Landscapers: Love'em and Leave'em

You may already be familiar with Ewing’s “Love `Em and Leave`Em” leaf campaign – a campaign based on a similar and successful campaign embraced by Westchester County, NY to encourage residents to embrace leaf mulching, grass-cycling, and composting on their property.   Ewing Township also encourages  property owners to manage their fall leaves in this more cost-efficient and environmentally friendly manner.  

Ewing Township just updated its rules for leaf, brush, and yard waste collection (see Ordinance 24-19), and it’s something we all need to be aware of. As September 8^th, the amended ordinance allows a scheduled period of loose leaf collection in the months of November and December to simplify and expedite the process of leaf collection for residents. Yard waste must be containerized for collection at the curb any time outside this scheduled collection window. Residents must comply with leaf only policy during this period to ensure the program’s success. Code violations may be issued for containerizing or co-mingling brush & yard waste with loose leaves. 

Summary of the Rules

• There will be loose leaf (ONLY) collection in the months of November and December. Yard waste must be containerized for collection at the curb any time outside this scheduled collection window.
• LEAVES ONLY will be collected during the leaf collection period! No sticks, rocks, brush, trash, grass, or debris that will clog and damage the leaf vacuum should be included. Code violations may be issued for containerizing or co-mingling brush & yard waste with loose leaves during this time. 
• LOOSE LEAVES will only be permitted at the curb during scheduled leaf pickup times for each address. Check out our Zone Map for when leaves will be picked up (also available in list format.) Again, code violations may be imposed for leaves left at the curb during off-collection weeks.

Additional Recommendations

• Avoid placing leaves from your clients' properties for curbside collection near parked vehicles, utility poles, mailboxes etc. Materials placed too close to objects will disrupt the collection process.
• Do not block sidewalks, fire hydrants or driveways.
• Please endeavor to keep leaves piled near the side. Leaf pile contents that blow and fall into the useable roadway impede traffic and are especially a hazard during wet weather.

This new ordinance  enables Ewing Township to meet New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) rules. We recommend our "Love ‘Em and Leave ‘Em" program as a much more cost-efficient and environmentally friendly method of leaf management!

We understand that you may provide lawn maintenance services to our residents, perhaps employing standard fall leaf clean-up methods.  These standard practices – blowing leaves into piles on the street (no longer permitted by ordinance) or raking them into brown landscaping bags stacked curb-side, left for eventual town pickup – involve unnecessary costs in terms of crew labor, dumping fees, and fuel.  This practice can also lead to clogged storm drains and excess nutrient runoff (phosphorus & nitrogen) polluting our waterways. The blowing and vacuuming of leaves, double-handling, shipping, and relocating leaves can all be avoided by mulching your clients’ leaves in-place. 

Shredding fall leaves (or summer grass) using a mulching mower where they are on the lawn, using shredded leaves as a winter mulch on landscape beds, collecting shredded leaves into compost piles, or simply leaving leaves under the trees in wooded areas are all examples of using nature's own method of turning old leaves into rich, new soil.

We ask for your cooperation in accepting these alternate leaf managementpractices and in offering them as an environmentally sound “green practice” to your clients.  Check out additional information, “how to” video demos,and/ FAQs about mulching-in-place, grass-cycling, and composting of leaves below.

• SLOW DOWN! Mulch mowing is different than grass mowing.
• Install mulching blades (e.g.; “Gator" blades) on mowers.
• Close the mulch plate on the mower deck.
• Keep your mower blade well-sharpened.
• Mow grass high through the fall so that leaf shreds can settle between grass blades.
• Adjust the blade height to 2.5-4 inches high.
• Mulch when leaves are dry or semi-damp, whenever possible.
• Take on no more than 2/3 or 3/4 of a deck's width of material at a time.
• Face discharge to the work-to-be-done side for easy re-grind when necessary.
• If required, multi-pass to shred leaves completely (around 1" square is target size).
• On subsequent passes, use a criss-cross pattern over the lawn to minimize rutting.
• With deep leaf piles, raise the front of the mower to "attack" into the pile, then lower deck back down. Repeat this "raise & lower" chopping technique as required. (Hint: a counter weight on the rear of the deck helps reduce the effort to raise/tilt the chassis.)
• Blow excess leaf shred on surface of turf across a wider lawn area to even out. Excess shred can also be blown into nearby landscape beds as a mulch.
• Collect, then mulch-mow excess leaves next to a 'target area' where you desire to use the mulch.
• Utilize the "rolling chop" technique to maximize crew efficiency. (See the FAQ section below for description.)

• "You'll have a greener lawn because as leaf mulch breaks down over the winter it naturally fertilizes the soil."
• "You'll end up with a healthier lawn because leaf mulch improves soil structure and soil biology."
• "It also helps improve drainage and water retention."
• "We won't have to make vehicle trips to pick up and dispose of all your leaves, so it's better environmentally."
• "It will be quieter because we use our blowers less."
• "It will be compliant with Ewing Township's updated leaf and brush guidelines."
• "Keeping leaves out of storm sewers helps to protect water quality in our streams, lakes, and rivers."
• "Grass-cycling during the growing season provides similar benefits for lawn fertilization, soil health, and labor/cost reduction."

• With LELE I need fewer hours of labor on each property, a smaller crew.
• I can save money by eliminating tipping fees, by avoiding the cost of purchase and maintenance of specialized equipment such as vacuums, and by reduction of seasonal fuel requirements.
• Since LELE helps me keep my costs down, annual increases of my client's autumn cleanup bill are more reasonable, when required. So my profits are not impacted.
• Within a year or two, the benefits of mulching-in-place can be seen on the properties that I manage.
• I can effectively respond to my client's concerns about ensuring a more sustainable, healthier future.
• I can promote and differentiate my business as 'environmentally-friendly' and 'green.'