Autumn is my favorite time of the year. The bracing chill of the clean air and the beautiful and dazzling fall colors combine to make it a special season. It only lasts a short while, though, before we have to start raking our lawn to rid it of all that gunky old foliage.
I hate raking, as does everyone I know. It’s hard work, tedious and incredibly frustrating. But, as luck would have it, here’s a little-known tip you can make use of - which means that you don’t actually have to rake. Not only is this a labor-saving trick for you, it’s also very good for your lawn’s vitality.
Mowing foliage
The amazing and superior alternative to raking leaves is this: mowing over them with your lawn mower!
This may surprise some of you who have been scared off from doing this, having heard that dead leaves damage the landscape, but the truth is far more interesting.
This simple three-step guide which you can follow, will keep your lawn looking its best this winter.
1. If one area of the lawn is saturated with leaves, simply spread the leaves out to make the covering even. This is because, as Bayer Advanced state, this technique works when we make sure that our lawn has only a light covering of leaves.
2. Now bring out your lawnmower and put it on its ‘shred’ or ‘chop’ setting. Then mow over the leaves until they are chopped up into small dime-sized fragments. This should allow you to now see half of the grass visible beneath the decaying foliage.
3. Then you can leave the leaves just as they are. They will settle and decompose here throughout the cold season. The foliage will work as a natural fertilizer for your lawn during barren months, increasing its nitrogen levels.
Researchers from the University of Minnesota’s Agriculture Department state that this method works especially well with oak tree leaves. This foliage decomposes very slowly, providing the lawn with stronger and more enduring nitrogen levels. So, if you have an oak tree in your garden, you are particularly fortunate.
However, they also suggest we try this method ONLY if we believe the trees the leaves have fallen from have no leaf diseases, like leaf spot, anthracnose or apple scab. To stop these leaves from re-infecting the roots of the tree you should remove these leaves from your lawn the old-fashioned way.
Hopefully now you won’t have to do anymore raking. So, good luck with your lawns this fall!
H/T: tiphero.com
Images courtesy of Depositphotos.com
