Homeowners typically spend hours every fall raking and bagging leaves, but there is a much easier way of dealing with them that can benefit your lawn. Mowing leaves with a mulching lawn mower will chop them into tiny fragments that will serve as natural fertilizer as they decompose and will help control weeds.
Leaves on your lawn stop sunlight and air from reaching the grass. The problem is worsened by rain or snow that make the leaves soggy. The lack of light and air circulation can lead to turf diseases or smother and kill the grass.
Microorganisms and worms in the soil break down organic material such as mulched leaves. The decomposing leaves provide grass with nutrients that help it grow.
Mulching leaves has other benefits. It is much easier than raking leaves and can save you money. Decomposing leaves cover the soil between grass plants and prevent weeds from germinating. Homeowners who mulch their leaves for three years can almost completely eliminate dandelions and crabgrass, which means they do not need to spend money on weed control products. Mulched leaves keep soil warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. The nutrients from the decomposing leaves reduce the amount of fertilizer needed in the spring.
A mulching mower has a high deck. The mulching blade spins several times as it cuts leaves. Simply put the mower on its highest setting, remove the bag attachment, mow the leaves and grass, and leave the shredded leaves and grass blades on the lawn. The shredded leaves will filter through the grass and will not be visible.
If you don’t own a mulching mower, you can buy a mulching blade and attach it to your lawn mower. This might not work as well as a mulching mower.
The best time to mulch your leaves is when you can still see some grass. Depending on the number and size of the trees in your yard, you might need to mulch your leaves more than once. You might be able to mulch up to six inches of leaves at once, depending on the type of mower you have. If the leaves are too thick, you might need to use a bag attachment or rake them. You can also use a bag attachment on a mulching mower and use the mulched leaves on landscape or vegetable beds.
If you have a side-discharge mower, start mowing along the outside edge of your yard and shoot the leaves toward the middle. This will allow you to mow the leaves more than once and keep them off your sidewalk, driveway, or road. If you mow once and the leaves are still in large pieces, mow again at a right angle to the first cut.
Don’t wait until spring to mulch your leaves and use them on garden beds. If you do, the decomposing leaves will compete with the plants for nutrients. If you put mulched leaves on garden beds in the fall, they will biodegrade completely or almost completely by spring.
