I'm wondering if it's fine to clear out last year's plants from my garden now or if I should really hold off until May. My mother-in-law mentioned that there might be butterflies and other insects nesting in the debris, and I'd love to know if that's true. If so, could I just move the plants to another spot or pile them in a corner and wait until May? Any insights would be appreciated! I'm located in Omaha, NE.
3 Answers
There's a lot to think about here. If you're planning on planting veggies before May, you might not have the luxury of waiting that long for cleanup. I like to leave some parts of my garden a bit wild to provide habitats for critters. Just try to balance between keeping your garden safe for insects and getting your plants in the ground!
Yeah, it's true that a lot of beneficial insects, like bees and butterflies, lay eggs or leave larvae in the plant debris. If you can wait a little longer, like until it’s consistently above 60°F, that would really help those insects out.
Definitely leave the leaves for a bit longer. Many important insects, like fireflies, need leaf litter to grow and survive. If you can hold off on cleaning up for another six weeks or so, that could be crucial for them!
I've heard some people say that you should leave the leaves for even two years to really help the fireflies, but I'm not sure if that's entirely accurate.
Thanks for your input! I really want to protect the insects but with food prices going up, I need to maximize my garden space too. I’ll definitely keep some areas wild but might clear out half of it.