In addition to nourishing your lawn, mulching grass clippings and leaves when you mow saves time, money and is better for the environment. Dealing with lawn clippings or raked up leaves can often be a painful and laborious process. Mowing, bagging and disposal takes a lot of time out of your day.
Except in situations wherein a fungal leaf issue is at play, you should leave the leaves and mulch them. Repeatedly removing leaves (and grass cuttings!) diminishes the amount of nitrogen being cycled back into the soil, and could lead to a nitrogen limitation and/or deficiency, creating the need for fertilization.
While leaving clippings on the lawn is recommended, there are some exceptions to the rule: Remove grass clippings from curb and gutter, especially near storm drains. Remove clippings if the lawn is heavily infested with diseases such as leaf spot, rust or dollar spot to help reduce disease severity.
It's best to chop up leaves, which will then break down in the grass. Rake excess amounts into a landscape bed. As leaves across America make their annual autumn pilgrimage from the treetops to the ground, lawn and wildlife experts say it's better to leave them around than to bag them.
Yes, mowing leaves instead of raking them can be a practical approach for managing fallen leaves in your yard. Using a mulching mower to chop the leaves into smaller pieces can help them decompose faster and add organic matter to your soil, which can be beneficial for your lawn.
Leave the leaves, or move them just a bit
Leaves are great for soil quality: they can suppress weeds, retain moisture, and boost nutrition. And perennial plants appreciate the extra insulation through the winter, too!
Here's the good news: raking and bagging leaves, well, you can ditch it. Instead, just mow over those fallen leaves to chop them into tiny bits. It's called mulching, and it saves you work and also improves your lawn.
Leaves can smother your lawn and eventually kill it.
This can quickly kill your lawn if the leaves are not picked up for several weeks and create a breeding ground for certain insects and pests. As the leaves begin to rot, there is also an increased chance for fungus and mold growth.
Because it turns out, raking up and bagging or burning those leaves is not only bad for soil health. It also takes away habitat for important wildlife like bugs and birds, who are critical pollinators.
Any dead or dying leaves can be pruned immediately, and it's a good practice to inspect the plant and root ball for any underlying issues. Leaves with slight damage can be trimmed back, especially if it's the leaf tip. If you prefer to remove the whole dying leaf, that's fine too.
Does Putting Grass Clippings on Bare Spots Help Grass Grow? While leaving grass clippings on the lawn during mowing (grasscycling) can offer benefits like nutrient recycling and improved soil health, it's not the most effective method for directly promoting grass growth in bare spots.
Great: Mowing during mid-morning (8 a.m. to 10 a.m.)
Mid-morning mowing is the healthiest for your grass. It meets all the conditions we mentioned earlier: dry grass, cooler temperatures, and enough time to recover.
If the grass comes out easily with no resistance, it is dead. Dead grass isn't coming back, so you'll need to take steps to regrow your lawn. You can replace the grass by seeding or sodding — or installing a new type of landscaping material such as mulch, rocks or groundcover.
Even if you're performing weekly mowing, if you're cutting the grass too short, it could still turn yellow from stress. When you mow too short, you also invite weeds into your lawn. Opportunistic weeds are much more likely to invade weakened lawns, than dense and thriving ones.
Here are just some of the potential implications if you don't rake the leaves on your lawn: Create a fungal disease on your lawn. Block oxygen and sunlight from your lawn. Cause a slip hazard.
Yes, lawn mowers can pick and clean up leaves in your yard while you mow.
Pro: Prevent Mold and Disease
Raking removes harmful leaf layers that can cause snow mold diseases, according to the University of New Hampshire. Raking away leaves, rather than just mulching them, lessens the likelihood that you'll have to reseed in the spring.
The leaves will serve as mulch and can protect the soil around your trees, shrubs, or garden. Research done at Michigan State actually shows that leaving the leaves on your yard in such a manner not only does your lawn no harm; it can actually impede weed growth.
Raking leaves is considered moderate physical activity, similar to a brisk walk, according to Barbara Ainsworth, an exercise epidemiologist at San Diego State University. It helps build upper-body strength, as well as core strength, or strength in your back and stomach.
To best support wildlife and soil health, experts say leaves should be left where they fall. A hearty leaf cover provides a habitat during the cold winter months for critical pollinating species such as bees, butterflies and moths.
BETTER FOR YOUR LAWN AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Mowing your leaves - also known as mulch mowing - into tiny pieces on your lawn, is healthier for your lawn and soil than piling or bagging them to be removed. As the shredded leaves decompose, their nutrients enhance the soil and provide free organic mulch for your garden beds.
First up: Grab your lawnmower! Set it to its highest setting and make a couple passes over your leaves and lawn to chop your leaves into small pieces that will be able to filter into the turf. This works better with dry vs. wet leaves.
If you have trees dropping leaves on your lawn grass, in many cases there is no need to incur blisters by raking them up. Leaves have nutrients, which can be recycled into your lawn.
Most mowers designed for homeowners have mulching blades, which mow and mulch the grass but are also effective for leaf mulching. Make sure they are regularly sharpened, as you would if you were using them just for grass, and replace the blades when necessary.