You might think your lawn will be totally devoid of any life during the freezing winter, but that’s probably not the case. While there’s certainly less plant and animal life in your yard when it’s cold, there is a lot still there, hidden and waiting out the colder weather.
Having proper environmental conditions can be critical for some species’ ability to survive the winter. The winter season is challenging for all kinds of flora and fauna — not to mention the soil in your yard. Leaving the natural debris from plants, shrubs and trees helps them survive the cold so that they can thrive in the warm weather. Here’s just a few of the ways leaf litter can benefit your landscape and the surrounding wildlife:
Nutrient Recycling
As leaves break down, they release valuable nutrients back into the soil. These nutrients enrich the soil, making it more fertile and conducive to plant growth. Picking up leaves and other debris from your yard is effectively removing these nutrients from the system, especially if they are bagged up and hauled away. Too much of this will eventually lead to the need for fertilizers to replace those nutrients.
If you’d like to learn more about how nutrient cycles affect your yard, we have a great article on the subject, Hacking Nutrient Cycles for Vibrant Plants.
Natural Mulch
Fallen leaves act as a natural insulator to your grass and other garden plants. They protect the soil from extreme temperature swings that can damage root systems and the surrounding biome as well as create a barrier to hold in moisture and help prevent soil erosion. This can be crucial to the survival of plants that go dormant in the winter, including many species of turf grasses.
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