Is it better for the grass to leave the fall leaves on the ground till spring or rake them up for the compost pile?fall leaves--leave or rake
Is it better for the grass to leave the fall leaves on the ground till spring or rake them up for the compost pile?-
microcollie
- Green Thumb
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- Joined: Fri Jun 04, 2010 5:17 pm
- Location: Western MA
I've found that leaves left over the winter tend to form a pretty dense, solid mat by spring, which is difficult to rake up and, if left, will smother out the grass. I like to run over mine with a mulching mower to chop them up, and then leave them. It's the one time of year when I still break out the power mower.
Thanks for the quick answer. I will do the mulching mower. Winters here are not very cold or long, so I think chopped up leaves won't compact and still add a little back to the soil.-
The Helpful Gardener
- Mod
- Posts: 7491
- Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2004 9:17 pm
- Location: Colchester, CT
mine was well smothered yesterday the big chestnut leaves some 5 inches diameter and the grass was suffering , later will get a fall of narrow leaved weeping willow ,those the worms love and they disappear in days if temperatures are mild .The Helpful Gardener wrote:Backraking (using the back of the rake) to work the mulch down past the crowns and into the thatch layer can be helpful if there is a heavy build-up. Other wise you can smother the turf...
HG
I really like this wonderful gardner community. You are a good bunch, and I am glad I found you.Meanwhile, the weather change on Thanksgiving brought strong gusty winds that cleared my backyard except for one small corner by the house that will need to be raked. In the front yard, too, about half the layer of Silver Maple leaves was blown away. It is now in good shape for trying the mulching and back-raking technique.
Again, thanks a lot for your answers.