Yard Waste

Leaving yard waste, such as grass clippings and small amounts of leaves, on the lawn after mowing is easy and healthy for your lawn, unless the grass is unusually long or the leaves are quite deep and matting would suffocate the grass still growing on the lawn. In fact, leaving clippings and small amounts of leaves on the lawn for an entire summer gives your lawn the equivalent of one fertilizer application.

The Owatonna Yard Waste Compost Site accepts yard waste for a fee. Click here for more information on Owatonna’s Compost Site. Contact your city office for information on other community compost sites in Steele County.

Yard waste may also be composted at home. Grass clippings, leaves, vines, garden wastes, sticks and other organic materials turn into a beneficial natural soil amendment over time when placed in a pile, exposed to moisture and turned periodically. Compost improves drainage and soil texture in clay soils, improves moisture holding capacity and soil texture in sandy soils and increases utilization of plant nutrients in a soil with poor organic content. For information on building and maintaining a home compost pile, call the Steele County Recycling Hotline at 507-451-5443

State law prohibits yard waste from being buried in a landfill, so these biodegradable wastes cannot be placed in household garbage.