Your Guide to Fall Leaf Pickup in Berkley, Huntington Woods

Fall leaf pickup is under way in Berkley and Huntington Woods and we've got the scoop on collection dates and tips on what to do and not to do in each city.

Huntington Woods

The guaranteed pickup period lasts from Oct. 15 through Nov. 21, with limited pickup after Thanksgiving possible.

"Only leaves go at the curb," Huntington Woods Department of Public Works manager Claire Galed said. "Everything else: vines, dead annuals, dead hanging plants, straw, corn stalks, hay, twigs, pumpkins, apples, etc., belongs in yard waste (bags).

"Our leaf machines cannot handle items other than leaves," she said. "Other things get stuck and take our trucks out of commission, which slows us down."

Residents can take the following steps to help ensure smooth leaf collection DPW Superintendent Jay Mader told Berkley Patch for a previous series, Where Do Huntington Woods' Leaves Go?.

• Condense leaf piles back toward curb. Each truck's vacuum chute is only about 24 inches wide, so if a pile is wider than that, the driver will have to make multiple passes over the same pile. Leaf piles that are too wide also pose a safety risk because drivers often will cross the center line to avoid them. Mader patrols for leaves that force drivers to pull into oncoming traffic and has them picked up as soon as possible.
• Create a gap between the leaves and the curb so when it rains water can get to catch basins.
• Don't park on leaves, which prevents trucks from picking them up.
• Don't put yard waste, plants with root balls, pumpkins, apples, dog feces, bricks or sticks out with leaves. These items can damage equipment, taking trucks off the road for repairs and extending the pickup period; dog feces contaminate compost.

Residents who have questions can call 248-414-2066.

Berkley

The free pickup period lasts from Oct. 1 until Dec. 1, according to Berkley Department of Public Works Director Derrick L. Schueller.

During October, residents may rake leaves and grass to the curb or set them out in paper yard waste bags; during November, all leaves, grass and other compost may be raked to the curb for pickup, according the DPW's leaf collection page.

The city defines compost as the following items.

• Grass
• Clippings
• Leaves
• Yard waste
• Small sticks
• Flowers
• Shrub clippings
• Maple seeds
• Vines
• Crab apples
• Pumpkins
• Rose bushes.

"For those who prefer to rake your leaves to the curb, our trucks are constantly on the road picking up leaves. This method allows more frequent pick-up than a specific schedule would provide," the DPW's leaf collection page says. "When raking leaves, please be sure to rake leaves, grass, shrub clippings, small sticks and flower waste into the street, as close as possible to the curb.  Rocks or other debris are not allowed!"

Leaves and grass may not be raked into the street during the rest of the year.

Residents who have questions can call 248-658-3490.