Fall is traditionally known as the time to plant trees, bring in your sensitive plants, and winterize your lawn equipment. One of the less-known secrets to encouraging a healthy landscape and garden for a jump-start in the spring is to DO LESS now, and let nature give you a hand (it’s free!). We are talking about the leaves.
Permitting the leaves to fall and remain on the ground over the winter is extremely beneficial to the trees, lawn, and garden. The leaves are not harmful (this has been happening since deciduous trees first evolved) and as they break down, they add a whole host of nutrients and organic material that your lawn and garden need, and they act as a natural mulch to help protect your plants and lawn. For free. Just let nature compost these leaves as a matter of course. Additionally, the leaf layer provides essential overwintering protection for hundreds of beneficial insects, pollinators, and other wildlife, which increases yields for gardens and crops.
The average homeowner can reduce or even eliminate the amount of fertilizer and/or organic material needed to amend a lawn or garden, reduce the consumption of fuel (and your neighbors will thank you for not running your leaf blower at 6 a.m. every weekend), and save you the time and physical effort that blowing, raking, or bagging leaves requires. Even for very thick layers of leaves, a once-over with the mower is generally sufficient.
In fact, something like 10-15% of all municipal waste is organic yard waste – which can easily be removed from the municipal waste stream by your actions and could collectively save the township thousands of dollars annually from tipping fees. While a lot of the organic waste does get diverted to composting facilities, why not skip the trip and let your leaves lay (or compost them yourself) and reap the benefits?
~Trevor Serine, Chair, Upper Providence Township Environmental Commission