Fall Leaves? Leave 'Em

Fall Leaves? Leave 'Em

October 16th, 2019

As the seasons and the leaves change with it, many homeowners prepare for their annual task of removing leaves from their yards. But what if we told you that you could skip the hard work of bagging leaves and, at the same time, help the environment? That’s right! Leave the leaves to protect wildlife habitats and provide your lawn and garden beds with natural fertilizer. Here are some ways to put fallen leaves to good use, just as nature intended—because in nature, there is no such thing as waste.

Supporting Wildlife

Leaf litter - the only kind of litter we love - plays several important roles as a food source, nesting material, and winter habitat for a variety of wildlife. Many animals rely on the leaf layer for cover and warmth during the cold months, whether they live above ground or in the soil below. Various moth and butterfly species use fallen leaves as a place to lay their eggs or to overwinter as caterpillars. When these insects emerge in the spring, they provide significant benefits to the surrounding ecosystem, serving as a vital food source for birds and aiding in the pollination of your garden plants. Raking up your leaves and sending them away removes protection for countless critters and eliminates essential species that depend on leaves as a refuge during winter..

Nature’s Fertilizer

Fallen leaves are an excellent source of mulch that suppresses weeds and insulates tender plants as well as the soil below. As they break down, leaves also release nutrients, enriching the soil and promoting biological activity come spring. Additionally, leaves are useful in compost piles, serving as a source of carbon that balances out nitrogen from materials like food scraps and grass clippings.

Use Fall Leaves

You can use fall leaves in a number of ways to reap their many benefits 

  • Spread leaves over your garden bed. To preserve the potential wildlife that is within them use a rake to move them instead of a leaf blower. Rakes are much gentler. Plus, they don’t emit any greenhouse gases when you use them and you’ll get more exercise - a win for both your health and the environment’s! 

  • Mulch the leaves on your lawn by mowing over them. Shredding up the leaves with a mower is a great way to reduce their volume and prevent grass from being smothered while at the same time providing your lawn with nutrients from the leaves as they break down. 

  • Add your leaves to your backyard compost pile. You can shred them up with a lawn mower before putting them in to increase the surface area for microbes to munch on, which will accelerate your compost making process. 

  • Make leaf mold for garden soil. Leaf mold is the result of piles or bags of leaves that have sat and began to decompose over a period of time. Leaf mold can improve the water retention and overall structure of soil. More details and information about how to make leaf mold can be found here.

 

If you have more leaves than you can find a place to use on your property and don’t want to store any for use in the spring there are a few more things you can do!

  • Share your leaves with others who have garden beds - reach out to your neighbors, a local school with a garden, or a nearby community garden.

  • If you live in the City of Ann Arbor, yard waste is collected curbside seasonally by the City of Ann Arbor. For more information about the curbside compost pick-up service in the City of Ann Arbor please visit a2gov.org/compost.

  • If you do not live in the City of Ann Arbor, check with your local municipality to see if they offer any residential leaf pick up services and/or add compost to your waste hauling services if that is an option.

  • Drop off yard waste at our Drop-Off Station or Recovery Yard so they can be properly composted. Leaves and other yard trimmings that are sent to landfills are trapped without airflow leading them to rot and emit methane, a greenhouse gas, in the process. 

 

Embrace the beauty of fallen leaves and leave the leaves this year for the outdoor winter residents, your plants, and yourself! Enjoy the vibrant fall colors and appreciate the dynamic ecosystem that is often unseen within and beneath the leaves.