Follow my fall raking tip to banish weeds and grow a greener lawn in spring – it’ll save you work both now and later
A PASSIONATE advocate for wildlife has begged gardeners to ignore leaves alone this fall and follow her tip instead.
She said it would have the dual benefit of banishing weeds and growing a greener lawn in the spring.
Not just that, it will also save you work both now and later.
“Leave the leaves, even if you care a little bit,” said Wildgrid (@wildridhome).
Her advice might go against the instinct of many gardeners, but she made her point clear in her post.
“If you care even a little bit about soil health and biodiversity, then I am quite literally begging you to leave the leaves,” she said.
A messy garden might actually be a healthy one, she figured.
“If you truly can’t stand having a lawn covered in leaves, then there are other alternatives to throwing them in a bag and sending them to a landfill.
“They’ll greatly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.”
Fallen leaves actually are an important part of the eco-system, she said.
“[They] provide an incredibly important habitat for pollinators like bees, moths and butterflies during the winter.
“If you remove those leaves, those critters have nowhere to seek shelter.”
Therefore, she urged green-fingered fans to take note during the coming chilly season.
“During those cold winter months, consider leaving a layer of leaves on your yard and moving the rest to garden beds or under shrubs and trees.
“This will protect against weeds when things start blooming again in the spring.”
But she had a word of caution: “Do this before the first frost comes as after that there are probably already critters under there seeking shelter.”
There were even more benefits to her leaf idea.
“Leaving the leaves can also provide great fertilizer for your lawn, helping to promote soil health and growth without any really harsh chemicals.
“Leave those leaves along. You may think about bagging those leaves up and tossing them in the trash. But trust us, you don’t want to do that.”
Commenters appreciated her point, but at least one pointed out it might not be possible in all cases.
“It’s usually the landlord or bylaw that makes people clean them up so it’s not a choice for some.”
But another agreed: “I gag every time my landlord makes me spend hours getting rid of the leaves.”