Why should I rake?

As the air turns cooler and the days grow shorter, our backyard gardens surrender their last fruits and vegetables of the year, and the last leaves fall from the trees.

It's time to pull out the rake and begin the chore of removing all those leaves from your yard. So is there a legitimate reason for all the backbreaking work involved to rake and remove leaves, or is it simply an aesthetic choice? You'll be glad to know the payoff for all your labor goes beyond simply enhancing the curb appeal of your property. Removing fallen leaves is vital for the health of your lawn.

Not only does it look bad to have a soggy, decaying pile of leaves on our yard, it also deprives the grass of the air, water and nutrients it requires to survive. This leads to unsightly dead spots in the spring.

There are two ways to dispose of yard materials. The City provides curbside collection during dedicated weeks or you can take your yard materials to a depot.

Curbside collection - see your Waste Reduction & Conservation Calendar for the dedicated "Green Weeks" that indicate yard material collection. Place yard materials at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on Monday of the dedicated collection week. Pick-up can take place anytime during the week (including Saturday) and will only happen once during that week.

Depots - If you have missed your collection, or do not have access to curbside pickup, the EnviroDepots and TRY Recycling will accept residential yard materials for composting.