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Just Leave It

21 Dec 2021
Just Leave It

Leave your leaves for the birds and the bees!

Written by: Kalah Simpson, Environmental Compliance Coordinator 
 
Have you ever wanted to skip raking leaves, but are worried that they would smother your beautiful lawn? Would you like to stop buying fertilizer every year to keep your grass healthy? If you answered yes to either question, keep reading! 

According to National Wildlife Federation Naturalist David Mizejewski, “Leaves form a natural mulch that helps suppress weeds and fertilizes the soil as it breaks down.” During the winter, leaves decompose and add nutrients to your soil. This natural process will improve your lawn the following spring and reduce the need to buy fertilizer.

In addition to saving time and money, leaf litter supports wildlife. Birds rely on leaf litter to use as nesting material, while caterpillars live in fallen leaves over winter and emerge in the spring.

Follow these three steps to get the most out of your leaves: 

1. In the fall, use a mower or a mulching mower to chop up the leaves. 
2. In the spring, rake excess leaves that have not fully broken down so they do not kill your grass. 
3. After just a few weeks, you will have a beautiful, healthy lawn!

If you dislike the idea of keeping leaves on your lawn, consider raking them into piles around trees or into a garden bed. You will still get the benefits of added nutrients in these areas, while keeping your lawn looking tidy (2). 

If you are still not sold on the idea, use the City of Salisbury’s yard waste collection program. Your collected yard wastes and debris are turned into compost that is available for public use. For more information on our compost program, visit salisburync.gov/Compost.
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Monthly Newsletter

 TitleDescription
09/2025Craft Beer Bubbles Over at BTG | BlockWork: We’re Looking for Volunteers | A New Addition to the Salisbury Sculpture Show
08/2025Beautify Your Block: City offers Grant Support | Explore the Outdoors: Salisbury Parks | Applications Now Open for the City of Salisbury Youth Council
07/2025A Night Out For Our Community | Back-to-School Bash: Community Day | Prepare For Hurricane Season
06/2025Lighting the Way and Giving Back | Legacy Mural | City Budget Review
05/2025Rock Out at Cheerwine Festival | Cheers for Shirt Design Winner | Festival Shuttle Service | Festival Information
04/2025Statewide Litter Sweep, Fair Housing Month, BlockWork Call For Neighborhoods, Sidewalk Poetry Call For Poets, Paint the Pavement Call for Artists
03/2025Cheerwine Festival T-Shirt Contest, Spring Spruce Up Week, Protect Your Water Bill, Pilot Traffic Circle
02/2025Tips For Cold Weather, Cheerwine Festival on May 17, Join A City Board, Tree Give-A-Away
01/2025Downtown Winners, BlockWork T-Shirt Contest, MLK Weekend, Wine About Winter, Leaf Collection, Recycling Calendar
01/2025Downtown Winners, BlockWork T-Shirt Contest, MLK Weekend, Wine About Winter, Leaf Collection, Recycling Calendar
12/2024Holiday Contests | Spruce Up Week | Sculpture Show Call For Artists | Empire Hotel Phase 1
12/2024Holiday Contests | Spruce Up Week | Sculpture Show Call For Artists | Empire Hotel Phase 1
09/2024Downtown Sewer Rehab | BrewFest at BTG | BlockWork Volunteers | Neighborhood Beautification Grant | Legacy Mural
08/2024Take A Tree Tour | Officer Awarded For Saving Baby | Sculptures in the Spotlight | Go Out on a limb for the Tree Board
08/2024Take A Tree Tour | Officer Awarded For Saving Baby | Sculptures in the Spotlight | Go Out on a limb for the Tree Board
08/2024Take A Tree Tour | Officer Awarded For Saving Baby | Sculptures in the Spotlight | Go Out on a limb for the Tree Board
05/2024Cheerwine Festival: Band Lineup, T-Shirt Contest Winner, Free Shuttles, Safety Guidelines and Ways to Stay Connected.
05/2024Cheerwine Festival: Band Lineup, T-Shirt Contest Winner, Free Shuttles, Safety Guidelines and Ways to Stay Connected.
12/2023Public Art | Holiday Decor Contest | Main Street Project | Winter Spruce Up Week
12/2023Public Art | Holiday Decor Contest | Main Street Project | Winter Spruce Up Week
10/2023Dixonville Cemetery Memorial Dedication | Halloween Safety Tips | Empowering Women in Law Enforcement | Leaf Collection and Map
10/2023Dixonville Cemetery Memorial Dedication | Halloween Safety Tips | Empowering Women in Law Enforcement | Leaf Collection and Map
07/2023Hurricane Season | RoCo's Homeless Task Force | Waste Assistance Program | Citizen's Academy | Community Fair and National Night Out
03/2023Beautify Salisbury - Litter Sweeps, BlockWork, Adopt-A-Street, We Dig Salisbury | Cheerwine Festival | Salisbury311
03/2023Beautify Salisbury - Litter Sweeps, BlockWork, Adopt-A-Street, We Dig Salisbury | Cheerwine Festival | Salisbury311
03/2023Beautify Salisbury - Litter Sweeps, BlockWork, Adopt-A-Street, We Dig Salisbury | Cheerwine Festival | Salisbury311
12/2022Sculpture Calls For Artists | Winter Spruce Up Week | Feedback On Our Future | Be The Difference With A City Career | Holiday Recycling
09/2022Bell Tower BREWFEST | BlockWork | Salisbury Police Foundation | Transit Month | Rowan Creek Week
09/2022Bell Tower BREWFEST | BlockWork | Salisbury Police Foundation | Transit Month | Rowan Creek Week
09/2022Bell Tower BREWFEST | BlockWork | Salisbury Police Foundation | Transit Month | Rowan Creek Week
09/2022Bell Tower BREWFEST | BlockWork | Salisbury Police Foundation | Transit Month | Rowan Creek Week
09/2022Bell Tower BREWFEST | BlockWork | Salisbury Police Foundation | Transit Month | Rowan Creek Week
09/2022Bell Tower BREWFEST | BlockWork | Salisbury Police Foundation | Transit Month | Rowan Creek Week
09/2022Bell Tower BREWFEST | BlockWork | Salisbury Police Foundation | Transit Month | Rowan Creek Week
09/2022Bell Tower BREWFEST | BlockWork | Salisbury Police Foundation | Transit Month | Rowan Creek Week
09/2022Bell Tower BREWFEST | BlockWork | Salisbury Police Foundation | Transit Month | Rowan Creek Week
09/2022Bell Tower BREWFEST | BlockWork | Salisbury Police Foundation | Transit Month | Rowan Creek Week
08/2022Kudos To Lifeguards | Grant to Fund Flood, Road Sensors | Funds for Family Water Bills | City Awarded For Good Health
08/2022Kudos To Lifeguards | Grant to Fund Flood, Road Sensors | Funds for Family Water Bills | City Awarded For Good Health
08/2022Kudos To Lifeguards | Grant to Fund Flood, Road Sensors | Funds for Family Water Bills | City Awarded For Good Health
02/2022Interim City Manager | Tips to Prevent Frozen Pipes | Apply For A Board | City Begins Budget Process | Employee Spotlight
12/2021Be A Part of Our Public Art | SRU Recognized For Quality | Don't let FOG Take Your Holiday Down the Drain
12/2021Be A Part of Our Public Art | SRU Recognized For Quality | Don't let FOG Take Your Holiday Down the Drain
12/2021Be A Part of Our Public Art | SRU Recognized For Quality | Don't let FOG Take Your Holiday Down the Drain
10/2021Fire Prevention Week | BlockWork Looking For Volunteers | Leaf Collection Map
07/2021Salisbury Cease Fire | Citizen's Academy | Summer Spruce Up Week | Sculpture Show
07/2021Salisbury Cease Fire | Citizen's Academy | Summer Spruce Up Week | Sculpture Show
07/2021Salisbury Cease Fire | Citizen's Academy | Summer Spruce Up Week | Sculpture Show
02/2021New Fire Station & Memorial Event | Protect Your Pipes | Join A Board Or Commission | Save The Date For Cheerwine | Employee Spotlight
02/2021New Fire Station & Memorial Event | Protect Your Pipes | Join A Board Or Commission | Save The Date For Cheerwine | Employee Spotlight
02/2021New Fire Station & Memorial Event | Protect Your Pipes | Join A Board Or Commission | Save The Date For Cheerwine | Employee Spotlight
12/2020SRU Exceeds Water Standard | Bring On 2021 Virtual New Year's Eve | Public Input Wanted
12/2020SRU Exceeds Water Standard | Bring On 2021 Virtual New Year's Eve | Public Input Wanted
12/2020SRU Exceeds Water Standard | Bring On 2021 Virtual New Year's Eve | Public Input Wanted
02/2020Weathering The Storm | Nixle Is Now RoCo Alerts | EyeOnWater Is Smart On Money | Cheerwine Festival Returns May 16 | Employee Spotlight | Census 2020
02/2020Weathering The Storm | Nixle Is Now RoCo Alerts | EyeOnWater Is Smart On Money | Cheerwine Festival Returns May 16 | Employee Spotlight | Census 2020
02/2020Weathering The Storm | Nixle Is Now RoCo Alerts | EyeOnWater Is Smart On Money | Cheerwine Festival Returns May 16 | Employee Spotlight | Census 2020
02/2020Weathering The Storm | Nixle Is Now RoCo Alerts | EyeOnWater Is Smart On Money | Cheerwine Festival Returns May 16 | Employee Spotlight | Census 2020
10/2019Fire Prevention Week | City Park Lake | Forward 2040 | Fall Spruce Up | Be Ready To Vote | Employee Spotlight | Leaf Collection Map
10/2019Fire Prevention Week | City Park Lake | Forward 2040 | Fall Spruce Up | Be Ready To Vote | Employee Spotlight | Leaf Collection Map
10/2019Fire Prevention Week | City Park Lake | Forward 2040 | Fall Spruce Up | Be Ready To Vote | Employee Spotlight | Leaf Collection Map
09/2019Butterfly Release | Scoop the Poop | Dog Swim Party | Transit Month | Blockwork | Neighborhood Officer Map
09/2019Butterfly Release | Scoop the Poop | Dog Swim Party | Transit Month | Blockwork | Neighborhood Officer Map
09/2019Butterfly Release | Scoop the Poop | Dog Swim Party | Transit Month | Blockwork | Neighborhood Officer Map
09/2019Butterfly Release | Scoop the Poop | Dog Swim Party | Transit Month | Blockwork | Neighborhood Officer Map
09/2019Butterfly Release | Scoop the Poop | Dog Swim Party | Transit Month | Blockwork | Neighborhood Officer Map
09/2019Butterfly Release | Scoop the Poop | Dog Swim Party | Transit Month | Blockwork | Neighborhood Officer Map
09/2019Butterfly Release | Scoop the Poop | Dog Swim Party | Transit Month | Blockwork | Neighborhood Officer Map
09/2019Butterfly Release | Scoop the Poop | Dog Swim Party | Transit Month | Blockwork | Neighborhood Officer Map
09/2019Butterfly Release | Scoop the Poop | Dog Swim Party | Transit Month | Blockwork | Neighborhood Officer Map
09/2019Butterfly Release | Scoop the Poop | Dog Swim Party | Transit Month | Blockwork | Neighborhood Officer Map
08/2019Salisbury Youth Employees | New SPD Initiatives | Youth Baseball Camp | Brewbury Fest Returns | Recycling
08/2019Salisbury Youth Employees | New SPD Initiatives | Youth Baseball Camp | Brewbury Fest Returns | Recycling
06/2019Sculpture Show Returns | Summer Camps | Hurricane Season Tips | Weather Alerts | Pool Hours | #PositiveGossip | Employee Spotlight | Summer Spruce Up | Celebrate Garbage Man Day
06/2019Sculpture Show Returns | Summer Camps | Hurricane Season Tips | Weather Alerts | Pool Hours | #PositiveGossip | Employee Spotlight | Summer Spruce Up | Celebrate Garbage Man Day
06/2019Sculpture Show Returns | Summer Camps | Hurricane Season Tips | Weather Alerts | Pool Hours | #PositiveGossip | Employee Spotlight | Summer Spruce Up | Celebrate Garbage Man Day
06/2019Sculpture Show Returns | Summer Camps | Hurricane Season Tips | Weather Alerts | Pool Hours | #PositiveGossip | Employee Spotlight | Summer Spruce Up | Celebrate Garbage Man Day
06/2019Sculpture Show Returns | Summer Camps | Hurricane Season Tips | Weather Alerts | Pool Hours | #PositiveGossip | Employee Spotlight | Summer Spruce Up | Celebrate Garbage Man Day
06/2019Sculpture Show Returns | Summer Camps | Hurricane Season Tips | Weather Alerts | Pool Hours | #PositiveGossip | Employee Spotlight | Summer Spruce Up | Celebrate Garbage Man Day
04/2019Festival Music Lineup | Locals Receive EDK Awards | Business with the City | SPD Foot Pursuit 5K | City Nature Challenge

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