Leave the Leaves
Although itโs still summer in the midsouth, fall is right around the corner. With that comes the wondrous fall colors and leaves floating through the air. This year, instead of immediately raking or blowing the leaves and bagging them up, consider leaving them in your yard to create an enriching environment for your garden.
Hereโs some good reasons to Leave the Leaves:
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Natureโs Mulch
Spread fallen leaves around existing beds and trees. The leaves will act as a natural (and free!) mulch, holding in moisture, protecting root systems, providing warmth, and suppressing weeds.
Natural Fertilizer
As leaves slowly break down on your lawn and garden beds, they will provide the soil with much-needed nutrients ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย which lessens the need for added fertilizer.
Home for Pollinators
Many insects such as butterflies and fireflies overwinter in leaf litter. The leaves provide warmth and food for pollinators and other invertebrates. These insects sustain the birds and other critters that inhabit the little ecosystem that doubles as your yard.
Less Work and Noise
Thereโs plenty to do already in your yard and garden without laboring to remove natureโs gift of leaves every fall. Besides being loud, leafblowers can remove top soil and beneficial insects while contributing to air pollution. Use that free time for some other project.
Start small. Depending on your neighborhood and garden, it may not make sense to keep the leaves exactly where they fall on your lawn. Start by spreading leaves in garden beds and around trees as well as creating a leaf pile in a corner of your yard. The leaf pile may seem big in the fall, but by spring, it will have decomposed and youโll have some wonderful compost to use in your garden.
Leave the leaves! Your spring self (and garden!) will thank you.
Resources:ย
Xerces Society:ย https://xerces.org/blog/leave-the-leaves
National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/idkt_leave-the-leaves.htm
Leave the Leaves Signs for your yard: https://ourhabitatgarden.org/home/act/signs/leave-leaves-signs/
