Warning not to rake the leaves; omitting the stacks has two major advantages

GARDEN fans are being warned not to rake the leaves in their gardens this season – and there are two big benefits, experts have revealed.

Although living in a green neighborhood has its advantages, such as the relaxing space, being surrounded by trees also has disadvantages, especially around this time of year.

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But while we want to keep the outdoor area – including the patio – clean and tidy, Brits are now being urged not to rake up all the leaves and leave some piles behind. The Express reports this.

It can be annoying to have colorful leaves all over the ground, but they break down in the soil and add essential nutrients, which can help act as a natural fertilizer and give next year’s lawn, crops and flowers a to give a boost.

And there’s another important reason you might want to consider leaving out piles: our dear animal friends.

When raking leaves – whether removing them or burning the leaves in a campfire – hedgehogs are particularly at risk.

This is because the spiny mammal sees piles of tree trunks and piles of leaves as ideal hiding places.

As Wiltshire Wildlife Trust explained: ‘Unfortunately, Britain’s native mammals are regularly targeted and killed by uncontrolled bonfires.

“Given their recent classification as vulnerable to extinction on the Mammal Societies Red List, the bonfire night warning is now more important than ever.

‘Since 2007, the number of wild hedgehogs in Britain has halved, and it is now thought there are less than a million left in Britain.’

The Trust urged gardeners to deliberately leave piles of leaves and logs in their gardens to help hedgehogs, especially as winter approaches.

It added: “Leave wild areas in the garden, such as piles of leaves and tree trunks.

”These form effective nests and attract the insects that hedgehogs need as part of their diet.

“Cover any drains or holes and ensure ponds or pools have an escape route.

”Avoid using fruit nets as hedgehogs can become entangled in them.”

Garden work in October

Veronica Lorraine, garden editor for The Sun, has shared the jobs you need to tackle this October.

“It’s a good time to prune deciduous hedges – such as boxwood, yew, hawthorn, hornbeam and beech – and hedge trimmers are a great upper body workout!

Make a leaf shape: Collect all fallen leaves and fill garbage bags or plastic carrier bags. Seal the top, poke a few small holes in the bag and store for a year or more. Free compost!

You’re unlikely to get any more red tomatoes, so harvest one more time and throw the plants into the compost. See if you can ripen the green ones by putting a drawer in them (some say with a banana). Save the seeds from a few too – and plant them again next year if they have gone well.

Finish bringing in your spring bulbs. Ideally you would have planted daffodils and alliums, but tulips are better in the open ground when the soil temperature gets a bit colder.

It is good to leave some plant waste in the ground; this adds nutrients as it rots, providing shelter and food for insects. But remove the dingy brown bits that are collapsing all over the lawn/winter structure.

Mulch – it not only suppresses weeds, but also keeps the soil warm, improves water retention and adds a little winter comfort to your outdoor space.

October is a good month for carrots, peas, asparagus, broad beans and rhubarb.”

The team of experts even recommended that you could buy (or build) a hedgehog house and place it in a sheltered spot, between the eaves, compost or tree branches.

However, if you insist on keeping the outdoor area clean, be extremely careful when clearing away the colorful leaves.

Britons are being encouraged to do everything they can to prevent our animal friends from going extinct.

In recent years, hedgehogs have experienced a drastic decline, mainly due to habitat loss, agricultural changes, urbanization and increased predation. reported Groene Veren.

Factors behind the dramatic decline include the ‘loss of hedgerows, fragmented habitats, more intensive agricultural practices and urban barriers’ have all contributed to their declining numbers”.