Naturalist Notes: Leave Your Leaves
Now that the leaves have displayed their vibrant colors, they're beginning to hit the ground, and that's where they should remain. I understand that it's a common practice to spend warm autumn days raking or using leaf blowers to gather leaves into lawn waste bags and then transport them to the curb. But I urge you to reconsider! Numerous plants and animals rely on the presence of fallen leaves on the ground.
I understand the concern that may arise: "My location mandates maintaining a clean, well-kept yard." Fear not, there are alternative approaches that can help keep your yard tidy while benefiting local wildlife. You might consider raking the leaves into your flower beds or a secluded area of your yard where they won't disturb anyone. This way, overwintering creatures can still find refuge, and your garden can benefit from the nutrients the decomposing leaves provide. If this isn't a feasible option for you, you could gather all the leaves into a compost pile or bin. This compost can be utilized in your gardens come spring. Alternatively, you can explore leaf mulching.
Leaf mulching involves shredding leaves into smaller pieces, a task easily accomplished with a lawn mower or a leaf shredder. Embracing leaf mulching has several advantages for your yard. It enhances soil quality, encourages deeper grass root penetration, improves overall grass health, and increases your lawn's resilience against weather-related challenges such as drought and flooding. The decomposition of leaves also reduces the need for chemical fertilizers. Widespread adoption of leaf mulching could lead to cost savings in municipal leaf collection, benefiting taxpayers. However, it's essential to note that leaf mulching doesn't favor wildlife because it involves the chopping up of many small creatures within the mower blades.
In practice, a combination of these methods might suit your needs best. Leave some leaves in place, transfer others to your gardens, compost a portion, and mulch the remainder.
Regardless of your choice for maintaining your lawn, I would strongly recommend refraining from using leaf blowers. These devices can actually exacerbate soil erosion by dispersing topsoil. Remember, if we all do our part, we can collectively enhance the environment around our homes, benefiting both ourselves and the wildlife.
Submitted by naturalist Cathy Wesley, October 2023