Leave The Leaves This Fall
In case you are looking for a reason not to rake, mow and blow this autumn (we are!)…
Leaving a layer of leaves on the ground that is a least 2 inches thick provides nutrients to your soil as the leaf matter decomposes. Think of it as free fertilizer.
Just as important are the benefits that fallen leaves provide for wildlife. Removing leaves eliminates vital habitat for critters such as skinks , toads , turtles and birds. Many animals rely on leaf litter for food, shelter and nesting material. Many bee, moth and butterfly caterpillars overwinter in fallen leaves before emerging in spring, just in time to pollinate your garden. When leaves are removed from the environment, not only is the protective and nesting material gone, but so are the larvae and eggs that may already be in place.
If you don’t want to keep all the leaves where they fall, you have options. You can rake them into garden beds, or around the base of trees. Put some in a pile somewhere that won’t be too unsightly so that you provide space for our garden friends. Too many leaves can kill grass, but in soil they can suppress weeds, retain moisture, and boost nutrition.
Here are a few examples from the Xerces Society of how insects rely on leaves:
Great spangled fritillary and woolly bear caterpillars tuck themselves into leaf piles for protection from cold weather and predators.
Red-banded hairstreaks lay their eggs on fallen oak leaves, which become the first food of the caterpillars when they emerge.
Luna moths and swallowtail butterflies disguise their cocoons and chrysalises as dried leaves, blending in with the “real” leaves.
Bumble bees create nests in cavities underground, in trees, or in brush piles. They prefer abandoned rodent burrows. At the end of summer, mated queen bumble bees burrow only an inch or two into the earth to hibernate for winter. An extra thick layer of leaves is welcome protection from the elements.
30% of native bees are tunnel-nesting, such as leafcutter and mason bees. These solitary-nesting species need narrow tunnels or other tiny spaces in dead wood, hollow stems, or brush piles.
To go a step beyond, help by creating nesting sites! Pollinators need sticks, flower stems, bare ground, wooden logs, and more to create their ideal nesting space. Create an area in your landscape where you can supply all of this to them. For more ideas or more details, check out the Xerces Society Nesting Resources page.
— Submitted by Headwaters MG Nanette O’Hara with information from the Xerxes Society for Invertebrate Conservation
