CLEVELAND — As the seasons change, most of us are trying to get in that last minute yard work before the snow arrives in Northeast Ohio.
That can mean a lot of manual labor.
However, experts say some of us have been doing it wrong all along, and leaving our leaves behind can actually protect your lawn and save you time and energy.
Longtime Cleveland resident Amy Roskilly’s backyard and garden are her personal oasis.
It’s where she kicks back.
But the Conservation Education & Communications Manager for Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District learned over time she doesn’t need to spend every waking moment there, and she says you shouldn’t either.
“People think that they need to clean up their entire yard. They need to clear out everything out of their soil, throw out everything out of their gardens, clean up every single leaf there is-- and it’s possibly one of the worst things you can do for your soil to make it healthy," said Roskilly.
You heard that right.
Roskilly says to leave the leaves behind.
Leaves now blanket lawns across the Greater Cleveland area.
It’s a sign that winter is nearing.
Roskilly says there is a true benefit to them resting on our lawns and gardens.
The leaves actually improve the habitat and ecosystem in the long term.
“You wanna be sure it’s not a thick layer on there, but leaving some leaves on there again is going to add organic matter on there.”
The organic matter breaks down quickly.
Roskilly says it feeds the soil, and in turn, feeds the plants and critters that thrive in nature.
The leaves protect the soil by insulating the ground and preventing it from drying out or freezing.
In addition, Roskilly says by "being a lazy gardener" and letting nature run its course—you avoid potential injuries.
According to Consumer Reports, every year, while mowing the grass, raking, cutting a branch, or power washing a deck, at least 100 people die.
An estimated 143,000 are injured badly enough to require a trip to the emergency room.
“There’s some health reasons too. Some people really kind of put themselves out in the Fall and they have some back issues or something like that going into winter," said Roskilly.
Roskilly says the natural insulation can save you stress all while saving your garden.
Another alternative is just running a lawn mower over the leaves.
You can mulch them into smaller pieces, which will all break down over time.
But even that isn’t necessary.
If you do plan on raking your yard, wait until the day or two before to put them on your tree lawn for your city's leaf pickup.
Anything that gets into the street and gets into your storm drain can enter the waterways untreated.
