What if the leaves are left?

[Mrs Ava]

......what I mean is, along one edge of my lottie  beyond the stream, is a 'hedge' of lovely big trees.  Now as the leaves are falling, lots are falling straight onto my compost heap - hoorah! - but some are falling just onto the edge of my plot.  Now, my question is, what if I leave them, let nature do what nature does, pros and cons?  I collected up a couple of bags full from the paths down by the stream to compost down, but can I be bothered to rake my plottie clear, especially as I would have to do it again and again and again and again......etc.....etc...... ;D

[Mrs Ava]

[Palustris]

What leaves the wind does not blow into Wales we leave(?) where they are, except for the ones on the grass wich are blown on to the borders. I would guess that on bare soil there is no problem, but where they lodge in the crown of plants they could cause rotting.

[Mrs Ava]

cool - as they are falling on bare soil, I think I shall leave them as worm food.  I am sure they will blow all over the place until we have some more rain to stick them down, so I will gather up any piles to compost, then leave the strays to rot over winter!  ;D

[mysticmog]

I have a new (newly acquired) lottie that has been left to it's own devices for what looks like quite a few years (oh the joy of brambles, nettles, bind weed, thistles).  :-X Have cleared a bit away (4 ft square section has taken about 5 weeks!) the soil underneath is bloody gorgeous.  I have a sycamore (*spit*) tree overhanging the lottie and I think years of yummy leaves have made it the best soil I've seen, ever.  

So go for the leaving the leaves thing....and enjoy.