As fall rolls in, leaves start blanketing your yard, leaving you wondering whether to rake or mulch them. There is no right answer. It comes down to what best suits your lawn and situation.
Mulching is an effective way to turn those fallen leaves into a natural fertilizer that feeds your lawn, while raking may be necessary if you want a clean, uncluttered look or simply have too many leaves to mulch.
When to rake
There are a lot of good reasons to just get rid of your leaves by raking them up, and one of the most basic reasons is this: you simply have an awful lot of them.
Diana Alfuth, Extension educator with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, offers this simple rule of thumb.
“If you have just a few leaves, such as 20 percent of the lawn covered, you can just ignore them,” she says. “They will blow around, settle in, and break down on their own. If you have a moderate amount of leaves, such as 50 percent coverage, you still don’t need to rake.
“However, if you have a thick layer of leaves, where you can barely see any signs of grass beneath them, then it’s best if you remove some of the leaves to prevent matting and smothering of the grass.”
Here’s are some other reasons:
It looks cleaner
A leaf-free lawn looks much better and well-maintained, especially if you’re hosting a gathering or party. It also makes your yard easier to mow, aerate, fertilize, and overseed.
After raking, you can either bag them for disposal or use them as mulch.
Prevents fungal diseases
Thick layers of leaves can create damp conditions that invite fungal diseases like pink snow mold, gray snow mold, brown patch, leaf spot, and rust.
Raking your leaves makes your yard less vulnerable to diseases, as it gets enough sunlight and air circulation.
Eliminates pest hiding places
Rodents are attracted to the scent of decaying leaves, and ticks and spiders take shelter in the dark, moist conditions of fallen leaves. Eliminate their food source and hiding place by raking regularly.
Less thatch
Decaying leaves add to the organic material known as thatch that settles between the soil and grass. Thatch less than half an inch thick is beneficial for your lawn, but anything more than that can prevent water, sunlight, and nutrients from reaching your turf.
Raking regularly helps get rid of leaves and other organic material like grass clippings, stems, and roots, that contribute to thatch buildup.
Protects newly seeded grass
You should always rake your lawn before overseeding. Otherwise, fallen leaves can deprive newly seeded grass of the light and nutrients it needs to grow.
Some leaves don’t decompose well
Not all leaves are the same. Some types, like beech, oak, holly, and magnolia contain lignin that makes them thick and slow to break down. If left on your lawn, they can create a dense mat that becomes a breeding ground for pests and diseases.
When mulching makes sense
Mulching involves shredding leaves into tiny pieces with a mulching mower. It’s faster than raking and bagging leaves, and it offers benefits that raking doesn’t.
A mulching mower shreds the leaves and distributes them evenly across the lawn. You need to make a few trips back and forth, depending on the number of leaves. If you have to deal with large quantities of leaves, I recommend adding mulching blades to your regular mower.
There are good reasons to go this route.
Creates natural fertilizer
Mulched leaves break down and return valuable nutrients to the soil. They improve soil structure, increase water retention, and promote a lush, healthy lawn.
Prevents weeds from germinating
A layer of mulch creates a natural barrier that prevents weeds from germinating by blocking sunlight from reaching the weeds. Even if they germinate before you spread the mulched leaves, the weed seedlings will find it difficult to grow.
Helps regulate soil temperature
Mulched leaves act as a natural insulator by forming a protective layer over the soil. They help keep the soil warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Mulch reduces stress on plant roots and helps them survive extreme temperatures.
Saves water
Shredded leaves help retain soil moisture and reduce evaporation, benefiting your soil and plants during dry spells. As a result, you won’t have to water as much.
Mulch also keeps the soil in place and protects it from heavy rain or strong winds. This is especially helpful on slopes or in gardens with loose soil vulnerable to erosion.
Cuts landfill waste
Mulching your leaves reduces the amount that ends up in landfills. Even if it seems minor, it still helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and waste processing costs.
Jeffery Chenier, the owner of Maximum Effort Cuts, a landscaping company based in Aurora, Colorado, says, “Mulching leaves reduces the amount of space they take up in landfills, which can be better used for other debris.”
Easier to do than raking
Mulching leaves is easier and less tiring than raking, bagging, and hauling them away. It saves time and effort, especially if you have a large yard.
FAQs
Professional leaf removal costs range from $103 to $420, depending on the size of your yard and the method of leaf removal.
Yes, you can mulch leaves with a regular lawn mower. It shreds the leaves and distributes them evenly across your yard. For best results, mow when the leaves are dry and make multiple passes so the leaves are finely cut. If you have a large quantity of leaves, I recommend adding mulching blades to your mower.
If you shred the leaves well and give them enough time to decompose, the chances of disease spreading to your grass are minimal. However, it’s best to collect and dispose of them as diseased leaves can contain pathogens that survive in grass.
You should mulch leaves at least once a week during the fall to prevent thatch and keep your turf healthy. If leaves accumulate quickly, you need to mulch more often.
Sam Bauer, a turfgrass expert at the University of Minnesota, says, “Successfully mulching leaves into a lawn canopy requires more frequent mowing in the fall and possibly several passes with the mower to mulch the leaves sufficiently.”
For more information on raking or mulching leaves, check out these articles:
• Fall Lawn Care Tips
• What to Do With Fall Leaves on Your Lawn
• What Happens If You Don’t Remove Fallen Leaves in Your Yard?
• The Best Way to Remove Leaves From Your Yard
• Best Leaf Blowers
• Best Battery-Powered Leaf Blowers
• Best Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers
• Best Leaf Rakes for The Lawn and Garden
Get expert help when you need it
Both raking and mulching come with extensive benefits for your yard, and sometimes a combination of the two is best. However, they can take away your valuable time. The good news is you don’t have to make this sacrifice to keep your lawn healthy.
Lawn Love pros can rake or mulch the leaves from your lawn and also help with other lawn care tasks like mowing, fertilization, and aeration. Hire a pro through Lawn Love today to get the job done right at a price you love.
Main Image: Side by side image of raking and mulching leaves.
Image Credits:
Raking leaves: serhiibobyk / Adobe Stock;
Mulching Leaves: Mike Hill Photograph / Adobe Stock.
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