Falling Leaves And What To Do About Them

Heading into the fall months, it is important to know what to do with all of those falling leaves. Are raking, blowing and bagging leaves the healthiest way to preserve your turf, or is there a more efficient way to handle them? Well, studies conducted over several years by Michigan State University and Purdue, show that mulching your leaves with a lawnmower will save you work and can possibly improve and add nutrients to your soil.

Here’s how to do it:

1. This works for small to medium amounts of leaves. And works best with dry leaves. If you can’t see your lawn because the leaves are wet and matted down, start by raking and bagging so that heavy layers of leaves will not smother and kill your turf.
2. Take the grass catcher off your mower and mow over the leaves. You may need to make a few passes to thoroughly chop up the leaves. The mulched layer of leaves should not completely cover the grass and should not be more than ½ inch thick.

Not only will mulching your leaves not result in an increased amount of weeds, but both Oak and Maple leaves have been known to result in improvements to soil structure.

Plain and simple, raking your leaves only costs you. Your local taxes and utilities pay for trucks to sweep up your leaves or pick up your leaf bags, which often end up in landfills. If you burn leaves, you’re just sending up clouds of carbon into the atmosphere. Mulching leaves recycles a natural resource, giving you a richer soil for free!

Ryan Lawn & Tree offers expertise in a variety of Kansas City, Wichita, Tulsa, St. Louis, and Springfield lawn care areas including seeding, tree and shrub care, irrigation system installation and maintenance, and winterization. Contact your trusted Ryan Pros in the clean red trucks today for a free estimate.