Have you ever wondered how many numbers of leaves your dear tree might have?
The answer is between 10,000 and 200,000 leaves. So at any point in time of course depending on the season it could easily have 10,000 leaves and these leaves always fall down, So now the next question should be what happens to these dying and forgotten leaves?
In today’s blog, We will explore the hidden world of dead leaves.
Why does leaves falls down?
Leaves start to fall off trees when they aren’t doing their job any more.
A leaf’s job is to turn sunlight into food for the tree. To do this, the leaf needs water. If there isn’t enough water, the leaf can be damaged and stop working. The tree doesn’t want to waste all the good things in the leaf, so it takes the nutrients from the leaf back into the stems and roots.
When this happens, the tree stops holding leaves and it falls to the ground or blows away in a gust of wind.
Some trees lose their leaves every year. These trees are called deciduous trees, and they lose their leaves in response to the seasons.
How does a leaf die?
Now at this point, most people might think that the importance of these leaves is no more. But no these leaves are now on a new mission. Up to 80% of a tree’s nutrients and minerals end up in its leaves. Now the leaves have reached down the ground and it meets other dead items. Fallen leaves are 70% of the total things that fall in forests, while the other 30% is twigs, seeds, flowers and other woody debris.
Now the decomposition starts
In the first step, all the animals that live in the soil like earthworms, other worms, snails, and some types of spiders break the leaves into small pieces. And now in the next step, all the bacteria and fungi convert these small pieces into humus, Humus is a major source of nutrition for plants. All the nutrition then leaks down into the soil, and from there all the roots absorb it and bring it back to the top of the tree. Where it’s in use for all of us again.
Whole leaves can take two to three months to break down, It totally depends on the type of leaves, number of animals that are present in the soil and the moisture. The rate of decomposition can be increased by the availability of air and moisture.
Importance of fallen dead leaves
These dead leaves act as a protective layer for soil conditions. It provides a cover for the soil which helps protect the soil from drying out in harsh sun rays, which maintains ideal moisture in the soil. Through the decomposition of these leaves, nutrients stored in the dead material re-enter the system and act as a natural fertilizer for plants for a whole year.
Dead leaves also create a humid environment for new seeds to germinate.
Many insects live in the fallen leaves, including ladybugs and fireflies. These insects, as well as other critters that hide in leaves, are very important to a healthy ecosystem. They provide food for birds, pollination for plants, and keep soils healthy.
What to do with fallen leaves?
If the leaves have fallen down under the plant on soil then the best you can do is that just leave the leaves there. In just a few months it will become a nutritious part of the soil and will be helping your plant to reach towards the sky.
If you find leaves in your way like on your concrete floor then the best you can do is to collect them and put them in a bag from time to time sprinkle some water on it and just stir it with some sticks so that air can and water can reach down even in the bottom of the bag. In just a few months you will get highly nutritious compost for your garden, for free!!
What NOT to do with these leaves
First of all, DO NOT BURN THEM yes burning these leaves can cause serious health conditions such as asthma, lung cancer, and many more. Nearly 85% of particles from leaves smoke get deep inside the lungs and cause serious damage.
Why do this when you can use these free gifts of nature to grow plants and bring back birds and butterflies in your surroundings?
Read more : How to get new plant for free
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