Wait! Don't touch those dead plants! Did you know that dead and dying plants are actually GOOD for your garden? It’s fall and many gardeners are ready to clean up their planting areas. But tidying up our gardens by removing spent plants is not good for the #beneficialinsects who depend on them. Beneficial insects use spent plants for food and habitat. They also consume dead and dying plants to acquire important chemicals needed for protection. These chemicals accumulate in the bodies of insects, making them unpalatable to many predators. In many cases, the needed chemicals are not detectable to insects until the plants are dead or dying, and the cell walls start to break down. All the more reason to leave those dried leaves and spent plants hanging out in your garden this fall! #fallgardening #organicgardening #ChopandDrop #pollinators #sustainability #regenerativeagriculture