Should you rake your leaves or not? Lawn expert settles the dispute

Oct 18, 2024

In these days with social media, many unnecessary controversies are created. As an example, I saw a post about raking leaves. The controversy was somewhat Shakespearian: To rake or not to rake?

People who do not enjoy doing yard work would probably get excited to know there is a justification for not raking the leaves. The justification is that when the leaves fall, they should be left alone to decompose, enriching the soil below. This is true, and exactly what happens in the forests.

In suburban areas where we live, this isn’t always practical or possible. This is because of our lawns. A thick covering of leaves can be harmful to our lawns. The leaves will keep light from getting to the grass, and lack of light for an extended period of time while the grass is still growing can hurt or even kill the grass. Our lawns continue to grow into December. To be strong and healthy going into winter, our lawns need as much sunlight as they can get.

To accomplish the right balance, the answer isn’t the removal of all of the leaves. There is a compromise that can keep the grass healthy while allowing the decomposing leaves to enrich the soil. This is to "mulch" the leaves. Mulching the leaves refers to shredding the leaves to improve the soil. If you have a lawn, you already have the machine required to do this in your shed: It’s called a mower.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

If you run your mower over the leaves, the blade will shred the leaves up so that they will be small enough to fall between the grass blades to the soil. You do not need a special mulching blade, although they are available. The standard blade will work just fine.

It is possible that this might not work for everyone. If you have a significant number of trees, the leaves could potentially fall at a heavy rate, creating a thick cover on the lawn. This is what we are trying to avoid: harming the grass. If you do not mow frequently enough, mulching might not work as it should.

When mulching, your goal is to be able to see the grass when you are done. If the leaf covering is thick and you cannot see the grass as you are mulching the leaves, you will have the potential to hurt the grass.

I have several trees in my yard, and here’s what I have to do. Early in the season, as the leaves first start to fall, I find it very easy to mulch the leaves with my mower. After the peak of the fall color, the leaves come down very fast. Mulching does not work; the leaves are too thick. I remove leaves and only have to do this once. Then, I continue to mulch the rest of the season.

Another question that creates mixed answers is if you should cut back perennials in the fall or wait until spring. Some experts like to give firm answers: both yes and no, depending on who is answering the question. My opinion is that both times are acceptable.

Perennials are herbaceous plants, which means the top parts of the plants completely die at the end of each season. You get a brand new, bigger plant the next season. Since the top is dying or dead at this time of the year, you can cut them back during this season if you do not like the way they look.

You can also choose to wait until spring. The motivation might be the plant has some winter appeal, such as ornamental grasses, or you just might not have time. Either way, you can wait, as long as you remember to cut them back before they start to grow next spring.