Leaving the leaves is a great way to add organic matter to your soil. If the plant that the leaves came from seems diseased or infested with pests in any way, remove its leaves and dispose of them. Just as leaf litter can provide shelter and sustenance to beneficial organisms, they can also harbor pests and disease. Do the leaves harbor any diseases or pests? Over several seasons, the gradual accumulation of leaf debris could make your garden exceed the weight limit of your garden. If you have a garden with a weight limit, like a rooftop garden, you should remove the leaves. If your neighbor’s oak leaves and pine needles keep blowing into your garden, you’re better off removing them. Photo by Blanca Begert.īut if you’re trying to maintain a bed with plants that need alkaline soil-for instance alpine plants like gentians and rock jasmines-acidic leaf litter will undermine your efforts. Oak and other acidic leaves will help acidify their beds as they break down. Rhododendron species are among the garden plants that prefer an acidic soil. This will be particularly beneficial for more acid-loving plants like rhododendrons, heaths, and heathers. Leaves from acid-loving trees, like oak and pine, will further acidify the soil over the years as they decompose. Most plants have a range in which they will do well, and most common garden plants tend to do well in soil on the more acidic side of the spectrum (which is what you will usually find in the Northeast). The pH level is important because it influences how readily the plants in your garden are able to access nutrients from the soil. Do the pH needs of the plants you are cultivating match the pH of the fallen leaves? Conversely, if you are not trying to cultivate any self-sowing plants, any leaves not raked out of your beds may help to prevent weed seeds from germinating. If you are trying to grow self-sowing plants, a heavy layer of leaves could inhibit the seeds’ ability to germinate. You can also move excess leaves from your lawn to appropriate garden beds or your compost bin instead of putting them out on the curb. To further help the fallen leaves do their winter work, you can chop them with a lawn mower. A fairly light amount of leaves can enrich the soil without smothering the plants. If you are trying to cultivate a vigorous lawn in a spot that receives a lot of leaf drop, it is best to remove most of it. Lawns, on the other hand, can be smothered by a heavy covering of leaves. Technical Assistance for Community Compost SitesĪ light leaf drop can be chopped with a mower and left on the lawn, but a heavier covering like this should be reduced first.
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