I have laid cardboard down over most of the bare areas of my very small plot. However there are some areas that have small fruit trees, onions, greens etc growing. Although the area is enclosed, some leaves blow in. Is it worth leaving the leaves to the worms or should I collect them? I’ve noticed in past that slugs and snails like to crawl into them and I don’t want to give them a home. Thanks.
You are right that worms and other soil life love leaves, especially now when they are chomping away ahead of winter, so I would leave them for the moment, perhaps have a tidy up in February.
If you look closely at the worm casts you often see that they have pulled a piece of leaf into the mouth of their hole, perhaps to keep it open for fresh air as the soil becomes more waterlogged? Or maybe for a snack later? If you tug it out it is often quite deeply inserted.