For the Birds: Help the Birds by Using Leaves

Bewick's Wren in leaves
Photo by John Riegsecker

By Christine Southwick

Before the advent of leaf-blowers, most home owners allowed leaves to stay around plants, at least until spring. People would rake them off their lawns and pathways, but it was a lot of trouble to get around the base of bushes, and sometimes the rake would hurt the plants.

Then, garden experts started advocating cleanliness around plants to prevent diseases and eliminate slugs and snails (not that anything really eliminates slugs).

Now, after years of these practices, scientists have found that leaves have more beneficial benefits than people suspected, including preventing soil-borne diseases caused by rain splashing onto plants.

Bluebird with caterpillars for nestlings
Photo by Tania Morris

In early spring, when birds start nesting, the breeding birds depend upon caterpillars for fuel. One of the most nutritious meals for nestlings is caterpillars. Where do these caterpillars come from? Moths and butterfly pupae overwinter in leaf litter. Eliminate leaves in your yard, and you are literally killing the butterfly and moth caterpillars that nesting birds need in the spring for successful rearing of their young.

Varied Thrush, wintering thrush
Photo by Christine Southwick

Additionally, leaves provide shelter from cold and winter food for under-noticed wildlife such as toads, salamanders, shrews, earthworms, and many beneficial insects including beetles, centipedes, and spiders. These insects improve the soil, and are eaten by our local Varied Thrushes, Spotted Towhees, Bewick’s Wrens, Robins, and Song Sparrows to name a few.

Leaves are a natural much, suppressing weeds, fertilizing the soil as they break down, keeping the soil warmer, and helping perennials grow stronger roots systems. Leaves keep the soil from compacting, and return nitrogen and phosphorus to the soils, thereby making the soil healthier for plants, trees, water, and wildlife living in areas where leaves stay.

Spotted Towhee searching through leaves and wood chips
Photo by Christine Southwick

Leaves can be put directly onto flowerbeds, and around plants. Larger leaves will break down faster if you run the lawnmower over them, but it is by no means a requirement. Madrone, laurel, and magnolia leaves take a long time to decompose, and should be shredded if you use them.

I beg neighbors for their small maple leaves. Most neighbors only think I am a little weird. I would rather that they used the leaves in their yards, but it takes a while for healthy change to catch on. These smaller leaves work well as mulch for my shrubs and flowers, and I love watching “my” wintering birds dig in the leaves searching for delectable tidbits.