As leaves across America make their annual autumn pilgrimage from the treetops to the ground, lawn and wildlife experts say it's better to leave them around than to bag them.
First, because it keeps leaves out of landfills. Every year, about 8 million tons of leaves end up there.
And second, because leaves help the grass.
Leaves are full of nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
"Those nutrients are being returned to the soil," Susan Barton, a professor and extension specialist in landscape horticulture at the University of Delaware, told NPR. "But probably even more important than that, it's the organic matter. It's the fact that you've got this tissue that then eventually decomposes and improves the soil health."
Image: It's best to chop up leaves, which will then break down in the grass. Rake excess amounts into a landscape bed. Kris Lord/Flickr Creative Commons
