Leave the Leaves
Did you know that leaving fallen leaves in your yard is beneficial to the environment, and can help trees, shrubs, lawns, the soil, and insects and reptiles. You may wonder how leaving fallen leaves is beneficial?
Various Environmental benefits for gardens, soil, and overwintering organisms
- By leaving fallen leaves in your property, fewer leaves end up in landfills. Decomposing leaves in a landfill contribute to methane gas production due to anaerobic conditions in landfills.
- Leaf disposal costs are eliminated if leaves are left and managed on the site where they fall.
- Decomposing leaves return nutrients to the soil. The nutrients from shredded and decomposing leaves benefit trees, shrubs and turfgrass on your property. Shredded leaves can be used as a mulch for tree & shrub plantings or can be mowed with a mulching mower to reduce the need for petroleum-based lawn and garden fertilizers.
- Leaves can be added to on-site composting bins and piles to absorb the moisture from kitchen food scraps, which will help to reduce odors. Composting requires oxygen for the organisms to decompose the mixture aerobically with minimal methane gas production. Remember to turn or loosen your compost pile to incorporate oxygen.
- By utilizing fallen leaves on-site, the need for collection vehicles and material transportation to a disposal site are eliminated, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions from collection & transportation vehicles.
What organisms depend on leaf litter?
· Various moths and butterflies spin cocoons during the fall to complete their life cycles and overwinter in leaf litter.
· Box turtles and birds forage in leaf litter to find nutritious insects.
· Fireflies, a rapidly declining species, may spend up to two years in the leaf litter before pupating into adults. Female adult fireflies lay eggs in leaf litter to begin the life cycle of the next generation of this insect.
· The five-lined skink hunt for insects in the moist areas below the leaf litter.
· Many native bees overwinter in leaf compost piles yards. The fruits and vegetables growing in your garden depend on bees for pollination.
Raked Leaves put out for collection
· Leaves placed in the street for collection may find their way into the storm drains and lead to blockages in the stormwater system that contribute to neighborhood flooding.
· Once leaves enter the stormwater system, they make their way into streams and rivers which flow to the Chesapeake Bay. Organic matter in the water system contributes to excess nutrients in the bay and leads to eutrophication, depletion of oxygen, and reduced aquatic life.
From the City's Tree and Landscape Board
From the City's Committee for a Better Environment Artwork courtesy of Ann Litrel