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If you let too many leaves remain on the ground, they create a perfect cool, moist environment for undesirable things such as mold, mosquitos, rodents, etc. I say, keep the leaves to a minimum. Or compost them.
ITA with everyone on the leaves being bad for grass, a heavy layer will kill it. Does your town/city have leaf pick-up each fall? Some offer it for free. For us, we are surrounded by woods so we just blow it and rake it off the lawn into the woods. I do keep a think layer of leaves over my perennials for the winter, though.
I'm wondering if anyone knows first hand.....whether it's better to rake the leaves in the fall or let it sit there and become food for the soil?
how does that affect the grass next year?
You've been given good advice. As has been said, leaving the leaves just lay there will kill your grass.
A quarter acre is not that big of a space and I'd suggest you look into composting those leaves and cuttings. You can buy a simple inexpensive composter which will turn all those leaves, cuttings and household vegetable waste (carrot peels, cabbage, potato peels, coffee grounds, etc.) into valuable mulch. There have been several threads on composting on this forum so just use the search engine to see how simple it can be!
A simple gas-operated lawnmower with a bag attachment will chop up the leaves and throw them into the bag. If I can buy such a lawnmower here in this US territory for about $150 then I'm guessing that you'll find the same thing MUCH less expensive where you are on the mainland!
Don't be burning your leftovers as that really is such a waste when a simple composter will turn everything into wonderful mulch. Hope this helps. Cheers!
I haven't raked leaves in years. The guys who mow my lawn simply run over them with a mulching mower.
There are lots of good articles online about the virtues of not bagging your leaves...this one is from Texas A&M's Dept. of Horticultural Sciences:
[SIZE=+3]Don't Bag It - Leaf Management Plan[/SIZE]
During the year, at least 20 percent of the solid waste generated by Texans comes from grass clippings, tree leaves and other landscape wastes. Bagging these materials and placing them into the curbside garbage collection system uses valuable landfill space, removes nutrients from the environment, and costs cities and the people of Texas more in increased taxes and service fees.
Of the landscape waste, approximately half is composed of tree leaves. The "Don't Bag It" Leaf Management Plan is an ecologically sound program designed to significantly reduce the volume of leaves entering community landfills, thereby extending their life and saving tax dollars.
Leaves and grass clippings are best to be left on the ground where the grass is during the year...... But they need to be in mulch fine form so that they let light through for the grass.....it will decompose in place and this enriches the soil and the grass will love you for it....in the winter it can be a heavier layer and re-mowed/mulched in spring at the first mowing.
Leaving a thick layer of leaves can damage your lawn, as it ultimately prevents sunlight from getting through.
- Steve
A thick layer of anything will harm your grass...but leaves fall in fall, grass goes dormant...so a layer of leaves will not harm a winter lawn. the only harm is if the leaves all blow over to you neighbors yard...
I never bag my grass or my leaves. I always just mow and let it stay on the yard. I no longer use chemicals and its the healthiest yard I've had. And since I've stopped using chemicals, the Robins love to come get bugs off the ground.
A thick layer of anything will harm your grass...but leaves fall in fall, grass goes dormant...so a layer of leaves will not harm a winter lawn. the only harm is if the leaves all blow over to you neighbors yard...
Most of my leaves come from my neighbors trees.... so am I exempt???
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