Leave the Leaf Litter by Dick Wildermann
Leave the Leaf Litter
We learn early on about the importance of leaves. Besides providing shade and cooling the air, leaves release oxygen, capture carbon dioxide, and convert sunlight into energy to make the food that plants need to grow.
Once that essential work is completed, we typically look at the dead leaves collecting in our yards as unsightly; something to be blown about, raked up, bagged, and hauled away. But there are benefits to keeping all or sections of our yards natural. Simply leaving the leaves on the ground is a better option than disposal, because leaves continue to play a critical function once they’ve fallen from the trees.
Dead leaves, twigs, and other plant matter that collect and decompose on the ground are called plant or leaf litter, and it plays an important part in the ecological cycle of wooded landscapes. Leaf litter releases nutrients essential for vegetation and keeps the soil moist. It’s home to many important actors in a healthy ecosystem, including small critters such as worms, beetles, and spiders that break down the litter, microscopic organisms that decompose it, and small animals that use dead plant matter for cover or to build nests. Insects in litter are an important component of the diet for many of the birds that inhabit our island’s interior. Overall, litter enriches and stabilizes the biodiversity of wooded areas.
It’s customary to want our yards to be tidy and free of dead things. But if you’ve taken a walk in the woods on a cool, quiet, autumn morning, you realize leaf litter can be beautiful. It displays a distinct texture and a visual softness that complements the surrounding trees. It also acts as a protective blanket and gives sustenance to a diversity of life above and below the surface. We can manage our yards to emulate a maritime forest.
Litter in a yard is not maintenance free. In places where leaves form a particularly thick layer, you can spread the leaves around, and occasionally you will want to collect and dispose of excess leaves along with other yard debris. Another option is to mow the leaves in some areas of your yard to break them down into smaller pieces that can serve as mulch around shrubs and trees. In general, however, you can let nature do its thing.
To achieve the benefits that leaf litter and native plants provide, it is not necessary to leave your entire yard in a natural state. A horticulturist can help you identify the best areas to set aside for that purpose. Elsewhere, a scattering of leaves on your lawn provides the soil with natural nutrients while still allowing sunlight to reach the grass.
Many of us have homes on wooded lots that can be augmented with native shrubs and trees as recently recommended by the Seabrook Island Green Space Conservancy. Retaining leaf litter goes hand in hand with a yard consisting predominantly of native plants, and it will go a long way toward promoting a healthy, sustainable environment.
If you envision an island where nature sets the stage and wildlife flourishes, leave the litter.
Dick Wildermann
Seabrook Island Green Space Conservancy
