'leaf or not to leaf that is the....

[tameblackbirds]

question' seen people sweeping up leaves today and know it makes great mould but i leave my leaves to nature can't say that it makes my grass poor. Blackbirds and other birds love throwing them up looking for worms and insects. How do you feel?

[Hedge Witch]

I leave them to enrich the soil as nature intended. Mind you, I have only small veg and flower beds, so I tend not to need too much organic matter. My garden is evolving into a wildlife sanctuary.

[tameblackbirds]

that's what i've been trying to do too. thanks my uncle says they harbour diseases and should be got up i'd rather leave them as you and can't say my garden gets any diseases. and there are 6 different tree s in my garden so lots of leaves.

[agrumpycow]

I leave them on the ground. As you say the birds toss them about searching for food and it seems to make no difference to my lawns.

Neighbours have been raking theirs up but their gardens have that over-the-top, perfect look about them - I prefer mine a bit more natural even if some people would say it is a bit messy

[Ollie]

Guess it depends a little on circumstances, and if you want them for compost. If they have fallen onto pathways where they will be a slip hazard when wet and rotting then I would rake them up but otherwise my thoughts would be to leave them where they fall.
Roger

[Kayleigh]

I leaf mine where they fall as the organic material is good for the heavy clay soil..The worms take it down , its all good stuff...
My neighbours are all sterile and tidy too..They have just paid a gardener to spray weed killer onto the brick paving I was worried sick poison may reach my pond..I wish they would ban all gardening chemicals so joe blogs cant buy them off the shelves..

[agrumpycow]

My neighbours actually cut down a tree in their garden mainly because they didn't like the 'mess' the leaves made. Replaced it with paving and gravel

[tameblackbirds]

me too Kayleigh along with the DREADED slug pellets. It's weird really as I haven't used chemicals on my garden yet my neighbour sprays and scatters those DREADFUL pellets every where. But some how her garden looks dead more soil then plants and neat grass booooring. My is full of life and a variety of insects and native plants blue tits eating greenfly etc a circle of life

[Mercadante]

We have a dozen or so sycamore trees around the garden and they produce an enormous amount of leaf litter, so we make leaf mould from most of it. Where we don't collect the leaves, not much grows except ivy and bracken, of which we have plenty. We like to give some flowers a chance, not to mention our vegetables.

[Jez]

I sweep mine up to make a pile for the hoggys to hibernate over winter!