Leave the leaves this fall

Julie Geyser

Many people love the idea of ​​a tidy lawn and a quick landscaping after the trees have shed their colorful leaves or the plants and flowers have faded for the season. It may seem nice to have everything collected, but for the little creatures that live around your property, these piles of leaves, dead plant material, twigs and stems help keep them alive during the winter months.

Even the most picky gardeners may want to change their gardening habits.

Food and protection

Many butterflies and moths overwinter in our landscapes as eggs, caterpillars, pupa or adults. They burrow into leaf litter to protect themselves from the cold and predators.

Many species also camouflage their cocoons and pupae with dried leaves, blending in with the natural leaves around them and protecting them from potential predators.

Bumblebees also rely on leaf litter for protection. Queen bumblebees burrow just an inch or 2 into the ground to hibernate for the winter. Leaf litter provides a thick layer of insulating protection against harsh winter weather.

Other species such as spiders, snails, worms and beetles live in the leaves. All of these insects are important food sources that squirrels, birds, turtles, toads and many other animals feed on in the spring. Earthworms and pillbugs also create healthy soil by eating rotting fall leaves.

Grinding

Some people shred fall leaves for composting, but shredded leaves do not provide the same hiding place for insects as whole leaves. Mowing or shredding the leaves can kill eggs, caterpillars and pupae along with the leaves.

Leaves are free mulch; they provide valuable organic matter and help create healthy soil. They suppress weeds and retain moisture. In autumn, brightly colored leaves brighten the landscape. The leaves will also provide protection for all the perennials and flowers in your landscape.

Happy Wednesday

If you think about what wild or natural areas look like in winter, they are not cleaned or manicured. Grasses, flowers and other plants are allowed to produce seed heads, which birds feed on during the winter and early spring. However, most of us don’t want our yard to look that messy. So how do we find the happy medium between satisfying our landscaping desires and helping to maintain wildlife populations?

Leaving the leaves doesn’t always mean ignoring them completely; they can be moved to areas of your yard where they won’t kill the grass but will still help wildlife. If possible, collect these leaves and place them in beds, around trees and other landscaping areas, or find a corner of the yard to pile them together with small sticks.

Of course, you shouldn’t get rid of them completely.