Leaves are here, now what

Fallen leaves signal fall has landed, and the advice on them is contradictory. Clear them or leave them for wildlife? It's a balance, and September is when you start.

September beats frost

Dry spells and mild temperatures make leaves easy to gather. Wait for ice and rain and the piles are bigger, heavier and far harder to shift.

“waiting until the weather is much wetter and frosty can become hazardous and tricky”

Paths turn slippery fast

Wet or icy leaves on garden paths are a genuine fall risk. A cordless leaf blower clears them in a daily minute-long sweep.

Leaf piles kill grass

The writer once forgot a pile dropped by a neighbor's overhanging tree, and it smothered the lawn into an ugly brown patch. A leaf rake handles most yards.

“it ended up killing the grass beneath and caused an unsightly brown patch”

Dense piles breed disease

Thick wet heaps trap moisture and invite fungal problems like powdery mildew. Bin those ones rather than composting, so the disease doesn't spread.

Check the gutters

Leaf debris blocks gutters, water overflows, and you end up paying for damage to the house. A gutter rake sorts it before the autumn rain arrives.

Free mulch by winter

Bag what you collect and turn it into leaf mulch. By the time frost threatens your plants, you have free frost protection ready to spread.

Leave some for wildlife

Overwintering insects and small mammals shelter in leaf litter, and rotting leaves feed the soil and suppress weeds. Move piles to one designated corner instead of clearing everything.

“be selective about what you clear”