Environment: the benefits of dead leaves

When autumn comes, they set our forests ablaze with their color. Yellow, red or brown leaves are doomed to fall, but they harbor unsuspected wealth. For Lamine Hamadene, when raking his garden, getting rid of these dead leaves is out of the question. Barely picked, this amateur gardener scatters them directly at the base of his vegetables. This mulching technique is used to protect plants from the cold. For the rest of the dead leaves: head to the compost.

A treasure for the forests

This green waste is useful in gardens, but even more essential in nature. In the forest or in the woods, dead leaves are an essential link in life. When they fall to the ground, they feed fungi and bacteria which decompose them and allow earthworms, woodlice or other mites to work. Result: the nitrogen and phosphate, contained in the leaves, are found in the soil and can be reused by the roots of the trees.