Options for Composting Leaves

We are fortunate to have many options in the Ardens in Delaware for dealing with fallen leaves, including curbside collection in brown recycling bags as well as deposit at the Ardentown Compost site and the DNREC Yard Waste Site. Putting them in the trash is no longer an option in New Castle County. Here is the suggested hierarchy of what you should do with your leaves:

  1. USE LEAVES AS MULCH - Longwood Gardens and Mt. Cuba do it: leaf mulch is one secret to their beautiful gardens. Run the lawnmower over your leaves, place the chopped (or whole) leaves as mulch in your garden beds! The leaves will insulate your plants all winter and decompose to provide nutrients right back into your soil. Plus, you’ll save money on purchasing bagged mulch.
  2. COMPOST LEAVES IN YOUR OWN COMPOST PILE! If you don’t know how to compost yet, visit the Ardentown Compost Demonstration site to learn how! (Or just rake to a spot at the back of your yard – they’ll decrease in size!)
  3. CURBSIDE COLLECTION: Click here to learn about recycling and trash in Arden. The Ardens have curbside collection of four (4) yard waste bags per week. If you need more bags, call the DSWA at 1-800-404-7080.
  4. ARDENTOWN COMPOSTING SITE is open for residents of The Ardens only for their remaining excess leaves. The first two bins (from the right side) are open for this fall as long as there is space (we filled up last year). Please, bring LEAVES ONLY. No sticks, no bags, no trash. Bag your leaves and walk them around the fence (or throw them over), empty them as far back as you can go into the bins, and take your bags home to re-use. Please, do your best to keep this area neat. It is a public service of Ardentown, and not a commercial operation.
  5. DNREC'S YARD WASTE SITE: For other yard waste, and if the Ardentown site is full, the Division of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s Yard Waste Drop-off site is free to the public. It is located off Cauffiel Parkway near Philadelphia Pike, and is open Friday - Sunday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

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