Why is it better to leave leaves instead of removing them?

Leaving leaves on the ground mimics nature’s process, returning nutrients to the soil, improving tree health, and eliminating the need for chemical fertilizers.

What are the environmental benefits of leaving your leaves?

Leaves support biodiversity by creating habitat for pollinators like butterflies and lightning bugs, reduce landfill waste, and improve soil structure and moisture retention.

How can I leave leaves without harming my lawn?

You can rake leaves into tree and shrub beds or mulch them with a mower. If you’re concerned about aesthetics, cover the leaves with pine straw or wood chips.

Video | Drop That Rake: Keep the Leaves

These leaves are free organic fertilizer for your trees!

Hi, I'm Basil, and today we're talking about leaves. No, no, no, not those. These! Leaves are one of the best ways to feed your trees. And if you think about it, it does make sense right? I mean, it's nature's way of doing things. Here in the forest all these leaves, they fall, they rot, and they feed the trees.

When we remove the leaves, we actually end up starving our trees. So, one of the easiest ways for us to care for trees is just leave the leaves. Sounds easy right? Well it is. You don't have to do anything. You can just leave whole leaves right where they fall.

And if you're worried about your grass, well just rake the leaves underneath the trees, or into your shrub beds, or both! And if you're concerned about how that looks, you can always add pine straw on top, or you can put wood chips on top. No problem! But whatever you do, don't get rid of your leaves. Leaving the leaves saves you time, money, and boosts the health of your trees. It's a triple win! But that's not it. Leaving the leaves also provides habitat for butterflies, and for lightning bugs. And it eliminates the need for chemical fertilizers, this is an example of how a little change can be a really big win for you, for your trees, and for our planet.