Gardeners warned over removing autumn leaves from lawns

Garden enthusiasts are being advised not to clear away autumn leaves from their lawns as they still have a crucial role to play. Ecological writer Alys Fowler explains that these leaves can be beneficial for the plant they fell from and can aid in carbon storage in the soil.

This, she says, helps your lawn and wider garden absorb minerals and water. The leaves also provide a habitat for insects, beetles, and worms.

While they may initially appear untidy, winter winds will eventually disperse them, allowing worms to decompose them and push them deeper into the soil. In an article for Gardeners' World magazine, Alys writes: "They're called leaves for a reason; to be left alone to do their essential work. They may look spent but their business is far from done, both for the plant they left and the wider world around them."

She further adds: "Soil can hold up to 30 percent more carbon if the autumn leaves are left to rot. Carbon feeds the soil food web, particularly mycorrhizal fungi, which improves not only the trees' ability to take up water and minerals, but also the lawn and wider garden."

Alys points out the elephant hawk moth, with its unique pink and olive green colour, as a creature that thrives because of decaying leaves, reports the Express.

She emphasises that leaf litter is a crucial location where moths like the elephant hawk can create cocoons.

Lawn Association chairman David Hedges-Gower has warned that leaves can "suffocate and kill" grass, stating that leafmould can be fatal for even the healthiest of lawns. He advises against allowing leaves to decompose on the lawn, as it could necessitate overseeding and watering in spring.

However, he does suggest that raking leaves onto garden beds can help protect the lawn during winter. He remarked: "Neglecting our lawns by leaving fallen leaves not only harms them but creates unnecessary work each year, increasing our unsustainable footprint. Unlike other garden areas, lawns require attention year-round."

David emphasises the importance of "protecting" your lawn to maintain a sustainable and beautiful garden throughout the year and advocates for making lawn care manageable and eco-friendly.

The Royal Horticultural Society acknowledges that leafmould can be beneficial, particularly when well-rotted, as it can be used for seed-sowing compost or garden compost. Leafmould less than two years old can serve as mulch, soil improver, autumn top-dressing for lawns, or winter covering for bare soil.

However, they caution that homemade leafmould compost can attract weeds and that street-collected leaves may contain rubbish, so they should be inspected before being added to a leafmould pile.