Are you looking to clear out the fallen leaves from your yard or lawn?
Not all leaves are bad. In fact, many fallen leaves can be great for your lawn and garden soil. Why throw them away when you can borrow their nutrients to grow new and beautiful plants?
Whether you decide to leave them or compost them, learn their benefits so you can pick the best option for your yard.
Natural Mulch and Fertilizer
Fallen leaves in the garden can be a nuisance, but instead of raking and disposing of them, you should consider leaving them in the garden. Natural leaves are a great source of both mulch and adding nutrients to the soil for your garden.
Fertilizers from the decaying leaves will break down over time and provide vital nutrients to the soil, helping to promote healthy plant growth. Not to mention, the compost can be used later in the season or saved for the next year in order to provide an even greater boost of nutrition.
Habitat for Beneficial Organisms
It can provide a habitat for beneficial organisms. These organisms, such as earthworms, beetles, spiders, and millipedes, help to break down organic matter and create nutrients essential for the soil’s health. The organic material that accumulates is also a refuge for these organisms to find food and shelter.
This organic material also returns nutrients to the soil as it decomposes. What’s more, fallen leaves act like a natural fertilizer by adding essential nutrients such as nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium.
Wildlife Support
Aside from providing food for all harbingers of winter, fallen leaves support and sustain many forms of wildlife. A warm layer of leaves helps small mammals stay warm through the cold winter months. The leaves also provide homes to everything from small insects to larger amphibians.
Birds find fallen leaves to be the perfect nesting material. In addition, the leaves play a role in decomposing and enriching the topsoil in the garden, which supports plant growth and health.
Carbon Sequestration
Fallen leaves capture and store carbon dioxide, an important part of the global carbon cycle. Reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reduces the greenhouse effect, and less climate change occurs.
Keeping fallen leaves in your garden helps preserve biodiversity and ecosystems and thus contributes to global health and prosperity. There are great sources of organic matter for your garden, which can be used to create compost or as an effective mulching material.
Leaf Mold
Leaf mold is a type of compost made solely from decomposed leaves. Gather the fallen leaves into a pile or use a dedicated leaf mold bin. Wet the leaves and periodically turn the pile to encourage decomposition. Over several months to a year, the leaves will break down into a dark, crumbly material that can be used as a soil amendment or a moisture-retaining mulch.
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Don’t Get Rid of Those Fallen Leaves in Your Garden
Leaves are a beneficial part of any garden and should not be overlooked. Not only do they protect the ground during winter, but their decomposition is essential for healthy and nutrient-rich soils. Therefore, don’t be tempted to eliminate those fallen leaves in your garden; instead, embrace them and watch your garden flourish! Get creative with those fallen leaves today and see the wonderful results they can bring!
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