They do it every year. They fall off the trees. Leaves. Every single one, which means get out the rake and get to work.
Or not?
For the past few years I have eschewed the rake and leaf blower and cranked up my lawnmower instead. Not only is this far easier than raking and bagging, it’s better for your yard.
By mowing a few times each fall – and I don’t use a bagger – the leaves are shredded into fine pieces where they break down easily and add nutrients to the soil.
In addition, research shows that mowing leaves can actually aid in an earlier spring green-up and less winter annuals, crabgrass, and broadleaf weeds – such as dandelions – because the leaves act as a mulch, essentially shading the soil from light-reducing, germinating weeds.
Most mowers today come equipped with mulching blades to chop up clippings into small pieces that are then redistributed by the mower on the surface of your lawn which eliminates the need to bag grass clippings or leaves.
For best results, make sure your blades are extra sharp, which makes for more efficient mulching. Also, don’t wait till the leaves are knee high and don’t mow if the leaves are wet. If the leaves accumulate, it may take two swipes across the yard with your mower, but that’s a far easier task than raking, bagging and dragging the bags to the curbside.
Fall is also by far the best time to fertilize your yard if you want an extra green lawn come spring.
This fall, mow, don’t rake. Your lawn will thank you for it.