Leave Those Leaves Alone: West Hartford Sustainability Committee

West Hartford Sustainability Committee

WEST HARTFORD, CT — A local committee dedicated to sustainability has a piece of autumn lawn maintenance advice that might have many sitting up and taking notice.

The West Hartford Sustainability Committee (aka the Sustainable West Hartford Commission) says to use the leaves to your advantage and don't just rake them up.

In the words of the committee: "Leave the leaves and give nature a chance."

The organization recently explained why people might want to rethink the notion of raking leaves, then having them hauled away at curbside.

"Before you grab the rake and bags — take a second look at those fallen leaves," wrote the committee recently in its newsletter.

"Leaves are home to butterflies, fireflies, and countless tiny creatures that keep our soil healthy and feed backyard birds through winter."

According to the committee, leaf piles can actually become a natural mulch, providing nutrients for the lawn and habitats for creepy crawlies that, actually, are healthy for the environment.

"When we bag autumn leaves, we remove vital winter habitat for insects, spiders, and other decomposers that enrich the soil and sustain wildlife," wrote the committee.

According to the committee, there are better options when it comes to yard leaves:

• Rake leaves under trees or into garden beds to shelter overwintering insects.

• Mow leaves on the lawn lightly to make natural mulch and return nutrients to the soil.

• Compost the extras for spring soil food.

The committee said organic gardener Margaret Roach recently explored this topic in The New York Times, noting the vital ecological role that leaves play — though there’s debate about how much to mulch.

"Either way, the message is clear: leaves are habitat, not litter," wrote the committee.

Learn more at Homegrown National Park and A Way to Garden.