, and branches. Avoid adding any diseased plant material or invasive exotic plants to the pile. To speed up the decomposition process, turn the pile every so often. The rich compost can be put back into your garden beds.

Leave the leaves, smartly – At this point in the season, leaves that dropped in the fall and stayed put into winter are temporary homes for pollinators and other beneficial insects and amphibians. Try to leave these leaves if they are in the yard or lawn. Move leaves covering driveways, sidewalks, gutters, and storm drains to garden beds where they can decompose and add nutrients to the soil.

Create wildlife habitat – Strategically placed brush piles can enhance your yard habitat and provide an interesting element to your landscape. Whether you just pile up some tree and shrub trimmings with leaves or weave a more designed “wattle,” a huge variety of wildlife such as songbirds, woodpeckers, salamanders, toads, rabbits, and shrews will appreciate the added shelter and food.

When you have recycled and repurposed all you can, the City of Roswell offers weekly curbside pick-up of your yard debris. Find out more at www.roswellgov.com/sanitation. Guidelines for prepping your yard waste can be found watching this video here. Residents may contact Waste Management at 770-817-6787 to schedule additional pickups of yard waste (fees will apply).