The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation: Leave the Leaves!
Leaves are not litter
They’re food and shelter for butterflies, beetles, bees, moths, and more. Tell friends and neighbors to just #leavetheleaves
If you have a few trees you can just mow over the leaves right on the lawn which breaks them up enough for your fall fertilizer if you don’t have a use for them. The last few years I’ve been using mine to compost in place my gardens. Haven’t had to bag since
Leaf blowers are the dumbest fucking shit ever
I live in the city but I get birds that are usually only found in the forest because they like to forage in the fallen leaves! It does make a difference.
The decompose into dirt. So put them where dirt already is, don’t leave them where dirt is not.
In my town they get blown into piles by the wind and end up clogging all the storm drains, so the town is pretty strict on clearing leaves from your yard.
I compost mine over the winter, and then I have fresh fertilizer for trees in the spring. But most people just have a dozen trash bags in their yard until garbage day. Too bad.
They also freeze and become a major hazard when left in the road
tbh sounds like the roads problem maybe he needs to change
When I was a kid, I heard that leaving cut grass on the ground was better for your lawn. Surprisingly, this was enough to convince my dad that I didn’t need to bag the clippings when mowing.
HANDS OFF ME LEAVES, I NEED ME ✨ＬＥＡＦ ＭＯＬＤ✨
Yup. I’ll clear them off the sidewalk. I don’t see any reason to more than that.
I clear them a reasonable amount away from my house, because they may not be litter but they are a fire hazard where I live. But they still get to naturally decompose in dedicated spots.
I had to think about this because in my town they are soggy and wet 99% of the time. Then I remembered last year I stepped on one that crunched.
Oh yeah that’s true. I don’t let them pile up right against the house. I’m not going to rake and bag them though. Trees have been here a lot longer than we have, they probably know what they’re doing better than we do.
Meanwhile, a road near me.
Clear the fucking leaves
The link in the post body has some tips on how to do so responsibly. Might be worth sharing with your neighbors!
