Fall Lawn Care: Leaf Management
Now that the warmth and sunshine of summer is past, it’s time to welcome the cooler temperatures and changeable weather of autumn. The fall season is generally ushered in by the changing colors of leaves on all deciduous trees, and shortly after that, by the falling of those same leaves onto everyone’s lawn. If you haven’t already established an annual process for managing those fallen leaves, you might be wondering what the best approach is to handling them. Here are some possibilities for you to consider, and once you’re armed with this information, you should be able to make a decision which is most appropriate for you and your circumstances.
Do nothing
Of course, there is no law that says you have to do something with all those leaves covering your lawn – you could just let them fall and allow them to pile up. However, depending on the size of those leaves and how many of them there are, this may not be the best option for you. When leaves begin to pile up in quantity, they create a barrier which blocks sunlight from reaching the ground underneath.
It’s also a kind of breeding ground for disease and harmful pests when there’s a covering of leaves which retains moisture. Your lawn really needs to have access to sunlight, moisture, and a good many other nutrients during the fall season, and on into winter. Unless you have only a very light covering of leaves on your lawn, it’s probably best not to allow them to simply stack up and block out the sunlight.
Mow the leaves and create mulch
This is one of the easiest options you have, and it does offer some health benefits to your lawn. This may be one of the best options you can choose, assuming that you don’t have several inches of leaves burying your lawn, and those leaves are huge in size. The natural mulch created by mowing your fallen leaves can provide some good protection, as well as fertility for your lawn.
The soil and the grass will both benefit from having this natural compost delivered to them. You can even use a special attachment on your mower which creates the mulch for you, but even without it, you’ll be able to create a good solid covering of mulch. You can even step it up a notch by adding some fertilizer after you have mowed the leaves to create your mulch.
Rake the leaves
There is always the possibility of the tried-and-true method of raking leaves, or to use a blower and simply blow them off your lawn. If you choose to rake them, you can create piles of the leaves and load these into lawn bags for removal. The leaves themselves can be saved and used as mulch in the spring, or you can add the leaves to your compost pile. If none of these options appeal to you, you can leave the leaf bags out for pickup when your trash is removed.
Of all the options mentioned so far (other than doing nothing), this is the most labor-intensive option, and it does mean that your lawn will be missing out on the value of having mulch applied, and nutrients delivered for their healthful benefits. If you choose to blow the leaves off your lawn, the obvious question becomes where will they be blown to? Your neighbors are certainly not going to appreciate a sudden influx of leaves on their lawn which were previously situated on your lawn. This is really only feasible when you have a light covering of leaves, and it’s possible to have them blown out into the street.
Hire a Lawn Care Service
One of the best methods for removing leaves from your lawn is to call your local lawn care crew. At Hambleton Services, we will take care of the fallen leaves on your property the best way that suits your needs as well as your property’s. We have all the necessary equipment to rake, blow, mulch, bag, and remove leaves from your yard. If you would like to have your lawn care services handled by a professional, give Hambleton Services a call!
One of the options mentioned above should be workable for just about everyone, and the one you choose will probably be the one that is either the easiest to do, or which delivers most health benefit to your lawn.
