The city council of Eindhoven, Netherlands, has announced that allowing autumn leaves to decompose naturally in gardens and parks will enhance soil health and benefit insects.
Mr. Martijn van Gessel, spokesperson for the Eindhoven city council, stated that the city aims to stop using leaf blowers in parks to create a moist and warm layer of leaves for insects during winter, even if this makes the urban landscape appear messier, according to the Guardian.
“For a long time, it was believed that grass should always be cut, fallen leaves should be swept away, and everything should be tidy. But in parks, we should allow fallen leaves to decompose naturally without collection,” said Mr. Van Gessel.
Mr. Raymond van de Sande, manager of the landscape company Ergon, added: “This will break traditional gardening practices and counter the idea that everything must look tidy.”
Eindhoven encourages residents not to collect or process fallen leaves but to let them decompose on the ground. (Photo: Shutterstock).
He also mentioned that leaving fallen leaves on the ground has numerous environmental benefits. “When you allow everything to decompose naturally, you will notice ecological and biodiversity benefits. There will be fewer weeds, less water needed in the summer, and during rain, less water will flow into the drainage system.”
The city council has placed 200 “leaf bins” around the city and encourages residents to collect fallen leaves from their streets or homes into these bins so that they can be shredded and used as fertilizer mixed for city plants in the upcoming spring.
Mr. Van de Sande stated: “Sometimes people frown when we apply this fertilizer to plant pots because it has an unpleasant smell. But when I explain that we are trying to restore the health of the soil that humans have degraded, they understand us better.”
