The beautiful leaves that fall in autumn return essential nutrients to the soils that grew the tree. By raking these leaves and removing them to other places, we are stripping our local yards of these essential nutrients that will help cover and nourish the soil over the winter and support new growth in the spring.
Free Mulch!
Another reason to leave the leaves is for the many benefits they provide to your landscape. Leaves provide valuable organic matter and build up healthy soil. Fallen leaves have the same weed suppression and moisture retention properties of shredded wood mulch—and they’re free! Where mulch is desired as a decorative element, what could be more seasonally appropriate than a pile of brightly-colored fall leaves?1