Yard & Garden Waste | City of Victoria

Residential Leaf Collection

The 2025 residential leaf collection program starts October 14. Crews will start leaf collection in your zone on the collection start date (see below) and will take three to four weeks to complete each zone.

Every year, the City collects an estimated 7,000 tonnes of leaves from over 40,000 trees. We offer leaf collection to help keep leaves out of storm sewers, which can cause flooding. Collected leaves are used to produce quality mulch for City parks and community programs.

Neighbourhood (Zone)	First Collection Starts	Second Collection Starts
James Bay, Fairfield, Rockland, Gonzales	Oct. 14	Dec. 8
Oaklands, Fernwood, Jubilee, Hillside Quadra	Nov. 3	Dec. 15
Victoria West, Burnside, North Park, Harris Green, Downtown	Dec. 1	Jan. 5

Residents have three options for leaf collection.

1. Leaf Drop Off

2. Neighbourhood Leaf Collection

Pile your leaves on the boulevard in advance of the collection start date for your neighbourhood. Bags are not required for leaf collection. City trucks will make one pass down each street following each collection start date. Collection dates are weather-dependent, and crews prioritize areas that are prone to flooding. Crews will start leaf collection in your zone on the collection start date and continue for the following three to four weeks. Please see the table above for 2024 collection timelines.

A map of City of Victoria neighbourhoods

3. Call for Bagged Leaf Pick-Up Service

Leaf Collection FAQs

How should I prepare my leaves?

Place leaf piles on the grassy boulevard, visible and accessible from the street
For properties without a grassy boulevard, place your leaf piles on your property visible and accessible from the street
Bags are not required for leaf drop-off or for neighbourhood collection, but if you use them please use clear bags
Do not place leaves in other types of bags, boxes or containers
Avoid placing leaf piles on or against trees, power poles, signs and fire hydrants
Keep gutters, streets, sidewalks and storm drains clear of leaves
Please follow the ‘No Parking’ signs that will be placed by crews before collection begins

Can I compost my leaves instead?

Absolutely. Leaves and yard waste are accepted in your green bin. Mulched leaves are a valuable source of nutrients for potted plants, flowers, shrubs and trees. By composting your own leaves, you also help reduce emissions caused by leaf blowers, trucks and other equipment used by the leaf pick-up service.

If you have a lot of leaves, participating in the leaf collection program frees up your green bin for other yard and garden waste.

For more information on backyard composting, contact the Greater Victoria Compost Education Centre at 250.386.9676 or visit the Compost Education Centre.

How do I report leaves blocking the sewer?

What is not accepted in residential leaf collection?

When will my leaves be collected?

Drop-Off Program

Victoria residents can drop off branches and other garden waste for free, year-round at the Public Works Yard on Saturdays from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. (except the following dates: Feb 15, Apr 19, May 24, July 19, Aug 23, Oct 11, Dec 20, Dec 27)

The yard and garden waste drop-off is located at the City's Public Works Yard (417 Garbally Rd).

City staff will be present at the garden waste drop-off to direct traffic, but residents will need to unload their own garden waste. Staff will direct residents where garden waste can be unloaded while maintaining a safe physical distance.

Accepted Items

Drop-Off Tips

Reducing Wait Times

Reduce the wait time caused by seasonally higher drop-off volume by consolidating your loads.
Try to come every other weekend, if possible. Please note, there is a single truckload limit.
Plan to arrive before 1:30 p.m.
Please access Garbally Road from the Jutland Road intersection for a safer line-up.

Public Works Yard Webcam

Check the Public Works Yard webcam to view the current vehicle line-up (only available between 7 a.m and 2 p.m. on Saturdays).

If vehicles are lined up to outside the gate, you can expect to wait up to 15 minutes
Generally, the wait time to dump yard waste at peak hours is around 20 minutes.
If, at 1:45 p.m. the vehicles line-up is at the gate, it’s unlikely you will get to dump your yard waste before the yard closes for the day.

Drop-off Program Closure Dates

Invasive Plants

Invasive plant and vine material should not be disposed of through the green bin program or through drop-off at the Garbally Road yard. Improper disposal could result in the spread of invasive plant material to our natural environment. To safely dispose of invasive plants, please bring them to the regional disposal site:

Place all plant and vine parts in garbage bags
Label the bags: “INVASIVE PLANTS”
Take your bags to Hartland Landfill, located at 1 Hartland Avenue

Curbside Collection

Did you know you can add yard and garden waste to your green bin? Check your schedule here.

City of Victoria Leaf Mulch

Leaf Mulch Status: Unavailable. Surplus leaf mulch will be available again starting spring 2026.

The City processes its own leaf mulch with leaves collected during residential leaf collection as well as from parks, sports fields, tennis courts, streets and other areas. Most of what we process is used within Victoria's 138 parks and open spaces.

At certain times of year, surplus leaf mulch is available for the public to self-load outside the Parks Yard at the end of Nursery Road in Beacon Hill Park until the supply runs out. Gardeners wanting to pick up this free mulch can use shovels and pitchforks. Heavy machinery (i.e., Bobcat equipment) is not allowed. You may wish to call ahead to see if mulch is available during busy times of year: 250.361.0600.

The City also makes leaf mulch available for community gardening projects. If you are involved in a community gardening project, contact parks@victoria.ca or 250.361.0600 for more information.

Residential Branch Chipping

The 2025 residential branch chipping program is now complete.

You prune, we remove. The City of Victoria provides a branch chipping service to help residents remove tree branches from their yard. Before pruning, please consult the City's Tree Protection Bylaw for guidance.

Preparing Your Branch Pile

Branch Pick-Up Guidelines

Please follow these guidelines:

Leave branches on the grass boulevard by 7 a.m. on February 24.
Make only one pile (per household) no bigger than 1 x1 x 2.5 metres or 4x4x6 feet – about the amount a pickup truck can hold.
Only tree branches between 2.5 cm/1” to 25 cm/10” in diameter will be picked up.
Branches should be loosely stacked with their cut ends together.
Branches should not be placed in bags or boxes or tied with string or wire.
If your property does not have a grass boulevard, the branch piles can be placed on public or private property behind the sidewalk or in the driveway behind the sidewalk. Please do not place branch piles on the sidewalk or roadway. Piles left in rear lane ways will not be chipped.
Do not put out branches more than two weeks before the pick-up start date.

Items Not Accepted