We all know the traditional fall activities of disposing of leaves: the noisy leaf blowers, the back-breaking raking, the piles of loose leaves for collection, of the piles of bagged leaves making for an obstacle course to get to your car. We’ve been told for so long that this is what we do with the falling leaves, but why not do what your lazy neighbor does, and just run them over with his lawnmower? After all these years, we’ve found out that this might just be the smartest way to go about dealing with leaves, and here’s why:
- Chopping up the leaves and spreading them across the lawn acts as a natural fertilizer, with the decaying leaves releasing nutrients into the soil that will help your grass grow better.
- Mowing leaves into the grass also helps to strengthen the top layer of grass and retain water, meaning you’ll need to water less if there is a dry spell.
- Instead of having to spend time raking, leaf-blowing and bagging, and then mowing, you combine it all into one shortened process.
- By using a mower, you won’t need to buy a leaf blower, nor will you need to use one if you already own one. This will cut down on noise pollution, as leaf blowers are some of the noisiest lawn implements.
- Mowing leaves will keep them out of the street, where they are risky for drivers. Wet leaves are slicker than wet pavement and blacktop, and are a major contributor to accidents in the fall.
- Those same nutrients that are good for your lawn are not good for the water supply. If the leaves make it in to the sewer and decay there, the nutrients will pollute the lakes and streams.
- Leaves can clog up the storm drains and drain pipes, leading to standing water that can make for a driving hazard or for miserable walking conditions. This is also a major expense for local governments, who have to send crews out to clear the blockages.
- Leaving leaves out for collection uses up landfill space.
There are plenty of reasons why mowing leaves is the best way to deal with them, but we bet there’s one more that seals the deal – you’ll have more time to spend doing something other than working in your lawn. So give it a thought next time you head outside, you might end up with more time now and a greener lawn in the spring.
