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Over the next few weeks, the autumn cooling will coat the ground in hues of red, orange and yellow.
For many, a blanket of leaves underfoot is a fall staple, but others will look to rid their lawns of the leafy interlopers. But experts say that it might be time to put down the rake. An estimated 8 million tons of leaves end up in landfills each year, and leaving fallen leaves in place can reduce waste and benefit the environment.
Daniel Cleary, founder of EcoLandscapes Design, encourages people to think of their backyards as part of nature rather than looking at leaves as something to be rid of.
“Traditional landscaping has been very sterile and almost removes all of the natural processes,” Cleary said. “These sterile landscapes depend on human inputs to do the things that traditionally were provided by natural cycles.”
Leaves are part of the nitrogen cycle. Trees pull nitrogen and other nutrients from the soil into their leaves. When leaves drop in autumn, they decompose, and their nutrients return to the soil for the tree to absorb again.
In lawn areas with tree canopy coverage, letting leaves decompose rather than disposing of them allows this cycle to continue naturally. When leaves are removed, nitrogen needs to be brought back into the environment, usually in the form of chemical fertilizer.
