Love your writing, especially the anecdote about Caligula. But the leaves...um, nope. Last year I tried leaving all the leaves in my woodland garden, densely planted with hostas, rhodos, & hydrangeas, because, you know, garden writers. Come spring, the leaves had decomposed not a whit, but instead had formed a dense, wet, 5-inch thick mat, keeping out oxygen, warmth, and light, so that what would have normally been the spears and sprigs of emerging perennials were white, curled alien plants among anoxic loving molds and fungi. If anything overwintered in this mess, it was a bumper crop of slugs, which I spent all summer trying to eradicate with slug baits. I spent my spring, instead of enjoying spring bulbs and new growth, raking and bagging a ton of sodden leaves. This fall my rake is my best friend.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Renee. I don’t doubt it for a second. I guess what a post like mine doesn’t get into is the question of leaf density - of course if you have a thick matting (such as the 5 inches you describe) then whatever is below is going to struggle to break through. A good layer of mulch is normally up to around 2 inches above the top of the soil, so yes, beyond that and those bulbs and new spring growth will be using up all of their energy to break through to the surface, potentially resulting in fairly anaemic-looking plants.
Interesting that you describe your space as a woodland garden. Certainly in the woodlands around here, there isn’t the sort of density of low-level planting that you tend to find in a garden, and leaves (both up high spring/summer and down below (autumn/winter) are largely responsible for this.
The slugs are another matter entirely - in an ideal world they wouldn’t be the only critters enjoying the leaf cover! Sorry to hear that you unwittingly created a sluggy paradise!
"Clearly a fallen leaf in the wrong place – such as clogging up a drain, or as a slip hazard on a patio – must be dealt with." I was dealing with exactly this at the front of our house this afternoon - we've learned the hard way about flooding!
At the same time I was NOT regretting not raking up the leaves in the back garden. They're looking absolutely beautiful. They can wait until the next dry spell, when I sweep them up before I give the grass a cut.
Great plan, Rebecca: sweeping them to one side means any over-wintering creatures will still have a home. Grinding them up with a mower, on the other hand, would be good for the grass, but bad for everything else!
True. Might depend on the timing of the mowing though – go too late, and the over-wintering creatures could already be hiding out among the leaves, which would spell a rather gruesome end for them...!
Dan ! What kind of creatures hide under a leaf on your lawn??!! Not that the wind doesn't actually usually clear away their shelter before long if we stay sensibly indoors by the fire with our feet up.....
Thanks Anne - the mower would cope okay if it were just the beautiful deciduous leaves, but there are some really tough cordyline leaves in with them thanks to all this wind. Normally I pick those up by hand and mow the rest, but as they're all mixed up now I'm going to rake all the leaves first, then mow. Cordyline leaves are death to our mower blade! 😀
Your post reminds me of Masanobu Fukuoka's One-Straw Revolution -- THE proponent of the "NOT do this, NOT do that" way of gardening and farming. Maybe you have heard of him. I had the great fortune of meeting him in person in the late 1980s in Berkeley/California, a Japanese-American friend of mine knew him and invited him. He would completely agree with you to leave the leaves alone! He taught to leave insects, weeds, bugs etc. alone too, with great results. What an inspiration.
Wow, how amazing that you got to meet him! It is strange and sad in equal measure that we have needed an inspirational philosopher-come-farmer to point out that paying attention to nature's principles is a good way to grow – you'd hope it would just be common sense. And yet the world needs a Fukuoka now more than ever!
Yes, this was in the early 1990s, when his ideas were even more revolutionary than today. Front lawns HAD to be neatly mown lawns. Not getting rid of "weeds"? Outrageous! He talked to a small group of us, mostly Japanese Americans, so one could ask questions. I just looked him up; he died in 2008, aged 95. His farm still exists and is maintained by his grandson. His method is being taught at 40 or so schools in Japan, and much of it has been incorporated into modern farming methods all over the world. Quite the legacy!
Incredible. Thanks for bringing him to my attention - I will do some further reading. Me thinks Mr Fukuoka may well make an appearance in a future edition of The Earthworm...
This is misinformation that seems to be prominent on the web lately. It is true only if you don’t have too many fallen leaves. But too big a pile, lying on the grass for too long, will kill your grass. Like all plants, grass needs light and air.
I have a yard where half the grass has died to prove this theory. It looks very different than the lawns of my neighbors that receive exactly the same treatment as mine - the only difference is that my lawn has been covered in a pile of leaves for weeks on end for the last few years.
Sure, enjoy the colorful sprinkle of leaves across your lawn. But remove that heavy pile that will kill the grass under it.
I think misinformation is a bit of a strong word! I think the question here is simply one of priorities: if you prioritise your lawn over a shabbier, more naturalistic aesthetic, that is absolutely fine, and of course you will need to rake and bag and maybe even blow, depending on the size of your property. I’m highlighting an alternative approach, which is not “misinformation” but will simply garner different results, and where the lawn may well suffer. Not a concern for me, as I have written extensively about my dislike of lawns, but you want to protect your grass, of course you’ll need to diverge from the view presented in my post. Thanks for reading and for sharing your experiences!
If you take issue with the term “misinformation,” can you at least see that your post is misleading? You state repeatedly that there is no reason to remove leaves. Now, in this exchange, you admit that a heavy layer of leaves can kill grass. I think you should state that clearly in your article.
I wonder why people make leaf mould? Was it a task invented by Victorian head gardeners to make sure the undergardener was always fully occupied?
Pick them all up, put them in a bag. Wait wait wait wait (picking more and putting in more bags in the meantime..) and then put them back where they came from and where they should have stayed in the first place.
Thanks Jo – I've seen a few posts and news stories around over the past few days saying much the same thing. Good to know the message is getting out there!
This is my first year making leaf mould. It's now been 'Moulding' for 6 months and I look forward to seeing what it's like when the Big Wet allows us to venture into the garden for better times than just clearing drains. Prior to creating bins to store the budding mould, we would rake the leaves up from the lawns and chuck them straight back on the garden. That worked too. Long live leaf largesse!
Congratulations!!!! I'm really happy to know you share my madness!!!...I use to let leaves alone, and if are so much that make a blanket over the garden I gather and put them in a plastic bag with some holes, a splash of water, close the bag and wait for the next year ...ualaaa!!! ready to use
I apologize for my english, is not my mother's lenguage
So excellent as always! I was not familiar with this tale and it epitomizes our bizarre relationship to nature in every way. Thank you for sharing and of course for the recommendation!
You have to love a gardening post that starts out with Caligula 😃 We were early adopters of no-raking out of nothing other than sheer laziness. I'm delighted to see our sloth becoming something more worthy. In my view there's only one reason for raking leaves into a pile:
When we moved into the home we currently occupy, there were two yards of gravel. No soil. And there was way too much to simply buy soil. So I let the surrounding trees do their work, and begged all the fallen leaves I could get from friends, neighbors and family. Many of whom thought I was a little nuts. But 30 years later, while I still don't have a luscious yard of grass, I do have enough soil to support some grass and a lot of weeds. Every year I find more worms, despite the bird's best efforts to eat them all.
And I still beg fallen leaves from friends and family. And grass clippings, and egg shells, and...you get the idea.
Wow, what an inspiration! You've basically transformed a lifeless gravel yard into an autumnal forest floor. Thanks for the valuable and poignant reminder that with enough layers of organic matter, piled up over time, you can re-green anywhere!
Thank you so much for your kind, thoughtful and generous comment, Brooke! I am very happy to hear that you enjoyed this post, and heartened that you share my love of autumn and all its glorious mess.
Love your writing, especially the anecdote about Caligula. But the leaves...um, nope. Last year I tried leaving all the leaves in my woodland garden, densely planted with hostas, rhodos, & hydrangeas, because, you know, garden writers. Come spring, the leaves had decomposed not a whit, but instead had formed a dense, wet, 5-inch thick mat, keeping out oxygen, warmth, and light, so that what would have normally been the spears and sprigs of emerging perennials were white, curled alien plants among anoxic loving molds and fungi. If anything overwintered in this mess, it was a bumper crop of slugs, which I spent all summer trying to eradicate with slug baits. I spent my spring, instead of enjoying spring bulbs and new growth, raking and bagging a ton of sodden leaves. This fall my rake is my best friend.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Renee. I don’t doubt it for a second. I guess what a post like mine doesn’t get into is the question of leaf density - of course if you have a thick matting (such as the 5 inches you describe) then whatever is below is going to struggle to break through. A good layer of mulch is normally up to around 2 inches above the top of the soil, so yes, beyond that and those bulbs and new spring growth will be using up all of their energy to break through to the surface, potentially resulting in fairly anaemic-looking plants.
Interesting that you describe your space as a woodland garden. Certainly in the woodlands around here, there isn’t the sort of density of low-level planting that you tend to find in a garden, and leaves (both up high spring/summer and down below (autumn/winter) are largely responsible for this.
The slugs are another matter entirely - in an ideal world they wouldn’t be the only critters enjoying the leaf cover! Sorry to hear that you unwittingly created a sluggy paradise!
Agreed, Renee! See my comment right before yours.
Great post, Dan!
"Clearly a fallen leaf in the wrong place – such as clogging up a drain, or as a slip hazard on a patio – must be dealt with." I was dealing with exactly this at the front of our house this afternoon - we've learned the hard way about flooding!
At the same time I was NOT regretting not raking up the leaves in the back garden. They're looking absolutely beautiful. They can wait until the next dry spell, when I sweep them up before I give the grass a cut.
Great plan, Rebecca: sweeping them to one side means any over-wintering creatures will still have a home. Grinding them up with a mower, on the other hand, would be good for the grass, but bad for everything else!
Might depend what you do with the mowings? Use to mulch neighbouring beds and benefit soil, plants and over wintering creatures.
True. Might depend on the timing of the mowing though – go too late, and the over-wintering creatures could already be hiding out among the leaves, which would spell a rather gruesome end for them...!
Dan ! What kind of creatures hide under a leaf on your lawn??!! Not that the wind doesn't actually usually clear away their shelter before long if we stay sensibly indoors by the fire with our feet up.....
OK no not under a single leaf! Though I am now picturing the butterfly equivalent of Tom Hanks’ character in Cast Away, stranded on/under a lone leaf
Reckon we wouldn't mind trashing a slug or six with the mower, eh, Anne?!
I'm off out right now!
If you cut the grass with scissors, you'll need to sweep. But won't your lawnmower just take them up with the grass?
Thanks Anne - the mower would cope okay if it were just the beautiful deciduous leaves, but there are some really tough cordyline leaves in with them thanks to all this wind. Normally I pick those up by hand and mow the rest, but as they're all mixed up now I'm going to rake all the leaves first, then mow. Cordyline leaves are death to our mower blade! 😀
These things, as my mother used to say, are sent to try us. And don't they just! Xx
Your post reminds me of Masanobu Fukuoka's One-Straw Revolution -- THE proponent of the "NOT do this, NOT do that" way of gardening and farming. Maybe you have heard of him. I had the great fortune of meeting him in person in the late 1980s in Berkeley/California, a Japanese-American friend of mine knew him and invited him. He would completely agree with you to leave the leaves alone! He taught to leave insects, weeds, bugs etc. alone too, with great results. What an inspiration.
Wow, how amazing that you got to meet him! It is strange and sad in equal measure that we have needed an inspirational philosopher-come-farmer to point out that paying attention to nature's principles is a good way to grow – you'd hope it would just be common sense. And yet the world needs a Fukuoka now more than ever!
Yes, this was in the early 1990s, when his ideas were even more revolutionary than today. Front lawns HAD to be neatly mown lawns. Not getting rid of "weeds"? Outrageous! He talked to a small group of us, mostly Japanese Americans, so one could ask questions. I just looked him up; he died in 2008, aged 95. His farm still exists and is maintained by his grandson. His method is being taught at 40 or so schools in Japan, and much of it has been incorporated into modern farming methods all over the world. Quite the legacy!
Incredible. Thanks for bringing him to my attention - I will do some further reading. Me thinks Mr Fukuoka may well make an appearance in a future edition of The Earthworm...
This is misinformation that seems to be prominent on the web lately. It is true only if you don’t have too many fallen leaves. But too big a pile, lying on the grass for too long, will kill your grass. Like all plants, grass needs light and air.
I have a yard where half the grass has died to prove this theory. It looks very different than the lawns of my neighbors that receive exactly the same treatment as mine - the only difference is that my lawn has been covered in a pile of leaves for weeks on end for the last few years.
Sure, enjoy the colorful sprinkle of leaves across your lawn. But remove that heavy pile that will kill the grass under it.
I think misinformation is a bit of a strong word! I think the question here is simply one of priorities: if you prioritise your lawn over a shabbier, more naturalistic aesthetic, that is absolutely fine, and of course you will need to rake and bag and maybe even blow, depending on the size of your property. I’m highlighting an alternative approach, which is not “misinformation” but will simply garner different results, and where the lawn may well suffer. Not a concern for me, as I have written extensively about my dislike of lawns, but you want to protect your grass, of course you’ll need to diverge from the view presented in my post. Thanks for reading and for sharing your experiences!
If you take issue with the term “misinformation,” can you at least see that your post is misleading? You state repeatedly that there is no reason to remove leaves. Now, in this exchange, you admit that a heavy layer of leaves can kill grass. I think you should state that clearly in your article.
I wonder why people make leaf mould? Was it a task invented by Victorian head gardeners to make sure the undergardener was always fully occupied?
Pick them all up, put them in a bag. Wait wait wait wait (picking more and putting in more bags in the meantime..) and then put them back where they came from and where they should have stayed in the first place.
Gardeners are the strangest people!
Haha, you're so right. I guess those undergardeners' salaries had to be justified somehow during the autumn and winter months!
Love this! Not sure if you've ever seen those videos of people raking huge piles of leaves and their dogs lunge into them? They are fun to watch.
You know what, I had not seen those videos. But fellow commenter Laura provided a link to one and I am now a convert. Hilarious!
I’ve written about the very same thing this week - I’ll add a link and send people over.
FABULOUS as ever, thanks Dan
Thanks Jo – I've seen a few posts and news stories around over the past few days saying much the same thing. Good to know the message is getting out there!
Love this post - made me laugh this morning - thank you!
I'm so glad!
This is my first year making leaf mould. It's now been 'Moulding' for 6 months and I look forward to seeing what it's like when the Big Wet allows us to venture into the garden for better times than just clearing drains. Prior to creating bins to store the budding mould, we would rake the leaves up from the lawns and chuck them straight back on the garden. That worked too. Long live leaf largesse!
It'll be interesting to know whether you will look back in a few months' time and deem the "moulding" effort worthwhile - keep us posted!
Congratulations!!!! I'm really happy to know you share my madness!!!...I use to let leaves alone, and if are so much that make a blanket over the garden I gather and put them in a plastic bag with some holes, a splash of water, close the bag and wait for the next year ...ualaaa!!! ready to use
I apologize for my english, is not my mother's lenguage
Your English is great! And so is your approach to making leafmould! Happy to hear we're on the same page :-)
So excellent as always! I was not familiar with this tale and it epitomizes our bizarre relationship to nature in every way. Thank you for sharing and of course for the recommendation!
You're very welcome - love reading floricult!
Love, love, love the story about Caligula! Will tell it to the next obsessive leave raker or blower I see ;) Thank you Dan!
Haha, please do! Very glad you enjoyed the story :-)
You have to love a gardening post that starts out with Caligula 😃 We were early adopters of no-raking out of nothing other than sheer laziness. I'm delighted to see our sloth becoming something more worthy. In my view there's only one reason for raking leaves into a pile:
https://youtu.be/D6S_TMd7Jkw (safe & legitimate link to an excellent animal video)
Amazing. And the full-speed leaps even better than the slow-mo. If this is what happens to every rake-formed leafy mountain, then I'm all for it!
When we moved into the home we currently occupy, there were two yards of gravel. No soil. And there was way too much to simply buy soil. So I let the surrounding trees do their work, and begged all the fallen leaves I could get from friends, neighbors and family. Many of whom thought I was a little nuts. But 30 years later, while I still don't have a luscious yard of grass, I do have enough soil to support some grass and a lot of weeds. Every year I find more worms, despite the bird's best efforts to eat them all.
And I still beg fallen leaves from friends and family. And grass clippings, and egg shells, and...you get the idea.
Thanks for a great post!
Wow, what an inspiration! You've basically transformed a lifeless gravel yard into an autumnal forest floor. Thanks for the valuable and poignant reminder that with enough layers of organic matter, piled up over time, you can re-green anywhere!
Thank you so much for your kind, thoughtful and generous comment, Brooke! I am very happy to hear that you enjoyed this post, and heartened that you share my love of autumn and all its glorious mess.