Don’t Leave the Leaves

Fall is officially upon us. And that means that leaves are falling on us... and our yards. While they may look beautiful on those long trips to grandma's for Thanksgiving, when those pesky leaves fall, it means it's time to dust off the rake and start cleaning the yard. 

Rake to Have a Better Looking Lawn

Fall is the best time of year for grass to thrive. Because there is more sunlight and temperatures are cool, grass has the opportunity to breath and grow. Sunlight and moisture from the air are blocked when leaves cover the grass.Even as a lawn care specialist myself, it is frustrating for me to spend three-fourths of the year keeping my yard nice and neatly mowed just to have the few months of fall kill all the grass because of the leaves in the yard. Yes that is right, leaves on grass equals dead grass.Doesn't it seem hat leaves tend to end up in the most frustrating places, too? I am not sure how many times I have grabbed a pile of leaves from my garden, gutters and front step. But, I have found that if I take care of them on a routine basis, they don't pile up into one monstrous mess.

Get it Done! Rake!

So how do I find the time to rake, bag and be everywhere I need to be? I pick a date once a month and make it a family project.If you have the right tools, raking can be fun, especially for those who have children. Creating a giant leaf pile or having a leaf throwing battle can be a simple and affordable way to get the family to enjoy a nice day outside and complete a major task.Kids too old to buy into the game? Try to bribe them with raking the leaves as a way for allowance, or ask a younger neighbor kid if he or she would like to earn a little extra cash.

Other Options for Fall Yard Work

If you don't think you have the time to rake one day a month, I have found a couple of other tricks that get the job done in a hurry. Let's face it, leaves will continue to fall, just like grass continues to grown in the summer months. Why not combine mowing the grass and leaves into one project. There are two ways this can be done:

Compost Your Leaves

A compost pile is an eco-friendly way to dispose of your lawn clippings. To efficiently mow over your leaves and bag them, you will want to mow frequently instead of waiting till your entire yard is covered with leaves. A small amount of leaves is easier on your mower.

 Mulch Your Leaves

A new trend in dealing with leaves is using them as a natural fertilizer by not using a bag while mowing over them. A team of environmental activists in New York swear by it, and say that when the leaves are mulched and then put back into the grass the soil is nourished by the small decomposed leaves.Don't have time to push the mower over the yard once a week? Hire a lawn and landscaping company to do the work for you.For us it is a fall family tradition to bust out our rakes, but however you chose to take care of your leaves, the bottom line is this; clearing out the leaves in your yard can lengthen a good lawn life by a couple of years. And lets face it, a clean lawn improves curb appeal.