Hate raking leaves? The CBC has good news:
Fallen leaves: Just leave them be
The leaves in the fall can be so pretty — that is until they detach from the branches and land on the ground. Then they’re pretty unsightly.
Raking leaves can be drudgery, and if you ask Dan Kraus, senior conservation biologist at the Nature Conservancy of Canada, it’s unnecessary. That’s because keeping leaves on the ground is quite beneficial to your yard and all the denizens of the animal kingdom that come to visit.
Although some native species, like monarch butterflies, migrate when the weather gets chillier, many stay and hibernate, “and if they don’t have those places to hide in the winter, they’re not going to do as well,” Kraus said in a recent interview with CBC Radio’s Ontario Morning.
Fallen leaves provide that habitat.
Piles of leaves offer cover and sustenance for all kinds of insects, Kraus said. At the same time, they benefit birds looking for insects to eat. Leaves also provide nutrients for plants.
That said, leaves may not be welcome just anywhere on your property. They should be removed from eavestroughs and storm drains, lest they contribute to flooding. Kraus said that the density of a pile in your yard can also be a concern, as a “thick mulch of leaves” can affect the growth of grass.
People who live in denser, more urbanized areas may find themselves with trees but little to no grass. In that case, the Nature Conservancy suggests contacting your municipality to see if there are programs to donate your collected leaves for use in compost or communal flowerbeds.
Kraus acknowledged that there is often peer pressure from neighbours to keep a tidy, leaf-free yard for pure esthetic reasons. “If you’re worried about that, you don’t have to go all-in at once – you can leave a small area of leaves in your garden or just under your trees and see what happens.”
But he also said that there is a growing awareness that your yard serves a larger purpose.
“People are seeing their backyard as a bit of an ecosystem and a place where they can welcome some of the native plants and animals that we have.”
