The Benefits of Leaf Mulching

Leaf Mulching is an easy way to promote a healthy lawn and to reduce the use of fertilizer.

What is Leaf Mulching?

Leaf mulch is a layer of shredded leaves that is applied to the surface of the soil. The easiest way to create a good layer of leaf mulch on your lawn, is to simply mow over the leaves with a mulching blade and without the grass catcher attached to your mower. Mulch-mowing is a simple affordable alternative to the use of leaf blowers.

What are the Benefits of Leaf Mulching?

Leaf mulching on lawns has many advantages. Mulched leaves will add nutrients to the soil and create a better soil structure, which improves drainage and encourages deep roots. The lawn will be healthier and won’t need as much fertilizer or water.

• Increases water holding capacity of soil, improves absorption of rain water runoff.

• Lightens clay soils and gives organic fluff to sandy soils.

• Cools roots in summer and provides additional temperature protection in winter.

• Increases nutrients and oxygen in soil.

• Increases biological activity of earthworms, microbes and other beneficial soil organisms.

• It’s a free ‘fertilizer’ for plants, trees and lawn.

• Eliminates or reduces yard waste from entering municipal ‘waste stream’. Saves taxpayer money.

Tips for Leaf Mulching

When fall arrives, and you no longer need to trim the grass, switch to mulching blades and make sure your mower deck exit chute is closed, so that the leaves stay in the deck for another rotation, and they get chopped into smaller pieces. Mulched leaves take up about one tenth of the space of whole leaves. They are easy to move and to spread around shrubs and tree roots for winter protection or spring mulch.

• Shred leaves directly into the lawn. A deeper layer of leaves may require multiple passes, as do wet leaves.

• On driveways or patios, rake or blow into piles, then shred and apply on landscape beds.

• Leaves in wooded areas can be left to compose naturally. Trees have evolved to recycle their leaves, thereby fertilizing and maintaining the vigor of their root zones.

• Excess leaves can be used in a compost pile, serving as the ‘brown’ layer in the compost recipe.

Whether you prefer to have your leaves mulched or removed, we at Blue Planet Lawn will take care of it. As always, we only use solar powered lawn equipment.