Should I leave the leaves in my windowbox?

[GardenersGirl]

Hi,

I have a windowbox full of peppermint outside my bedroom window, and now that fall is here and the leaves are dropping, I was wondering: Should I leave the leaves to cover my plants? I know that fallen leaves provide a little extra insulation against the frost (and I definitely know they shelter bugs, and provide a cafeteria for the wrens who come to eat the bugs), but the leaves are thick enough so that when I water the mint, more water lands on the leaves than the dirt. So should I remove the leaves, or some of them, or just leave them there? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
GardenersGirl

 

[Thomas Gannon]

Hi,

I have a windowbox full of peppermint outside my bedroom window, and now that fall is here and the leaves are dropping, I was wondering: Should I leave the leaves to cover my plants? I know that fallen leaves provide a little extra insulation against the frost (and I definitely know they shelter bugs, and provide a cafeteria for the wrens who come to eat the bugs), but the leaves are thick enough so that when I water the mint, more water lands on the leaves than the dirt. So should I remove the leaves, or some of them, or just leave them there? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
GardenersGirl

Unless you have a large pile of leaves it isn't going to help much. Mulch makes much better insulation and it doesn't hinder your ability to water the plant.

 

[Beth_B]

I'd leave the the leaves (lol) just because it's the easiest route and it's pretty hard to kill mint no matter what you do anyway.
I have ample leaves here and leave behind any that drop into my various containers and planter boxes and I intentionally pile extra fall leaves onto my perennial and vegetable beds; over winter they break down and amend the soil.

 

[Corzhens]

One advice we got from veteran gardeners was to collect the leaves that fall from the trees and the plants. It is not good to let the dried leaves lying there for molds and fungus may start to grow there. And as you have experienced, watering your mint is not easy because the water cascades on the dried leaves. I suggest that you take away all the dead leaves so as not to suffocate the roots.