• Saurok@lemmy.ml
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    19 hours ago

    Obligatory “leave the leaves” if you can. Insects and small animals use the leaf litter and they’re good for soil creation (thanks, worms and fungi). Wondering why you don’t see as many lightning bugs/fireflies nowadays? Leave your leaves and they’ll have places to lay their eggs. Avoid becoming a member of the cult of the lawn!

    • JackbyDev@programming.dev
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      15 hours ago

      I’m so angry. I had leaves for two years and the city made me remove them like right during the nesting period. So it’s gonna be another two years before I see an increase in fireflies.

    • WhoIsTheDrizzle@lemmy.world
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      14 hours ago

      Depends on the climate and the number of trees. I understand wanting to leave all the leaves, but it’ll just create a muddy mess in my yard. I mulch them, it spreads through the yard. I circle around the trees and garden beds to get more leaves in those areas. Leftovers go on the composting pile.

      • WALLACE@feddit.uk
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        2 hours ago

        Yeah the tree:land ratio of my back garden is highly in favour of the trees. Every autumn the entire area gets coated in a thick layer of sycamore leaves that can easily take a year to decompose even in a compost pile. I rake that shit into piles over my flowerbeds for the winter, then into the compost during the spring. I would mow them but it’s the UK so it’s rare to find an autumn day where the leaves aren’t too wet and soggy.

    • Taldan@lemmy.world
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      18 hours ago

      I leave all the leaves in my yard, and mine is the only one with a lot of fireflies. It’s amazing at night