The leaves are falling, the leaves are falling!

And if you’re like many Portlanders, you’re either frantically trying to get them gone…or at least thinking really hard about when you’re going to. When will the magic combination of “free” time and decent weather line up so you can get at it?

When it does, make sure you’re in touch with local leaf disposal options (for instance, Leaf Day pickup in Portland and free leaf disposal coupon in Vancouver), or better yet, check out your onsite management options (yeah, that’s right — you don’t have to send the leaves away).

Here are our top three to-do(n’t)’s in the leaf-related category:

DO clean gutters and downspouts & storm drains

It’s not the most fun job, but if you can’t stomach getting up on a ladder, think about who you can ask for help. The overflow from clogged gutters and downspouts can cause water damage, which you really don’t want to deal with. The backup from clogged storm drains exacerbates flooding on the streets when the rains come. Clean ’em up! Move ’em out! Get ‘er done!

DO make leaf mold…yummm

After Leaf Day pickup, the City of Portland composts its harvested leaves. And you can, too! When we do leaf cleanups, we like to not haul any away, if possible; instead, we find ways to use that magic material onsite. It’s brilliant for composting, making leaf mold, or using as mulch. The first step is generally to chop it up (mow it over, that is), and then you can go from there. If you’d like to geek out about leaf reuse options, I recommend this article. If not, give us a call, and we’ll geek out for you.

DO NOT blow it

Well, we know it’s not that simple. Leaf blowers have become as popular as they are for a reason. But they’ve also been banned in many cities for a reason, and we highly recommend raking instead of blowing whenever possible. It’s good exercise. It’s good-neighborly. It’s much better for the environment. It’s just a good thing.