Why You Don't Need to Rake Your Leaves This Autumn
Why You Don't Need to Rake Your Leaves This Autumn

Why You Don't Need to Rake Your Leaves, This Autumn.

Temperatures have cooled and leaves are changing all over the country.

While it may seem counterintuitive, experts say that keeping fallen leaves in your yard is good for both the yard and the environment overall.

For one, fallen leaves supply nutrients back to the trees from which they fell.

The leaves fall around the root zone of these plants, where they do things like suppress weeds or other plants from growing that that would otherwise compete with the trees and the shrubs, David Mizejewski, National Wildlife Federation, via 'USA Today'.

They slowly break down and compost right there at the base of the of the tree of the shrub, right above its root zone, .., David Mizejewski, National Wildlife Federation, via 'USA Today'.

... where they return nutrients that the plant can then recycle and reuse next spring, David Mizejewski, National Wildlife Federation, via 'USA Today'.

Bagging raked leaves also adds more waste to landfills.

At this time of year, unfortunately, a huge volume of leaves just go sit in those landfills and produce all this terrible greenhouse gas, David Mizejewski, National Wildlife Federation, via 'USA Today'.

The more we can keep that organic material out of the landfill, the better, David Mizejewski, National Wildlife Federation, via 'USA Today'.

Experts say that fallen leaves provide a food source for insects and worms, which are in turn sustenance for birds and other local wildlife.

So what happens if you get rid of every last leaf on your property?

, David Mizejewski, National Wildlife Federation, via 'USA Today'.

You’ve just swept away and bagged up and thrown into the landfill the food source that the birds are going to need to feed their babies, David Mizejewski, National Wildlife Federation, via 'USA Today'.

Keeping leaves in your yard can be a great way to cultivate mini-ecosystems. Our own yards or our own gardens in our neighborhoods or communities, are all opportunities for us to do something good for nature, David Mizejewski, National Wildlife Federation, via 'USA Today'