Homeowners attempt to get their yards ready for the winter by cleaning up their yards in the fall. To do this they will grab their cleaning tools and begin work. These tools generally include things like rakes and pruning shears. This will try to make the yard clean, like something you would see in a magazine.
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Check PriceWhat most people don’t realize is their innocent cleanup routine is creating an environmental disaster that impacts far more than their own property.
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Those areas that seem ‘messy’ and are in desperate need of a clean? They are actually thriving urban wildlife microcosms and home to hundreds of wildlife residents that rely on your yard to survive for the next 6 months! If you clear cut too early, you could be removing the food sources for entire populations of birds, destroying nurseries for butterflies, and removing beneficial insects that help keep your garden healthy.
The four biggest fall gardening blunders can turn your beautiful garden into an accidental wildlife wasteland – but with a little timing adjustment, you can become a conservation hero in your neighborhood!
Error 1: Trimming Seed Heads Too Soon
That brown, scraggly coneflower you are looking at with your pruners? That is not garden debris, that is a fully stocked pantry for winter birds.
Although these seed heads may seem empty, they are actually intricately designed bird feeders that work continuously between October and March. Each purple coneflower head has over two thousand seeds, and one black-eyed Susan supplies enough food to sustain a family of goldfinches for several weeks.
The seed production of the plants you prune determines the life or death of migrating birds. Goldfinches do not nest until the end of summer as they coordinate their breeding with the peak levels of seed production. If you prune the heads of sunflowers and cosmos in early fall, you remove their winter survival strategies.
You can create intentional winter garden structure while also providing a natural buffet for your feathered friends. Consider leaving seed heads standing till late February or early March to create a more interesting garden.
Fehler 2: Übermäßiges Mulchen von Gartebeeten
More mulch means healthier plants, right? This is not the case. With regards to native bees, an abundance of mulch becomes a lethal trap.
70% of native bee species are ground-nesters that hibernate during the winter in tiny burrows that are 6-12 inches deep in the soil. When you lay on deep levels of mulch, you literally close the entrance to their winter apartments.
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Mason bees, sweat bees, and mining bees need their ground nesting habitats to complete their life cycles. Garden plants are better pollinated by these species than by honeybees, yet due to the trend of mulched gardens, these species are disappearing at an alarming rate.
We recommend a 70-30 strategy for your garden beds. Cover your most loved plants with mulch for the winter, but leave 30% of your garden space with no covering, or only light leaves. Next summer, your native bees will reward you with an increase in fruit and vegetable production.
Mistake 3: Clearing Out Brush Piles and FallenBranches
The pruned branches pile by your compost bin isn't a garden waste; it's a wildlife housing market premium real estate.
Brush piles are winter shelters for small mammals, like chipmunks and rabbits, and ground-dwelling birds. These piles protect them from winter predators. Brush piles give small mammals safe pathways to travel through suburbs. They also promote insulation to stay safe during extreme weather.
A solitary brush pile can save dozens of small animals when placed correctly during severe winter storms. Sparrows, towhees, and wrens roost in these piles, and shrews, along with other small mammals, hunt the overwintering pests that live in the debris.
Instead of carrying everything to the curb, make one or two brush piles in corners of your property that are less visible. Loosely stack branches to create air circulation and create spaces of varying sizes. Place them by shrubs or fences where animals feel secure and get ready to transform your yard into a wildlife central station!
Mistake 4: Raking Away All of Your Leaves
Here's a fact that will change your perspective on leaf litter: The fallen leaves provide a habitat for over 500 species of butterflies and moths and are a complex ecosystem.
The red admirals, question marks, and mourning cloak butterflies are famous and loved by all. These butterflies hibernate as either eggs, caterpillars, or chrysalises. During the winter, they hide in leaf litter, and go unnoticed. When you rake these leaves, you are throwing away the future summer butterflies!
The decomposing leaves provide soil enrichment to the leaves of the soil-dwelling firefly larvae, which develop over a two-year period. The leaves also act as insulation for the roots of the plants by preventing dangerous freeze and thaw cycles.
What do you think of selective leaf management? For example, you can practice leaf management by raking leaves off of areas that could be smothered by the leaves, but in areas like tree, shrub, and garden beds, you can leave the leaves because they belong there. If it is important for you to keep a clean appearance in the most visible areas, you can rake and pile leaves under evergreen shrubs where they will decompose and improve the soil.
Establishing a Fall Routine That is Friendly for Wildlife
The positive approach is that you can have an appealing and purposeful yard and still support wildlife. You may just need to change your timing and your approach.
Consider setting aside 20% of your property as 'wildlife zones' so that natural processes take precedence. These zones can be located behind sheds or along property lines and side yards where aesthetics are less of a concern.
In the areas of your main displays, practice delayed maintenance. Leave seed heads and other interesting pod structures throughout the winter for the benefit of wildlife and for the sake of garden architecture. Come late February, cut back brown stems, just as the spring bulbs start to emerge.
When it comes to fallen leaves, think like nature intended. If there are a lot of leaves on your lawn, you'd probably rake them. But don't let them go to waste! Move the leaves to your garden beds. Your plants will get protected for the winter. Wildlife will get a new habitat. Plus you'll save money on bagged mulch!
Although many people think they must finish their garden clean-up before Halloween, it's better to try and complete your garden tasks along side the winter months. Stretch your winter garden maintenance tasks to early March. Completing tasks like maintenance and cleanup during the winter months tends to make losing your weekends less frequent, and really helps out wildlife!
Your yard can be both beautiful and support biodiversity. With a few simple timing and technique adjustments, you can create a beautiful and sustainable landscape. Your neighbors will be curious about your secrets and wildlife will be grateful for your care.
