Once the leaves begin to fall, many of us start the seemingly never ending process of raking and disposing of the leaves. The common assumption has been that leaves will actually smother the lawn and prevent it from receiving the nutrients it needs. However, raking may not be a necessity and may even be bad for the environment.
Mulch Instead of Rake
While removing leaves does make your yard look tidy, you could be robbing your lawn of nitrogen and other organic matter that grass loves. Instead of completely removing the leaves, your best bet is to use your lawn mower to mulch the leaves. This will help to protect the root system, keep the soil moist, and provide grass with enough sunlight to thrive.
Mulching also helps to preserve your yard’s ecosystem. The leaves provide a great home to insects, which then serve as food to animals like birds throughout the winter. If anything, you will want to mulch the leaves and then make sure that they are spread to other parts of the yard so that every corner gets the fertilizer it needs.
Protect the Environment
Some cities provide leaf pickup services where residents can simply rake their leaves onto the curb for the city to remove. However, they can cause storm drains to become clogged and debris to end up in local streams and waterways. If you are intent on removing your leaves, make sure that they are properly composted so that they can still do some good and they aren’t causing more problems with the environment.
If you are busy preparing your landscape for the upcoming fall and winter weather, be sure to contact JT’s Landscaping and Lawncare with any questions or for professional landscaping services.
