Easy Removal of Lawn Leaves

Removal

• You can remove leaves from your lawn by raking them or using a leaf blower. A leaf blower is faster and easier than raking, but raking is good exercise. Many landscaping services include leaf removal. You can also mow the lawn with a bagging attachment to collect leaves easily and efficiently.

Uses

• Don't throw collected leaves away; bagged leaves waste lots of landfill space and are full of nutrients that can improve your landscape. Throwing away leaves and other yard trash is also illegal in some areas. Use autumn leaves as mulch for around trees or flowerbeds to prevent weeds, insulate the soil, conserve soil moisture and add nutrients to soil. Add leaves to your compost pile; compost makes an excellent fertilizer or mulch. Don't put leaves down storm drains; they can clog drains, causing flooding and increased mosquito populations.

Mowing Leaves

• Mowing a leaf-covered lawn without a bagging attachment mulches the leaves directly into the grass, creating a manicured appearance with little effort while also returning the nutrients in leaves back to the grass. Remove any fallen branches or sticks before mowing to prevent flying debris and wear safety goggles and an air mask while mowing. Mulching mowers work best, but any rotary mower will chop leaves into smaller pieces. However, don't mow wet leaves; they could clog your mower.

Leaving Leaves

• Your lawn doesn't have to be completely free of leaves to stay healthy and attractive. A thick layer of leaves is bad for your grass, but a light layer of leaves will not cause harm. In natural settings such as pastures and forests bacteria and fungi gradually decompose leaves throughout the fall and winter, providing nutrients to the soil and plants. A light layer of leaves on your grass will also naturally break down.