Raking vs. Mulch Mowing Leaves

There are two different ways to clean up leaves once they've all fallen off the trees. The first, and most common, is to take a rake and some trash bags and rake them all into piles and pick them up. See this guide on the most efficient and safe ways to complete this strategy of cleaning up leaves:

Another strategy for cleaning up leaves is to mulch mow them into the ground. This strategy is becoming more and more popular mainly for two reasons: it takes significantly less time to complete the job this way, and it provides natural fertilizer for your lawn. If you're considering cleaning up leaves this way, you don't have to worry about whether the leaves will smother the grass--they won't. Instead, they will gradually disintegrate into the ground and provide natural fertilizer just as if you had mulch mowed grass clippings into the lawn.

Here we'll compare the pros and cons of raking and mulch mowing leaves. First, we'll start with the more common and age-old strategy of raking leaves:

Raking Leaves:

Pros: The lawn is significantly cleaner looking once the job is completed as there aren't pieces of leaves sitting on top of the lawn; this method has worked for centuries all around the world and will continue to work just as well for the foreseeable future.

Cons: Takes much longer--up to 6 or 7 times as long--than mulch mowing; an exhausting job that puts lots of stress on your body; extremely dirty. 

Mulch Mowing Leaves:

Pros:  Much shorter of a job than raking; easier on your body assuming you can get the mower started without throwing out your back; leaves natural fertilizer on your lawn for optimum growth next summer.

Cons: Leaves a layer of leaf clippings on the lawn that doesn't look nearly as good as raking will get it; can bog down mower if there are too many leaves; uses large amounts of gas; dirty.

As you can see, there are many pros and cons to raking and mulch mowing leaves. There isn't a "right" way to do it--depending on how much work and effort you are willing to put into this job and whether you care about fertilizer on your lawn will determine which method you choose. Either way, your lawn will be clear from leaves after doing either of those jobs--enjoy!

Published August 4th, 2023.

"Computing, Garden Rake, Raking Leaves, Autumn, Fan Broom, Leaves Broom, HD Wallpaper." Wallpaper Flare, www.wallpaperflare.com/computing-garden-rake-raking-leaves-autumn-fan-broom-leaves-broom-wallpaper-aizgj. Accessed 4 Aug. 2023.