Let’s Look at “Leave the Leaves”

We’re moving into the cooler months of the year and the deciduous trees are beginning to drop their leaves. Raking leaves is a classic fall chore, memorialized in both art and pop culture. And while many of us grew up raking leaves, bagging them, and putting them out for pickup, there may be a better way to do things. The “leave the leaves” movement encourages folks to find alternate uses for the leaves on their lawns, including just leaving them there. So what is “leave the leaves” about and should you implement it in your garden space? Let’s dig in!

The “Why” of “Leave the Leaves”

Put simply, the idea behind “leave the leaves” is to change the way we think about fall leaves and their role in our lawns, gardens, and landscaping. Rather than seeing them as a nuisance or as a waste product, leave the leaves challenges us to reevaluate fallen leaves as something of value with a variety of uses in any garden or lawn.  By making use of them in an appropriate manner, both our gardens or landscaped spaces and the natural world of which we’re all a part can benefit. Here’s how:

· Fallen leaves are insect habitat, particularly for beneficial insects who overwinter in leaf litter. These include butterflies, moths, fireflies, bumblebees and other native bees, and many more. Many insects who lay their eggs in fall leaves or hibernate within them are pollinators and thus vital for the health of both our gardens and the broader ecosystem. By leaving their habitat undisturbed, we support both healthier gardens and a more robust natural world.

· Animals need leaves, too! Squirrels, birds, turtles, frogs and toads—all of these rely in part on autumn leaves for their survival. Some make nests in them or with them, others use them for food. Still others feed on the insects that live within them. Fallen leaves are part of a complicated natural cycle, one that should be preserved whenever possible.

· Removing leaves costs money, and in more ways than you might think. Municipal lawn waste pickup costs billions of dollars each year in the US alone. Leaf blowers are costly to run and produce both noise and air pollution. Both your tax dollars and your wallet will benefit from leaving at least some of the leaves where they are or making good use of them in your lawn or garden.

So, now that we know a bit more about all the good things fall leaves do, how can we best make use of them without removing them? Turns out, there are plenty of options . . .

Using Fall Leaves in the Garden

Let’s lead with some good new for those of you who take great pride in a perfect lawn: “leave the leaves does not mean that you’ll have leaves scattered across you lawn all fall and winter long. You can certainly do that, but there are also ways to rake and bag leaves that still support both nature and your garden:

· You may not want your whole lawn covered in leaves, but if you have the space we always encourage an undeveloped “wildlife area” in your landscaping. Even a small-ish space can help a lot and ensure that insects, birds, and other wildlife have some room to feed, nest, and raise their young. Moving your fall leaves into a “wild” portion of the garden makes for healthier plants, a healthier environment, and frankly a more interesting garden.

· As many of you are already aware, fallen leaves are a fantastic soil amendment and/or addition to a compost heap or other composting space. Both of these approaches make great use of the resource that fallen leaves represent by recycling them into the soil, where they add nutrients and organic matter. They also lighten the soil’s texture to help avoid compacting, which is a real issue in some garden spaces. Check the links we provided for more details about how to make use of them, but don’t let this garden gold slip through your fingers.

· As every gardener knows, there’s never enough mulch. Whether you’re using it in landscaping, a vegetable garden bed, or a container garden, mulch always seems to run out too quickly. So let’s shift our viewpoint and start to think of fallen leaves as free mulch your trees provide every autumn. Whether shredded or in their natural state, leaves make for great ground cover and provide a number of benefits in terms of moisture retention and soil enrichment beyond what commercial mulch gives us. So when you’re raking leaves this fall, remember that they’re a gift for your soil and use them as such!

As it turns out if we change our point of view, we can see many forms of garden “waste” as the resources that they are. Fall leaves are a great example of this, and by thinking about them differently we can transform a seasonal chore into an incredible bonus for our gardens, lawns, and landscapes. So this fall if you can, leave the leaves and use them in creative ways that help your gardens and communities thrive!