With spring having arrived in the U.S., some homeowners have to start thinking about dealing with all those leaves lying around from the previous seasons.
Painstakingly raking and gathering the leaves is one option, but a TikTok user shared a much easier and more sustainable method.
TikToker PermacultureFX (@permacultureplants) offered some advice for what to do with fallen leaves.
@permacultureplants What to do with falling leaves in your yard instead of bagging them up and sending them to the road #homestead #yardwork #garden #foodforest #fruit #gardening #gardentips #gardenhacks #gardening101 #permaculture ♬ original sound - PermacultureFX (aka Plant Man)
The scoop
The video suggests pondering about something before raking and bagging up leaves: "Now think about all the hard work your trees did to produce that much carbon and that much nitrogen."
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Leaves are chock-full of nutrients and act as both natural fertilizer and winter shelter for pollinators.
He continues with a couple of suggestions of what to do with those leaves to make the most out of them.
In one area where he is wood-chipping, the TikToker advises just leaving the leaves where they are, piling discarded wood chips on top, "and keep the nutrients right where they are." As an added bonus, the leaves will offset the nitrogen released by the chips as they decompose.
The second suggestion is to chop them up with a mower and spread them to areas where they're needed. However, the TikToker, also known as Plant Man, points out that it's often best to chop them in place because "that's where the nutrients came from anyway."
The final point is about timing to avoid disrupting butterfly larvae within the leaves.
How it's helping
Lawn and garden care has a surprisingly large carbon footprint. Because gas-powered gardening tools often use an inefficient two-stroke engine, using a commercial lawn mower is the equivalent of driving over 300 miles, according to the Public Interest Network.
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If you were to switch from a grass lawn to a more natural option, which of these factors would be your primary motivation?
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Making it look better 🌱 Leaf blowers are the worst offenders of all, more than three times worse than mowers. The harmful carbon pollution from gardening equipment in Los Angeles County alone is the equivalent of 148,768 cars on the road.
Noninvasive methods like those highlighted in this video are not only more environmentally friendly but also far less labor-intensive. Other natural ways to help out include rewilding your yard, using native plants, and controlling pests without chemicals.
What everyone's saying
The post generated a handful of comments complimenting the poster for the advice.
"Great tips" was one comment. Another said: "Yes! Thank you! I needed this."
Another thanked the TikToker for bringing attention to the importance of timing. They said: "We chop in place but never thought to think about butterfly larvae."
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