Sir: How delightful to get my first copy of The Chatham Voice in my mailbox and to see some old familiar names of people with whom I had lost contact. I have eagerly looked forward to each successive issue.
However, the honeymoon is over, Bruce, and I have to comment on your editorial “Curbing our excesses” in the Oct. 17 issue.
I agree with you that leaves and grass clippings should not be put in with regular garbage and waste space in landfills. However, I question your advice about bagging them and taking them to the recycling location. Why rake and bag leaves or grass clippings at all? Sure it can compost in some central location, but far better to let it compost on your lawn.
I built my home about the time that the CN underpass on Lacroix Street was being dug. I needed fill to level my front lawn, and I got multiple truckloads of grey clay trucked to my house. I seeded it to grass and gave it some fertilizer the first couple of years.
Since then, for almost 38 years, I have left all of the grass clippings on my lawn. In the fall I run my lawnmower across the leaves, in multiple directions, chopping them up into little pieces. The grass clippings and leaves are free compost and nutrients for my lawn. My lawn is as lush as one can desire, and when I tell people it is growing in grey clay, they will not believe it until I show them photos taken during the construction process.
Two years ago, I had my lawnmower modified to a “mulching” mower, which does even a better job.
Why bag? Go green and feed your lawn.
H. David Goldsmith
Chatham
