To Rake Or Not To Rake: How Do Falling Leaves Affect Lawn Health?
Fall is an unusual time for lawns. The weather is getting colder and the sun is out less, your lawn can still be a bright green if you care for it right. It is also a time when leaves fall from the trees, and that brings up an important question: when your leaves fall from the trees, should you leave them on your lawn or should you rake them up and dispose of them? How do leaves affect your lawn?
What to Do With Your Leaves
If you’re like most homeowners that mow their own lawns, you’ve probably left grass on your lawn as a mulch. The idea is that the cut grass will break down over time and the nutrients will be absorbed by the living grass. Many people do the same thing with leaves.
Traditionally, many people leave leaves on their lawns as a form of mulch. Grass does thrive when it receives a great deal of nutrition, and leaves can, theoretically, have some of that nutrition that grass can use to grow.
Yet it may not be the right decision.
How Leaves Can Harm Your Lawn
It is now believed that leaves can actually hurt your lawn. Your lawn lives on water, sun, and fertilizer, and the leaves can block these necessary items from getting to the soil. A layer of leaves can also maintain moisture in a way that may not be ideal for your lawn, and become a hiding/growing spot for lawn diseases and pests if your lawn isn’t cared for.
It’s for these reasons that leaving leaves on your lawn is not recommended. Instead, consider removing the leaves or putting them in shade areas without much grass (like around tree trunks) where they will not prevent necessary nutrients from reaching your lawn.
Keeping a Green Lawn
If you have always been leaving the fallen leaves on the ground in order to grow a bright, green lawn, consider an alternative. Contact Green Lawn Fertilizing today to find out more about our comprehensive 7 step lawn program. This program will provide all of the nutrition that your lawn needs. It’s a great choice for homeowners that are looking for a bright, green lawn and will not require you to leave any leaves for mulch. Call us today to find out more.