Why You Shouldn't Rake Your Leaves

If your trees are starting to look as bare as the ones in my neighborhood, you might be tempted to pull out the leaf blower or rake, but resist that urge! Instead, join the Leave the Leaves movement, which encourages people to let the fallen foliage stay to benefit the environment.

Want to learn more? Read our guide, and then go check out the "Leave the Leaves" Day event this Saturday, Nov. 15, at the Warner Park Nature Center 🍂

The Benefits

Leaving the leaves has a number of ecological benefits according to Nashville Tree Conservation Corps, including providing habitats to pollinators and small wildlife like frogs or salamanders. The leaf litter also attracts birds foraging for food.

Animals and bugs aren’t the only beneficiaries — the foliage helps promote soil health, too. As the leaves break down, they act as a natural mulch to fertilize your yard.

Another huge perk of not removing leaves is that it cuts down on the amount of yard waste that’s sent to landfills. NTCC says that when yard waste is sent to the landfill, it rots instead of decomposes, which releases methane gas — an air pollutant.

Tips

While leaving the leaves is mostly self-explanatory, there are a few things you can do to get the most out of a leaf-strewn lawn.

NTCC’s main tip is to avoid letting the leaves pile too deep on top of grass, because they can block sunlight and smother the lawn below, as well as allow mold growth. So be sure to redistribute the leaves around garden beds or under bushes. You’ll also want to clear the foliage off the root flare of trees.

Excess leaves can be added to mulch for later use or added to compost piles, although NTCC cautions against using the mulching setting on your lawnmower — that could grind up any critters already making a home in the leaves.

Don’t have any leaves? Fall is also a great time to plant a tree! Check out NTCC’s annual tree sale to pick out the right one for your space. Don’t worry if you aren’t sure what will grow in your yard — they can help advise you. They’ll even deliver and plant it for you, which means your shovel can stay in the shed with your leaf blower. 😅