As the leaves start to fall in earnest I want to revisit what I say every year to the lawn warriors out there: Mow your leaves.
That’s right, mow them right into your lawn. It saves you time, it saves you money, it feeds your lawn, and if you’re going to bag and dispose of them otherwise then this is a way to help the planet too. (There are even better uses of leaves but I’ve gone over that many times and will probably do another post about that soon.)
Oh, and all the lawn companies and Ag schools say to do it too, because they’ve tested it and found that it does everything I said above.
Mowers with mulching blades will do it best but most gas/electric powered mowers will do the same job, though it might take a few more passes.
Folks like me with reel mowers don’t have this option, but if you’ve got a reel mower then you’ve probably already shrunk your lawn – good for you! – and those leaves can easily be raked into your perennial gardens where they’ll again feed the soil and they’ll provide shelter for the insects that the birds need to eat for their protein.