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Originally Posted by Bonbon
Now we just got into Autumn in Sydney, should I removed all burnt leaves or just leave them to fall off naturally?
Thanks
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Even in the South of England, maple leaves will begin to look a bit the worse for wear towards the end of the season (particularly after a very hot summer, which we seem to be getting more often these days).
I wouldn't remove them this late in the season, it's not really worth it. It's too late in the season to be defoliating with a view to getting another flush of leaves, so removing the leaves now doesn't really serve a purpose.
In Autumn, deciduous trees reclaim the chlorophil and carbohydrates in the leaves and store those products for use the following spring (this is why the leaves change colour, only the insoluble compounds and by products like xanthophylls (yellow pigments), carotenoids (orange pigments) and anthocyanins (red/purple pigments manufactured from sugars trapped in the leaves) are left.
I would let the trees take back whatever goodness is left in the leaves and let the leaves fall naturally.