This diagram shows some of the creatures that can live in leaves when they are left in place. Image courtesy of Healthy Yards

We’ve come to that time of year when we must decide how to manage the leaves that are falling on our yards and grounds. We humans are the guests in our forest environment. The trees and wildlife preceded our disturbance and occupancy. Over time, we’ve learned that leaves provide valuable fertilizer to our grasses, shrubs, and trees. The trees and shrubs in our yards put nutrients into those leaves, and they need them to fall to the ground and feed the ground and soil-dwelling organisms that shred and decompose them into water-holding organic matter and elements that the tree and shrub roots can then re-absorb and re-use to grow leaves, flowers, fruits, nuts, and seeds in future years.

In addition, a variety of beneficial insects and other animals, such as fireflies, bumblebees, moths, butterflies, frogs, and toads, need fallen leaves and other plant debris to overwinter and flourish in the next growing season. Leaves and grass clippings that fall on manicured grass turf areas should either be: 1) pulverized with a conventional or mulching mower and left in place to provide phosphorus and other nutrients to the grass, 2) collected and used as mulch under trees and shrubs and on planting beds, or 3) collected and composted for future use to improve your planting bed or lawn soils. Compost added to your lawn can fertilize your grass and help your soil retain rainfall, keeping grass greener during dry spells. Also, don’t “deadhead” your dead flowers or “clean up” your flower beds until May. Those seed heads provide food over the winter for insects, and those stems provide wintering shelter for them as well.

Please allow the nutrient cycle and food web to work effectively in your yard. Tree roots absorb nutrients from the soil to produce leaves and fruits. Those leaves and fruits then feed insects, birds, and other animals. Fallen leaves and bird droppings on the ground are decomposed by soil organisms, including bacteria and fungi, to provide nutrients that can be reabsorbed by the roots of trees, shrubs, and other plants to complete this cycle. Collecting leaves to be disposed of elsewhere disrupts this nutrient cycle and food web. Blowing or raking leaves into road ditches, streams, or lakes should be avoided since it adds excess nutrients and sediments to the water and, as a result, fuels aquatic plant and algae growth.

Homeowners and property managers are also encouraged to reduce the size of their manicured turf areas and naturalize or re-wild their yard or grounds to capture, absorb, and purify stormwater and provide native plant habitats for pollinators, butterflies, songbirds, and other wildlife that add beauty and interest to our yards and neighborhoods. Fall is also the best time to plant native trees, shrubs, and many plants. Be kind to your wild neighbors. Don’t rob them of their food and nutrients! Make sure your songbird families have leaf-sheltered and chemical-free fed worms, caterpillars, and flying insects to eat next spring and summer to grow their young.

This fall, please consider doing the following: enlarging natural areas in your yard, allowing leaves to remain in place (especially in naturalized areas), using leaves as mulch under trees and in planting beds and gardens, mowing leaves in place on manicured grass turf areas, and collecting and composting leaves from turf areas to be reused to improve and fertilize the soils in your yard. Your wild neighbors will be happy you did!

The Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy is a not-for-profit organization with the mission to preserve and enhance the quality, scenic beauty, and ecological health of the Chautauqua region’s lands and waters for our community. For more information, visit chautauquawatershed.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.