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ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT "LEAVING THE LEAVES"
Even I have wondered about some of these, so here goes:
Won't plants be unable to push up through whole leaves or thick layers of leaves?
Many plants, especially woodland natives, have no trouble pushing up through 2-6" of leaves. In my own garden, I generally let them stay in the shrubby and treed areas - no problem. For areas where perennials are growing, I wait until I see a bumblebee in my yard in early spring, then hand remove those if they seem to be impeding any plants. Many of the leaves in perennial areas, if they are even slightly sloped, will blow or wash away over the winter anyway.
How will rainfall get into the soil if it is covered with leaves?
Leaves slow down water from extreme rain events and allow it to percolate into the soil. The leaf layer of an oak forest can hold all the water of a 2" downpour! (Our rain events are usually 1" or less.) And a study in Maryland found that by leaving leaves on landscapes, soils held on average 32% more carbon.
Of course, you can't let leaves accumulate on your lawn ((it will smother grass), clog sewers, or leave a slippery layer on paths where you walk. But there are LOTS of places they can stay and do their pollinator protection and soil enrichment thing
P.S. You'll also save money. At a local garden center, I saw bags of "leaf mulch" a/k/a chopped leaves, being sold for $12.99 for a small bag.
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