Humus

Why fall yard care could start with doing less – but not nothing

<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/765262/original/file-20261009-50-vzvluc.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.1&rect=446%2C0%2C4819%2C3213&q=45&auto=format&w=1050&h=700&fit=crop" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Leaves on the ground are part of the natural cycle of nutrients.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Manjot Sidhu</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Every autumn, homeowners and gardeners tend to engage in a familiar ritual. As trees shed their leaves, people drag out rakes, leaf blowers and lawn bags to strip their yards bare before winter arrives. </p> <p>It is a tidy habit rooted in aesthetics, but ecologically, clearing away fallen leaves strips the very foundation of local ecosystems. Far from dead debris requiring disposal, this fallen foliage forms a dynamic layer and a biological interface that drives nutrient cycling and is <a hr