If you have mulching mower, you can mulch your leaves while you are mowing and leave the leaves right on your lawn. Your lawn will benefit from the nutrients in the leaves and you won't spend several days raking and bagging them. Mulching leaves with a mower goes hand-in-hand with the Don't Bag It program.

Or, spread a pile leaves on your garden, or a farm field, to use as a mulch. Not only will the leaf mulch reduce the likelihood of soil erosion, nutrients will be added to the soil as the leaves break down. The soil under the leaves remains soft and friable, so you can spend much less time tilling the garden in the spring. In fact, when planting crops in the spring, leave the leaf mulch on the soil. Just move the mulch from the area where you will be transplanting your plants and place it back after transplanting and watering. The leaf mulch will keep the weeds down and the soil moist.

If you don't have a mulching mower or you don't garden, you can always compost your leaves. You will still have to rake the leaves (or use a leaf blower), but you will not have to bag them. The finished compost makes a great soil amendment, even for your lawn. Give your compost (or your leaves) to your friends and neighbors if you can not use it.