Nova said:
Just rake them up and start a compost pile!
Or use them as mulch in your garden beds.
Depends. If you want grass in spring, you’ll need to rake. I use leaves to smother unwanted grass, works great!
Leave some untouched areas for bugs and critters, but rake the rest. It’s a balance between yard upkeep and helping nature.
Who’s going to jump into the leaf pile if you don’t make one?
Let your chickens loose in the leaves; they’ll love scratching around and will help break them down too.
If you have a lot of oak leaves, it’s best to rake some up. Oak leaves take ages to decompose.
I’d spread them in my garden or flower beds and loosely cover them with chicken wire so they stay put.
I’ve mulched four times in the last six days and still have more to go. Feels never-ending!
Set your mower to the highest level and mulch them. Leaves left whole will smother your grass. You could also start a compost bin.
The University of Wisconsin is studying this. They found heavy leaf cover can cause patchiness in grass, but mulching with a mower helped both grass and soil. I’m curious to see long-term results.
River said:
The University of Wisconsin is studying this. They found heavy leaf cover can cause patchiness in grass, but mulching with a mower helped both grass and soil. I’m curious to see long-term results.
Leaving the leaves helps insects hibernate. Mulching with a mower kills them, so it’s not just about the grass.
@Weston
If you don’t shred them, they take forever to decompose.
Our yard looks the same! I use a mulching mower twice in the season, and by spring, the grass grows through no problem.
Leave them for bugs over the winter, then mow in late spring.
Move them off the lawn and onto your garden beds.
Basil said:
Move them off the lawn and onto your garden beds.
I blow the leaves to the edges and let them insulate my perennials. In the spring, I cover everything with bark and pull the big weeds.
Just keep mowing; it makes great mulch.
Shawn said:
Just keep mowing; it makes great mulch.
Growing up, we always just mowed leaves into the lawn. Old lady down the street uses a shop vac to suck them up one by one!
Too many leaves can smother the grass, though. Oaks are especially thick and take years to break down. Those acorns too…ugh!
Check what’s best in your area. The grass will grow through to reach the light, but too many leaves can stifle it.
Peyton said:
Check what’s best in your area. The grass will grow through to reach the light, but too many leaves can stifle it.
Agree! We’re in upstate NY and don’t rake much. Seems to fertilize our trees and help small critters find homes.