Fall Leaf Debate: Do You Blow, Bag, Mulch Or Ignore? [Block Talk]

ACROSS AMERICA — Trees are dropping their leaves in a silent cascade that is downright pastoral until the racket starts — your neighbor’s leaf blower, which sounds like it has enough power to send you to the moon.

Do you cringe when lawn warriors fan across the neighborhood with their gas-powered backpack blowers, not only setting up a cacophony of irritating noise but also filling the neighborhood with a stench and harmful emissions?

We’re asking for Block Talk, Patch’s exclusive neighborhood etiquette column.

There’s no one way to remove leaves.

Blowers can efficiently move them to a tarp, but besides their ear-piercing noise, they emit the same amount of carbon dioxide as driving hundreds of miles in a typical car. Industry groups say gasoline-powered leaf blowers get a bum rap, and that manufacturers have responded to criticism.

Raking and bagging is a good workout, and the city or township picks up the bags and hauls them away. Compost bags can be expensive, though.

Some people haul out the lawnmower one more time. Depending on the thickness of the layer of leaves, it may take several passes to chop them small enough to decompose. It’s good for the lawn, too, naturally adding nutrients.

And some people “leave the leaves” until spring. The line of thought here is that the carpet of leaves provides a critical winter habitat for pollinators and invertebrates. But they can blow into the neighbor’s yard, becoming their responsibility.

How do you clean your lawn in the fall, or do you? Just fill out the survey below, and come back to Across America Patch next weekend for the results. For your peace of mind, we don’t collect email addresses.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The survey ended Nov. 8 and the form is no longer accepting responses.

About Block Talk

Block Talk is an exclusive Patch neighborhood etiquette column addressing common issues or problems — and readers provide the answers. If you have a topic you’d like for us to consider, email beth.dalbey@patch.com, with Block Talk as the subject line.

Catch up on Block Talk