Pittsburgh gardening guru explains how you can use the fall leaves to save money on your garden

While few among us actually enjoy clearing the blanket of fallen leaves from our yard, there are those who see it as a money-saving process. 

There can be gold in those leaves, and you don't have to be a hardcore gardener to cash in. 

The chlorophyll that gave them their summer green has drained away, revealing the colors of fall and sending the leaves down the path to decomposition, creating a nuisance in the process. 

"I do understand the power of leaves, and they should never go to the landfill," said Pittsburgh's garden guru, Doug Oster. 

Oster has been preaching for decades the power of leaves through composting. 

"It doesn't smell, it's filled with these great nutrients, and it just makes gardening so much easier," he explained. 

Also, makes it cheaper because you aren't buying expensive bags of fertilizer. Oster said those composted leaves can be used as a soil amendment. 

"You're using it as mulch," he said. "It's just a great way to get things to grow." 

The process begins with gathering the fallen leaves. Oster said he starts by blowing the leaves over to a corner of the garden near the compost pile, and then he shreds them with a lawnmower. While the shredding speeds up the decomposition process, more work is required. 

"I'm taking everything out of the kitchen, except meats, dairy, and oils, and I'm putting that into the compost pile," he said. "That's the green stuff." 

You can also add the remnants of the garden, which he said he layers with the brown leaves, leaving it all exposed to the rain. 

"If you're shredding them, and you're adding them to the green stuff, it's probably about a year to do it," Oster explained. 

There are a lot of fancy ways and containers for composting, but all you need is a spot to do it, and some patience. 

While Oster said it can take about a year, you can cut some time off by adding those vegetables from the kitchen, grass clippings, keeping it moist, and stirring it, which will break it down faster and could make it ready for spring gardening.  

It all comes down to the effort and attention, but overall, it can save you money on those expensive fertilizers.