Leave the Leaves!

The weather has finally cooled off a little here in Memphis and it feels more like autumn. The leaves are changing colors beautifully and are starting to fall. As someone who has several large old oak trees in the yard, I am very used to raking and bagging leaves in November. But maybe I don't have to do all of that work this year!

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), we should all "leave the leaves." The idea behind this campaign is to avoid sending bagged fallen leaves to landfills and instead let them be - allowing them to naturally decompose over the winter. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), leaves and other yard debris account for more than 13 percent of the nation's solid waste - a whopping 33 million tons every year. Instead of contributing to landfills, leave the leaves! They turn into nutrient-rich organic mulching matter that also shelters hibernating pollinators and other beneficial insects. Critters ranging from turtles and toads to lizards, birds, mammals, and invertebrates rely on leaf litter for food, shelter, and nesting material. Many moth and butterfly caterpillars overwinter in fallen leaves before emerging in the spring.

It is important to consider the types of leaves you have and where they have landed.  Whole leaves should not be allowed to remain on sidewalks, where they could create a slipping hazard. Although turf grasses can handle a light scattering of leaves, a thick layer would threaten their health. In regions that experience snow cover, moisture could become trapped between lawn and leaves, encouraging mold, mildew, and fungal infections. In areas without snow, whole leaves would likely smother the lawn, and block moisture and sunlight from reaching the soil.

One common solution is to shred the leaves using a mulching mower and allow the fragments to fall between grass blades, where they break down into a rich soil conditioner. However you must consider the risk: in doing so, you risk shredding up hibernating insects and their larvae.

Another solution is to make leaf mold, a type of compost. Simply pile leaves up in a corner of the yard, sprinkle with nitrogen fertilizer, and water the mound periodically to keep it from drying out. It may take a year or two, but the leaves will break down into a nutritious soil amendment that can be used as mulch or added to planting holes and containers.

National Wildlife Federation naturalist David Mizejewski notes an economic savings when leaving the leaves in your yard.  He said, "Why spend money on mulch and fertilizer when you can make your own?"

Fallen leaves are nature's mulch, meant to protect (and build) soil, insulate plant roots and shelter wildlife, as they do on the forest floor. Why waste that precious resource?! Rather than the tedious task of raking and bagging leaves, and having them go to a landfill, the best way to reduce greenhouse gasses and benefit your garden is to leave the leaves!