As fall colors sweep across the D.C. area, Arlington leaf collection season begins in two weeks.
Crews are expected to begin passing through Arlington neighborhoods starting Monday, Nov. 11, according to a tentative schedule. Residents are encouraged to rake leaves to the curb the weekend before their civic association’s posted start date.
Personnel will complete two passes through each neighborhood, vacuuming up leaves for conversion into mulch. The first pass schedule runs through Nov. 30, while second passes are scheduled to conclude on Dec. 18.
A progress map for Arlington leaf collection is available online.
Residents can also place leaves in green organics carts or in paper yard bags, which the county began providing at distribution centers starting this week. County-provided bags are available through Jan. 17, while supplies last.
Arlington’s Solid Waste Bureau, meanwhile, will accept pumpkins for composting this Saturday (Nov. 2) from 8 a.m.-noon at 4300 29th Street S.
Northern Virginia is still on its way to peak fall foliage, which arrived in many of the Commonwealth’s mountains last week.
“Conditions have been ideal for the development of red pigments: sunny days and clear, cool nights,” the Virginia Department of Forestry said in its most recent weekly report.
Fall colors generally peak in Virginia sometime between Oct. 10 and Oct. 31, but the dates vary from year to year based on factors such as temperature and rainfall. Recently, the D.C. area has seen an extended period of dry weather.
Photo (top) via Arlington County/YouTube
