What Should Be Done With Grass Clippings and Landscape Debris?

That’s a simple question – grass clippings and leaves should be picked up – either add it to your mulch pile or put it in trash. Never put your grass clippings or other landscape debris into the street. Usually, if you get a professional landscaper to do your landscaping for you, this shouldn’t be a huge issue, although many people that do their own lawns will simply leave their remains scattered all over the street.

Putting leaves and grass clippings in the street or gutter is like throwing your trash out for everybody to see. Ever think about what happens to that debris after it goes in the road? Well, it ends up in the storm sewer. Then when the rain comes the storm sewer clogs up with those leaves and clippings, the rain water gets backed up and contributes to neighborhood flooding. It also makes it very difficult for our street sweeper to clean the dust and road debris from the roadway. So, next time you decide to sweep those leaves or clippings into the street, think of all the inconveniences it causes for the rest of the community. Pick up your trash and dispose of it!

Clippings should be collected or blown back into your own yard – not discarded in the street, to comply with our local code and to recycle plant nutrients. Lawns should be edged along streets and driveways. Weeds or grass that you find growing in concrete, asphalt or gravel need to be removed; it’s not only unattractive, but allowing weeds to grow in these cracks eventually destroys the paving. Trees and other landscaping should be trimmed to keep them from hanging less than 10 feet over the sidewalk and less than 12 feet over the street. If you need help with this then look into a company like Legion Landscaping Kennesaw who can do it all for you. They may even take the debris with them.

Our City Ordinances set out some important guidelines to keep in mind while managing your lawns and landscaping. These guidelines are specifically set out in Ordinance No. 3208, located in the Code or Ordinances. This ordinance requires owners or occupants to keep all sidewalks, gutters, curbs, and ditches clear of filth, refuse, rubbish (grass clippings) or other landscaping materials. Improper disposal of these types of debris into our storm sewers contaminates and clogs the City’s drainage system and impairs the abilities of the street sweeping efforts.

Besides providing great curb appeal, a well-maintained lawn improves the aesthetics of the entire neighborhood. A nicely maintained yard also offers environmental benefits – did you know that the front lawns of eight average homes provide the same cooling effect of about 70 tons of air conditioning? Lawns also purify water entering into underground aquifers. Their root mass and soil microbes act as a filter to capture and breakdown many types of pollutants. Well managed lawns and landscaping eliminate homes for pests such as snakes and rodents and helps with visibility at street corners and roadways. Of course, if you’re unsure where to start with your landscaping project, you can always outsource professional landscape contractors to help you. Whether it’s for maintenance reasons or you want to construct something new for your garden, these are always willing to help your yard dreams come true.

Let’s create a community that we are all proud to call our home.