Year after year we get the best color show as the leaves begin to change colors before falling from the trees.
Even though this paints colorful pictures in our landscape it does pose a potential problem for some of our lawns.
If leaves are left on the surface it traps moisture and prevents sunlight from getting to the turf causing disease and decline for next year.
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, homes and yards will be cleaned to invite in family and friends over for the holidays. Oftentimes the question is what to do with all the leaves that have fallen.
There are two options and you must weigh them both.
The first option is more traditional by using a little back muscle and rake to clear the debris. Proper disposal of the yard waste is the only issue since the problems that arose in the 1990’s, where yard waste in landfills were causing a problem.
The second method is to use your mower and mulch the leaves into the turf. There are numerous benefits using this method such as building up organic matter for your soil and helping hold moisture and fight back weeds in a thin stand.
Things to keep in mind when mulching with a mower is to raise the height of your mower to allow for room for the mulched leaves to fill the voids while leaving the blades of grass to stick through.
Begin to mulch leaves as soon as possible after they have fallen from the tree while the soil temperatures are still warm and will aid in the speed of decomposition.
Try to avoid building a mulched layer of leaves over 1 inch deep. If you have a large quantity of leaves you may have to rotate raking and mowing to help prevent a damaging buildup. Excess mulch can also be used in compost for gardens and as an organic covering for flower beds.
