Leave the Leaves? A Smarter Approach to Fall Cleanup

For generations, fall cleanup meant one thing: rake up every leaf, bag it and haul it away. But those fallen leaves aren’t necessarily waste. In the right places, they can become a valuable resource for your lawn, garden beds and the tiny creatures that share your landscape.

The trick isn’t simply to leave every leaf where it falls. A smarter approach is knowing where to rake, where to mulch and where to let nature do some of the work for you.

Don’t Let Leaves Smother the Lawn

A thick, wet layer of leaves left on turf for too long can block sunlight and air from reaching the grass. Matted leaves can also trap moisture and create poor conditions for a healthy lawn.

If leaves are accumulating heavily on your grass, remove them or use your mower to chop them into much smaller pieces.

Finely shredded leaves can settle between the blades of grass and gradually break down, returning organic matter to the soil. The key is moderation. You should still be able to see plenty of grass through the shredded leaves.

Put Those Leaves to Work in Garden Beds

Instead of bagging every leaf, consider moving some into your garden beds.

A layer of shredded leaves around trees, shrubs and established perennials can act much like mulch. As the leaves decompose, they add organic matter to the soil.

Avoid piling leaves directly against tree trunks or plant crowns. Spread them loosely around plants instead.

Some Leaves Can Stay Right Where They Are

Naturalized areas, woodland edges and less formal garden beds are excellent places to leave some fallen leaves intact.

A light layer can protect the soil and provide overwintering habitat for beneficial insects and other small garden creatures. By leaving selected areas a little less tidy, you’re allowing part of the natural seasonal cycle to continue.

Your front lawn doesn’t have to look like the forest floor. It’s about finding the right places to be a little less aggressive with cleanup.

Save Some for Compost

Leaves are also a great addition to the compost pile. Dry fall leaves provide carbon-rich material that can be combined with grass clippings, garden debris and other compostable materials.

If you have more leaves than your beds need, save a pile of shredded leaves to add to compost throughout the year.

Be Selective With Diseased Leaves

Not every leaf belongs in the garden.

If plants experienced significant disease problems during the growing season, removing affected foliage may help reduce the amount of infected plant material remaining around the garden. Dispose of questionable material appropriately rather than automatically using it as mulch.

Fall cleanup is also a good opportunity to remove damaged plant material and inspect trees, shrubs and perennials before winter.

A Little Less Cleanup Can Be a Good Thing

A beautiful fall landscape doesn’t have to be completely leaf-free.

Clear heavy accumulations from lawns, walkways and other areas where leaves can cause problems. Mulch some with your mower, move others into appropriate garden beds and consider leaving a light natural layer in areas where it can benefit the landscape.

It’s less about “leave the leaves” versus “clean everything up” and more about putting those leaves to better use.

Stop by Sixteen Acres Garden Center for help getting your lawn and garden ready for the changing season and making the most of your fall landscape.

Sixteen Acres Garden Center
1359 Wilbraham Road
Springfield, MA 01119

Fall Hours: Open Daily, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM