The Secret Lives of Fallen Leaves: What They’re Actually Doing

By Mary-Jane Pilgrim, Grasp Gardener

Each autumn, leaves throw one remaining get together as they drop to the bottom. It appears to be like like they’ve simply given up, disconnected from their branches and collapsed. However belief me—fallen leaves are usually not mendacity round doing nothing. They’re busy residing their greatest afterlife.

First, an necessary definition:

Abscission: the pure detachment of components of a plant, usually useless leaves and ripe fruit.

When leaves detach from their tree, they fall to the bottom and kind crunchy carpets, daring you to stroll via and make as a lot noise as attainable. (Children and canine in parks are particularly good at this.) However as soon as the enjoyable is over, the actual magic begins. Beneath these piles, leaves quietly flip right into a scrumptious buffet for worms, beetles, fungi, and all types of tiny critters. It’s mainly an all-you-can-eat salad bar for the soil.

As they break down, leaves launch vitamins again into the earth, feeding your timber, flowers, and veggie patch — nature’s personal recycling program. In addition they act like outside blankets, conserving plant roots heat via winter. Your daffodils might by no means say thanks, however they’re grateful. Simply bear in mind to peel again the blanket a bit within the spring when the daffodils need to make their grand entrance.

So subsequent time you’re tempted to bag each final leaf within the fall, bear in mind—they’re not simply backyard litter. They’re quiet brokers of soil well being, undercover mulch, and lively decomposers. Fallen leaves aren’t useless weight. They’re simply busy engaged on their subsequent large position: turning into subsequent spring’s backyard gold.

So possibly this fall you can provide your rake a relaxation and let the leaves do their factor. In spite of everything, they’ve been operating this underground operation for thousands and thousands of years. They know what they’re doing. Do take the time to rake them off of your grass, although, as grass doesn’t tolerate the leaf get together in addition to the backyard does!