At Archer Lawn Care, we know autumn means falling leaves. Raking up all of those leaves is hard, time-consuming work. That’s why we wanted to let you know that you don’t have to rake them all up. You can mow them over. That’s right. Just run over them with the lawn mower. It will save time and is actually beneficial to your lawn.
While it’s true that leaving too many leaves on your lawn over the winter can kill the grass or invite mold and mildew problems, that is mainly because the leaves are so large. Piles of leaves can smother your lawn and keep the sun from reaching your grass. But when those leaves are mulched into tiny pieces, they can actually be beneficial for your lawn. Simply run your lawn mower over the leaves as you mow your grass. The blades will bust those leaves up into tiny pieces that will actually benefit your lawn. You may have to do this several times a season as the leaves continue to fall for weeks, but it’s a lot easier than raking.
When you mow your leaves, the mixture of grass clippings and pieces of leaves adds nutrients. The carbon from the leaves and the nitrogen from the grass work together to speed up the breakdown process feeding your lawn in the process. Some studies even show that a layer of mulched leaves may work as a herbicide, keeping broadleaf weeds like dandelions at bay. So put that rake away and break out the lawn mower.
Jay Archer October 18th, 2015
Posted In: Lawn Maintenance