Can I rake the leaves out of my garden beds now?
Should I wait to clean up the garden in the spring? If so, how long should I wait? Is it 50 degrees during the day or at night? These questions have become divisive in the gardening world to the point that people feel guilty if they want to clean up their gardens in the spring or feel judged if they have a “messy” garden for too long.
Last year, I did an estimate in April and the homeowner asked me ” So, are you doing garden cleanups yet?” I answered yes. Her disapproval radiated strongly as she launched into an explanation about how bad that was and how we were damaging overwintering insects. I tried to explain that we have made our spring cleanup decision carefully based on extensive research and our personal experiences, but my answers fell on deaf ears. Needless to say, we did not get that job.
This topic is very important to us, because we not in this industry to just have beautiful landscapes, our mission is to provide landscape services that prioritize plant health and environmental responsibility. We are looking to help people feel connected to nature and find joy in their gardens, not feel conflicted and bad for their upkeep choices.
So, what is the correct thing to do, which side is right?
Both! Now, hear me out for a minute, I’m not looking to avoid taking a stand and we do start garden cleanup as soon as the earth has dried out in some areas. But let’s walk through some of the facts that have led us to believe you can support the ecosystem and also have a neat garden if you choose to.
The majority of Maine’s bees and insects overwinter in the ground or behind tree bark
and dead logs in protected areas to get through our harsh winters, not out in the open in leaves that blow around. But there is evidence that some insects pick piles of leaves, such as the luna moth and fireflies.
We cannot find any evidence to support the 50-degree rule. Dr. Gail Langello, an entomologist and Professor of Horticulture at Oregon State University wrote about it better than I can here.
In our personal experience, we’ve actually been more likely to disturb the bees’ insects, salamanders, and other crawlers after the temperatures are warming up. When it’s on the cooler side, we have seen very little activity or evidence of life. Could it be possible that they are hiding in the leaves, and we can’t see them? Yes, which is one of the reasons we compost our leaves in a big pile instead of shredding them so anything hiding inside has a good chance of hatching.
In nature, everything is about balance. Have that area where you have piles of sticks and leaves and don’t cut down the vegetation and also enjoy having a debris-free garden especially if you have early flowering spring bulbs.
In the fall, we plan out both areas, so wildlife is supported. You really can have the best of both worlds with a little preparation and planning.
And really the absolute best thing you can do for our wildlife is to avoid pesticide use and to keep planting! These two things will make the biggest difference to our ecosystem than worrying about when to remove leaves in the garden ever will. For further reading here are a few other sources:
Danger of Backyard Mosquito Spraying
Decline of Birds and Insects related?
If you need help having your cake and eating it too, contact us for a free consultation where we will do more than help you eat the cake, but help you plan out a garden strategy that really will make our world a better place for all living things.