To rake or not to rake. That is the question. Some people say just leaving the leaves on the lawn will help beneficial insects and wildlife. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

There’s no question that leaf-blowing is terrible for wildlife, especially the world’s disappearing insect population, but now even raking has come in for some controversy.

It seems that everything is political, or at least controversial, not just the election, which I wish were over. Take raking. I’m not going to tell you what you should do for the simple reason that I am not sure what is right. Anyway, I’m sick of people who think they know it all preaching at me, mostly online. I refuse to join the list of grumpy preachers.

A half a century ago, the only debate about leaves was whether to burn them at curbside. Fortunately for our lungs, the burners lost that battle. These days the debate has shifted. Now the question is: leave the leaves on the lawn or haul away or compost them? Some experts recommend leaving the leaves on the lawn until spring – or maybe forever. (Mowing would be tough for those who choose forever.)

Their argument is that the leaves provide food and shelter to beneficial insects and other wildlife. Then, when they break down, the leaves provide beneficial organic matter for the soil. If you mow the leaves on top of the lawn, they decompose more quickly, which some people think is good. Others, though, argue that mowing will kill the beneficial insects. And bear in mind that many insects critical to the environment are under grave threat.

Traditionally, people rake the leaves because dead, brown foliage is unattractive. Also, when the snow comes, it will compress the leaves and smother the lawn, making it both more yellow and less healthy in the spring.

I’m in the middle on this debate, leaning toward the rakers but slowly moving toward the non-rakers.

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I rake everything off our driveway and the patio, where natural wind flow creates huge piles. I figure no insect pupae, larvae, beneficial insects or toads are going to survive there anyway. I also rake leaves from our steadily shrinking lawn. Even if I didn’t, I’d have to rake the acorns, which for the third straight year are overly bountiful – at least from my perspective – and make walking uncomfortable.

Faithful readers of this column already know that I grind the leaves in the fall, which I collect to spread on the vegetable garden the following year; I’ll continue that practice. But last fall I didn’t rake or mow in a shady 20-by-20-foot part of the yard where I used to. Wild native asters, rudbeckia and a few other wildflowers sprouted. I like the way it looks.

So this year, I’ll expand that unraked area, mowing what will amount to paths so I can get to our wood pile, the bins where I store the ground leaves and a small wooded area, where I regularly cut down Norway maple seedlings, multiflora roses and other undesirables.

Another traditional fall chore that has come under fire is garden cleanup. In the past, people with ornamental gardens cut down and removed the browned flowers and foliage in the fall to tidy their gardens. Now, some people advise against it.

As with the leaves on the lawns, letting the dead plants be provides food and shelter for wildlife, especially the plentiful seed heads of echinacea and rudbeckia. (Also, letting the seeds drop adds to the beautiful chaos of a garden the next year through self-seeding.) In our garden, we let any foliage that stands tall above the snow be. Over the winter, the leaves move in the breeze and occasionally collect snow, which looks nice. Ornamental grasses are especially attractive in the winter.

We do, however, cut back our irises, daylilies and hostas, which discourages small animals from eating the roots and using the foliage for bedding material in the winter. The spent foliage on those plants isn’t pretty, and I doubt it does much good.

I am just describing, in a friendly way, how I do fall cleanup. It’s your yard, and you should do what you want – as long as you spare enough time to cast your ballot in November.

Tom Atwell is a freelance writer gardening in Cape Elizabeth. He can be contacted at: tomatwell@me.com.

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