Your neighbor’s tree

My neighbor’s tree overhangs my yard. It drops leaves every fall. Can I make my neighbor rake them?

It is best for the environment that no one rakes the leaves. But, if someone is raking them, it’s you.

My neighbor’s tree is making my yard too shady. Who is responsible for cutting it back?

If the tree is healthy, but you don’t like the shade or the raking, you are allowed to cut your neighbor’s tree back to the property line. It is always best to talk to a neighbor before cutting a tree, whether it is your tree or your neighbor’s tree.

If the tree is healthy, neither your neighbor nor their insurance company is responsible if there is tree-related damage to your house. Your neighbor and their insurance will be responsible if an unhealthy tree causes damage to your property. [source: BBD Tree Service]

To rake or not to rake, that is the question. The bugs say do not, it’s their suggestion.

The trend to end autumn leaf raking is getting into the popular culture. It is not just the crunchy granola crowd that thinks that leaf clearing is a spring activity, not a fall one. Even the New York Times is writing about it.

Why leave the leaves?

Your land is an ecosystem. If you remove the leaves, you starve your land of the nutrients in the decomposing leaves. Leave leaves on your property:

• In your own compost pile
• Scattered on your flower beds. 3-5 inches deep is recommended
• Scattered all over your lawn, if you can leave some room for sunlight

David Mizejewski, a naturalist with the National Wildlife Federation, urges that the worst thing you can do is put the leaves in a plastic bag and send them to the landfill. There, all those nutrients are wasted. [source: NYT]

Mass.gov agrees that raking leaves in the fall is not the best land management. They add that leaving the leaves also provides cover and insulation for overwintering insects.

Small animals benefit from leaf piles around your yard’s perimeter. These piles provide shelter and insulation for many species of pollinators, birds, reptiles like turtles and snakes, amphibians like frogs and salamanders, and small mammals during the cold winter months.

[They suggest that homeowners] mow over fallen leaves to break them up and speed decomposition. Use a rake to spread out the leaves so underlying plants and grass are smothered. Excess leaves can be used as mulch in gardens and flower beds. Extras beyond that can be added to your compost bin.

Mass.gov also suggests that you leave your perennial beds alone, too. Leaving your perennial beds a bit untidy can provide a boost to birds and insects. Not all birds migrate south for the winter; those that remain can survive on natural foods. Leaving flower heads on your plants can provide nutritious seeds with high fat content to birds throughout the winter. Pollinators like bees and butterflies can make use of hollow stems and other parts of the plants to overwinter.” [source: Mass.gov]

Yard waste collection:

Some towns think unraked leaves are messy. If your town or neighbors hate unraked leaves on your front lawn and front flower beds, you may need to move the leaves. Some towns will ticket you for leaving your front yard “au naturel.”

You may need to rake leaves into the beds in back, or into a back compost pile. If you don’t have room for that, yard waste collection is the best option.

Composting:

If you are planning to compost your leaves, you will also need to compost fresh green waste, to keep the pile in balance. However, you can pile leaves without using a bin. Composting gets more complicated than piling the leaves and waiting for them to decompose. Many Massachusetts towns and cities have programs to help you get a compost bin.

To start composting, you need the right mix of “green” and “brown” materials.

Brown materials are high in carbon. These include dead leaves, dried grass, hay, straw, sawdust, branches and twigs, and paper products. Green materials are rich in nitrogen, like fresh grass clippings and food scraps.

The general rule of thumb is 2 to 4 brown parts for every one green part. If your pile has too much carbon, it can become dry and take a long time to decompose. Too much nitrogen will make your pile slimy and smelly.

Your pile also needs oxygen. While your pile will pull oxygen from the air, allowing oxygen to circulate throughout the pile will help it decompose faster. There are a few things you can do to help oxygen circulate within your compost pile:

• Layer green and brown materials within your pile.
• Keep the ideal ratio of brown and green materials. Too much nitrogen will use up oxygen too fast.
• Chop your organic material into small pieces. This allows airflow and can help them decompose faster.
• Turn your pile either manually or with an aeration system. [source: WebMD]