HARRISBURG, Pa. — Temperatures are dropping and so are the leaves. But before you grab your rake and get to work, environmental experts say you can save yourself some time and benefit your local ecosystem if you just leave the leaves.
Dr. Christopher Hardy, a biology professor at Millersville University, says that leaving your leaves has a multitude of benefits.
“It's tempting to rake up all the leaves and make your yard look pristine, but those leaves, if kept in place, can actually provide nesting material and a place to hide and hibernate and have protection from the elements, including predators, and the temperatures over the winter," explained Hardy.
Insects that benefit from leaf litter include bees and butterflies.
“A variety of butterflies and moths will actually have their caterpillars develop underneath the leaves both for protection from predators but also for that insulation from the temperatures in the wintertime," Hardy told FOX43.
And it’s not just good for the insects. If you rake some of the leaves into your garden bed, you’re helping your future plants too.
“It’s very well founded that plants, to grow well, need a rich, organic content in the soil. It’s the leaves and their decomposition that provide the organic content and put it back in the soil," Hardy explained. "If you just constantly grow plants and remove all of that above-ground mass, you’re going to deplete the soil of what was in it. So it’s good to return some of that dead, decomposing matter back into the soil."
It's important to note that you shouldn't leave a thick layer of leaves in your garden. Just a small layer will do the trick to help your ecosystem and help mitigate any mold issues through the winter.
Experts say you should also be mindful of diseases in your vegetation. If you have a sick tree or shrub, make sure to pick up and dispose of those leaves so you don’t transport any illness to other plants.
Otherwise, enjoy the benefits of less yard work this season and a thriving garden next spring!