The city is scheduled to conclude its fall leaf collection on Friday, Dec. 24, with crews completing the second of two rounds of vacuuming leaves from neighborhood curbs.
An interactive map at www.rockvillemd.gov/leafcollection allows residents to input their address and learn when their leaves will be collected.
Rake leaves next to, but out of, roadways, gutters and bike lanes, and away from parked vehicles. Leaves should be raked by 6 a.m. on the first day of their collection period, but no earlier than one week before the collection dates to avoid grass damage or fire hazards. Remove sticks and other objects from leaf piles. Avoid parking near leaf piles or other vehicles.
After the collection period ends, use biodegradable paper lawn bags or 32-gallon trash cans (without plastic garbage bags) to set leaves out on your recycling and trash collection day, or use alternative disposal methods such as mulching or composting. Do not dump leaves, grass clippings or other yard waste into storm drains, along stream banks or directly into streams, where they can cause blockages that contribute to localized flooding or release nutrients that lead to fish kills.
Consider keeping some leaves where they fall or raking them into garden beds as free mulch. Leaves provide natural habitats for beneficial insects and release nutrients into the soil over time. Visit mygreenmontgomery.org/2021/five-great-ways-to-use-fall-leaves.