I have a new house with a small woods. I've been clearing out a lot of invasives, propagating various natives I do have (blood root, Jack in the Pulpit etc) and just planted a bunch of seedlings (blue caps, anemone, toad lilies etc).

The woods has several large oak and maple trees and I'm wondering how I should deal with leaves this fall or spring. Should I rake some or all of them and when, or just leave and let them rot. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I had an area that was infested with first-year garlic mustard which is now pulled out and have put in a bunch of native seedlings and I'd like to keep an eye on that area next you for further GM plants. Thanks!

Good luck - sounds like a promising effort.

(Note: I only take off enough to keep from smothering the plants, and I do it with my fingers, gently to keep from pulling out or decapitating the desirable wildflowers. I do leave a good layer of leaves under the plants).

Some of the larger plants like ferns, solomon's seal, trilliums and ginger will come up through the leaves and cover them up with their foliage, but the bloodroots, harbinger of spring, anemones, and smaller things have a hard time.

If I don't do that, sometimes the spring ephemeral wildflowers will come up, bloom and be gone before I even know they are there.

I have a lot of moss on the paths also, and if I don't take the leaves off of it, it will be killed by layers of wet leaves.

As the snowdrops start coming up, I just loosen the leaf mats a little over things that will be up soon. And leave the 'blankets' on the rest. When the snow pretty much melts back, I clear the leaf mats. And then I may leave some loosened leaves over some of the tenderest things.... But I generally do this is in early spring.