Valid Excuses Not To Remove Your Leaves This Fall

The leaves are falling and the trees will soon be bare. Next comes the tedious process of removing your leaves from your property...or not? We all know removing leaves, whether via blower, rake, broom, or mulcher, is a long and seemingly endless process.

What most of us don't realize is that removing leaves from your lawn takes away essential nutrients. By keeping them there, you are ensuring your lawn will have more nutrients come springtime (this means greener, thicker grass!). This means you get FREE FERTILIZER! A good way to do this is use a mulching mower so they don't completely cover the grass and prevent it from successfully growing in the spring.

You can also use leaves instead of mulch. Trees and shrubs will especially enjoy this. Rake your yard leaves into a pile that is out of the way. Water or allow rain to permeate the leaves. A beneficial fungus will begin to grow over time. In the spring, you can take those leaves and use them to mulch your shrubs and trees. 

If you especially like attracting wildlife to your property, leaf litter can provide great habitat for amphibians like toads, frogs, and salamanders. These amphibians would then keep insect populations (like crickets and mosquitoes) down. If your are more of a bird-watcher, leaf litter can encourage breeding birds to nest on your property (they use leaf litter for nesting material and may also use it do look for food).