Leave it! How about Leaving the Leaves?

Why Should I Leave the Leaves?

• Natural fertilizer and mulch: As leaves decompose, they add essential organic matter and nutrients back into the soil. This reduces the need for synthetic fertilizers.  
• Improved soil health: Leaves help build healthy soil also by improving soil aeration.
• Weed suppression: A layer of leaves acts as a natural mulch, helping suppress weed growth.  
• Reduce street flooding: Keeping leaves off streets and curbs prevents clogged storm drains and street flooding and reduces stormwater maintenance costs.
• Habitat for wildlife: Leaves provide shelter for various creatures, including insects, pollinators, amphibians, and birds. They depend on the leaf litter in winter.  
• Reduced waste: At yard waste centers, leaves can produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Also:
  • Leaf collection requires large trucks that burn a lot of fuel and release emissions.
  • Gas-powered leaf blowers emit almost 300 times the amount of air pollutants as a pickup truck

What Should I Know If I Want to Leave the Leaves?

• Rake into beds: Instead of piling your leaves at the curb for pickup or bagging them, rake them into garden beds and around tree bases. There they create a protective layer of mulch.  
• Create a pile: Designate a corner of your yard to collect leaves and let them decompose naturally.  
• Leave in place: For areas that don’t require cleanup, leave the leaves where they fall.  
• Avoid thick layers on lawns: Don't leave thick layers of leaves on your lawn, as this can damage the grass.  
• Delay spring cleanup: If you need to clean up in the spring, wait until the weather is consistently warm to avoid negatively impacting the wildlife.
• Build a brush shelter: Brush shelters and “dead hedges” are an attractive way to incorporate sticks, limbs, leaves and pinecones. These structures provide habitat to native wildlife, including box turtles.  

What about Composting or Mulching?

You can also backyard-compost or mulch leaves.

Composting leaves can provide valuable nutrients for your yard and garden. More information on backyard composting can be found on our  backyard composting page.

Using a mulching mower supports healthy plants and soil. Sometimes a very thick layer of leaves can be too much for turf grass and perennials. Running a mulching mower over the leaves to grind them up can be one approach to maintaining a healthy lawn or garden bed.