We have a nearby neighbor whom we affectionately call “Blower Man.” We don’t actually know him – he lives somewhere across the quarry from us – but we definitely know when he’s outside doing yard work. The deafening sound of his enormous leaf blower drones on hour after hour, often chasing us inside until he finishes. As annoying as it is to be sent into retreat mode on a picture-perfect fall day, I find it heartbreaking to think about the environmental impacts of stripping a property bare of every fallen leaf. Autumn leaves are, I believe, Mother Nature's gift to the earth.
I’d like to preface my thoughts by saying that I am not advocating always letting every single leaf stay exactly where it falls. That could prove as harmful as removing them all. Wet leaves on a hard surface, for example, can become slick and cause a safety hazard for those walking by. Cars and motorcycles can lose traction on leaf-filled streets, especially on curves or going up hills, with winter fender-benders as the result. Letting thick piles of matted leaves sit on the lawn throughout the winter can block sunlight and smother the grass. It can also encourage snow mold, a pinkish fungal disease that actively spreads in the spring.
Rather than blowing, bagging and hauling leaves away to the local landfill (12% of landfill debris is attributed to yard waste – 10.5 million tons per year that eventually breaks down into methane gas which is more toxic to humans than CO2.), there are alternatives that provide benefits to both your landscape and the local ecosystem while reducing your carbon footprint all at the same time.
Research in turf management shows that chopping leaves into small pieces as you mow and then allowing them to naturally decompose in place enriches and strengthens the soil. Mulched maple leaves are known to reduce weed seed germination in the spring. Other varieties, such as oak, white birch and honey locust, add a “significant amount of nitrogen to lawns” (University of Minnesota), resulting in stronger, greener spring lawns.
Placing piles of shredded leaves underneath trees, around shrubs and in flower beds is an excellent way to provide your plants protection from the elements in winter and to help maintain critical moisture levels throughout the winter season. In spring, the rotted leaves can be turned into the soil, adding desirable organic matter. For most trees and shrubs, a 3 to 6 inch lawyer is sufficient, being careful not to mound the mulch up against the plants' trunks. For ornamental flower beds, 2 to 3 inches is recommended. If you mulch beds of native plants, be careful not to over-mulch. Too much mulch, more than a scant two inches, is likely to smother the plants.
Another option for fall leaves is to physically move them to areas of the yard where they can lie undisturbed throughout the winter, mimicking nature’s purposeful routine. The fallen, slightly chaotic and somewhat messy piles of leaves we see lying on a forest floor are actually parts of complex ecosystems that wildlife needs in order to survive. When we recreate even small portions of the forest floor within our own yards, we are helping to rebuild habitat that had been lost as a result of human development.
Many people pay close attention to the plants that they use so that the visiting butterflies and moths are assured of enough nectar on which to feed and their caterpillars have enough of the right kind of leaves to munch. What people may not realize is that a majority of those same butterfly and moth species do not migrate, but spend the winter locally as pupae, caterpillars or adults hidden in layers of fallen leaves. As early spring arrives, the bed of leaves even becomes a first food supply for some varieties like the red-banded hairstreak butterfly. Without safe piles of leaves and debris throughout the winter months, generations of butterflies and moths are lost each year.
Insects, especially invertebrates like the caterpillar stage of butterflies and moths, make up 96% of the diet of our backyard songbirds. Baby birds that hatch in the early spring rely on these invertebrates as their only food source. By removing the piles of leaves in the fall, you are actually taking away next spring’s food supply. Without the piles of leaves that protect the insects, the baby birds cannot survive.
Bumble bee queens that have mated spend the winter burrowed an inch or so into the soil. Piles of leaves above help keep the ground temperature from fluctuating and the bees comfortable during hibernation.
Box turtles are a familiar visitor to some locales. Unlike their water loving relatives, box turtles call layers of leaves home. During the winter months, these cold-blooded reptiles seek shelter by burying themselves in the first layer of soil under a mound of leaves and going dormant. The leaves provide insulation for the turtle, keeping him safe until the warmth of spring arrives. Without access to a patch of bare soil and a pile of leaves, a box turtle will not make it through the winter months. Since their numbers are declining across the country due to habitat fragmentation and destruction, patches of piled leaves can be a literal lifesaver for these endearing creatures.
I'm sure that you've heard the phrase "Perception is everything." Essentially it means that how a person perceives a situation is its reality for him. For years, I clung to the perception that to be attractive, a yard had to be in pristine condition -- free of fallen leaves and the dying remains of a summer garden. Thankfully, my perception has changed as I've learned the importance of letting our leaves fall and keeping our ecosystems intact. Now, I see the beauty in the "natural look" -- the one Mother Nature intended.
