It looks
like summer finally gave way to fall and the leaves are really dropping. Leaves end up everywhere including the roof,
gutters, walks, flower beds, and the lawn.
In some cases they can get pretty thick depending on the surrounding
trees.
The question
is what is the proper thing to do with all those leaves? Are they beneficial or harmful? It depends.
The leaves are a good source of carbon and can help enrich soils as they break down
and feed all the little soil microbes. When the accumulated leaves reach a point
where the lawn or flowers are completely buried, or worse yet, wet and matted,
then you risk thinning and damaging the plants below. Extended periods of low or no light will
result in yellow, thin, and elongated leaves.
You see, they need light to carry out photosynthesis and make green
chlorophyll.
How should
you manage the leaves then? I would
suggest that leaves be allowed to accumulate and decay in flower beds if you are
okay with the look. It can help build
healthier soils, reduce weeds, and retain soil moisture. Green plant material should not remain
covered for more than a week and perhaps shorter in the case of wet, matted,
leaves. For cool-season lawns that do
not go dormant, I would recommend mulching the leaves into the lawn with a
mulching mower when the lawn and leaves are dry enough to do so. If the leaves are too thick, they may need to
be raked off. Another solution during
leaf fall is to mow more frequently to allow the mulching mower to effectively
mow the grass and leaves without leaving piles of debris. If clippings pile up during the mowing
process the accumulated clippings could be mowed again, raked, or blown, to distribute
the piles and keep the turf healthy.
Dormant lawns should have the leaves mulched in or raked off during the
winter prior to spring green up.
While leaves
can be good for soils, they must be managed.
Do not let them form a dense mat on desirable plant material like
flowers or lawns as they can cause thinning, yellow leaves in lawns and
flowers. Removal or mulching are your best
two options and must be done regularly during heavy periods of leaf drop.
