Mulch, Don't Rake

Having a tree in your yard can be great during the hot summer months, however, come fall it can feel overwhelming. Your lawn is covered in a bed of dead leaves and every time you rake them, it feels like they instantly reappear. Raking leaves is a hassle, time-consuming and can be difficult if you have a large yard. Well, we have some good news! Hang up your rake and rev up your lawnmower.

Mulch With Your Mower

You already have to mow your lawn so why not kill two birds with one stone? Not only is it easier to mulch your leaves, but it is also environmentally friendly and better for your lawn. The shredded leaves will break down and decompose into your lawn improving your soil and adding nutrients back into your turf using the natural recycling process. Make sure to take the grass catcher off your mower before mulching so that they can remain on your lawn.

Do Not Let Leaves Sit Over the Winter

It is okay to let SOME leaves sit over the winter, however, if there is more than 10-20% surface coverage you will need to mulch them. Allowing a bed of leaves to sit over the winter will suffocate your turf and can cause the growth of snow mold. Also, any leaves left behind can restrict airflow and sunlight inhibiting growth and leave your lawn looking unhealthy lawn in spring. Remember the prep for your spring lawn starts the fall before!

Raking Works Too

While mulching has many benefits over raking, if you prefer to rake that works too! It is definitely more work and you will miss out on some of the benefits of mulching such as adding organic material back into your soil. However, it is much better to rake or mulch leaves rather than leaving them over the winter making your lawn susceptible to disease. Also, it may be necessary to rake your lawn as opposed to mulching if you experience very heavy leaf coverage. If you have many larger trees and the layer of leaves on your lawn is exceptionally dense, rake some leaves then mulch what is left over for the best results. This will ensure that the amount of shredded leaves on your lawn is more manageable and will easily decompose.