I've been living in my home for 46 years now. For about 40 of those years I have been Mulching my leaves into my grass. I have one of the best looking lawns on my block with few, if any dandelion weeds.
no longer do my lawn but back in the day I used this mulching thing and never saw any bad results and its a lot easier than trying to manage a pile of leaves any other way...
I was really grateful to see this video. I have always either mulched back into the lawn or put the leaves into the compost. It seems really obvious to me. Some years I do nothing. I don’t care what anyone else thinks. My grass just keeps growing, no matter what I do!
I’ve been mulching leaves into my lawn for the past 7-8 years. So much easier/neater than hauling them to the curb and have also used them in the landscape beds. Highly recommend.
@@BrandonBell-r8l Lazy is paying a contractor $$ to blow leaves to the street that could be used as nutrients for the lawn. Mow over them 4-5 times and the bits of leaves just disappear into the lawn.
I mulch the leaves then go over with a bagger. The bagger gets a lot while making the lawn look nice and clean. The leaves that get down into the grass that don't get bagged decompose doesn't get easier.
This is what I’ve done for the last 27 years. I raise my mower deck up and sort of wind row the leaves. Then lower the deck some and I’ll go over them again the other direction. After that I use my lawn sweeper and remove the excess. The excess goes onto the compost pile.
I agree with this video. I am a Michigan resident, and learned many years ago from MSU Extension and a Consumer Reports article about mulching lesves. Its a great time saver too. I found that my yearly soil tests says I don't need to add mych of anything throughout the warmer months. I don't know if that is a result of mulching leaves, but I'm okay with giving the mulched leaves credit 😊 I always want to tell my neighbors that all they need to do is cut their fall lawn instead of blowing/raking, but people don't want me to tell them how to do their lawn, so I don't.
Have had a few comments saying they dont like to look of mulched leaves. Plus I think some folks like doing it the same way they always have just because that is the way the want to do it. Made the video just to let folks know the science behind how it affects their turf so that they know. I am also on a personal crusade to put the facts and debunk allot of the bad information out there. Thanks for the comment! I appreciate feedback!
I started mulching our grass and fall leaves 4 years ago. We get mostly oak leaves and pine needles. I mulch the same way you did in the video. We used to get loads of dandelions and now they're sparse. Also this past summer we noticed our grass was slow growing. I mowed less than half as much as I did in past years. The lawn looked okay but seems thinner. Next spring I plan to use more fertilizer, add seed, and water more. Mulching is more work than normal grass mowing but a high quality mower mulching blade helps.
I’ve been doing this since I got a good mulching lawnmower. If there are an abundance of leaves, I use the leaf blower to make a large mound underneath a tree and mulch them in later after they have dried up more and the mound of leaves has shrunk down to about a 1/4 of its original size.
I live in ohio I mulch my leaves the last 34yrs lawn is green every spring..you either mulch or rake the leaves can smother your lawn during winter early spring 😊
Been mulching leaves for 34 years, sometimes its like plowing leaves, but keep chasing them and you'll get them. I use a zero turn, with mulching blades and discharge blocked off. Having dry leaves helps. It really chops them up to very small pieces 1/8" to 1/4". Have to hit some areas twice, but they just disappear in to the grass.
Buffalo NY here. I mulch as much as I can, before I rake leaves. Especially since I have several locust trees and their leaves are a pain to gather up. In more than 13 years of doing so, I've never had issues with my grass in the spring. Yes, I do rake towards the late fall seasonal drop, as I have way too many to just keep mulching with the mower... but I always mulch at least 1/2 to 2/3rds before doing so. I have locust, red maple and ash trees, as well as a large pine and a number of ornamental smaller trees. All get mulched into the lawn... including all grass clippings during lawn growing seasons.
@@GregPhillips.22 I don't have a link, I get mine at Agri Supply here in NC, a farm supply store.These are probably available anywhere, and actually made in the US. Heavy steel, not the stamped thin stuff.
We have LOTS of oak leaves/acorns and pine needles fall on our lawn in New England. Since those make the soil more acidic, I rake most of them so I don't have to apply as much lime to my lawn. It's good exercise too and doesn't pollute the air and sound in the neighborhood. Hate hearing all those leaf blowers in the fall!!!
The only caveat that I would add to this (I'm also a mulcher) is based on volume. I just moved into a home with several mature oak trees and some areas end up with an inch of oak leaf mulch on top of the grass. I've seen this smother the lawn in those areas and am relocating some of the leaves to areas without cover to avoid this. Yes it's common sense but I thought this point should be added. Thanks for your video!
Good tip. It's great when folks contribute their tips and tricks. It adds to the conversation. It was dry this year so I got away with only 2 mulching sessions on my yard. Usually takes 3 to 4. They really mulched up well with the dryer weather
Cool tip. How my house is located, I have a long street directly west of my back yard wall (corner lot). So, with our crazy west winds, I am fighting leaves blown in all winter. And of course the trees down that street are fruitless Mulberry (big leaves). 🍁
I am lucky that all my maple tree leaves fall and I can get them with a couple of "mulches" then my neighbors in the back left of my videos have Bradford pears. They loose leaves nearly a month later. Lucky it's on the downwind side of my house so I dont get those in my yard or it would extend my mulching season by over a month.
I have so many oak leaves that I have no other choice but to mulch them with my Scag turf Tiger with mulching kit on it. Works great and never have a problem , I don't worry about anything but getting more leaves next year.
I don't have any leaf baring trees on my property... I do have 6 on either side that drops them on my property. I mulch them first in a shrinking circle. I add the grass clipping catch bag to my mower and pick up what I can that is mulched but still lying on top of the grass. They don't all drop at the same time so near the end of our leaf pick-up in the village...I just continue to mulch what ends up on my lawn from neighboring trees till the snow comes. Seems like they are always somewhere waiting to get blown on to my lawn.... where do they hide till then ????
Sometimes it's different tree species are the issue. Maples drop first then oaks nearly same time but usually a week behind then a month later the pear trees. So it's like a 45 day to two months of leaf dropping season.
@@GregPhillips.22 We had a long wet and warm fall this season.. my grass is a green now as it was in spring. 3 inch snowfall Thursday and windy and much warmer today..My neighbor to the north has four of the tress and the neighbor to my south has the others I did some today..all bright yellow leafs today from the last of the four trees. Its about 2/3s bare now..
Hey just subscribed I like mulching my leaves . But hate my neighbors out of control zoysia grass spreading onto my property and into my Bluegrass Thank you Central New Jersey
One thing you can do is use herbicides that are not labeled for zoysia. Tenacity (mesotrione) is one of those. I'll look deeper into it. Most folks are trying to get Bermuda out of zoysia or Bermuda at Saint Augustine. I would imagine this year was particularly bad because of the dry hot summer. My Bermuda grass is creeping into my neighbors yard and I'm going to have to hit it next spring with tenacity, so it doesn't take over their yard.
Just what my parent's back yard looked like - they had a number of big trees, shade, and did not bother to feed the grass or correct the soil Ph so they ended up with a yard full of violets and woodland weeds. The one good point is that every spring I could go over to the house and fill a gallon ziplok bag with fresh violet blossoms for salads. (violets are edible)
What a great memory! Thanks for your comment! I like the exchange of ideas and experiences. I often eat salad for lunch. May grab a few and try it myself :)
Hi. Just watched your video, and it's really informative. I just finished raking my backyard - twice - to get rid of the leaves AND some thatch and debris. I have a question about raking vs mulching: if I had left the leaves on the ground - un-mulched - over the winter, would the grass have still benefited next spring as if I had mulched the leaves first?
@@GregPhillips.22 Thanks for that quick response Greg. That's what I thought, which is why I raked them up. So the next question is: is there such a thing as too much mulch?
In a dryer climate, there is an issue with mulching. The mulched leaves will absorb water you put on your lawn. Then the dry air will take back the water from the mulched matter. The grass gets less water this way. So if you live in a dry climate and mulch your leaves, please water extra to break down the mulched matter and assure the grass gets its water. After leaves are absorbed into the ground, you can reduce the watering back to normal
One way to overcome that is to water very early in the morning or just before sunrise. Granted, in extreme climates you do not get dew but for the regions that you do, watering at this time will overcome what you are talking about.. When you begin to irrigate you have to saturate the turf canopy before the water begins to enter the soil. Ultimately, only when you have achieved that threshold is when you are actually "watering" the grass.
When I mulch, my leaves always spit out to the right, so I just make sure I mow in a square pattern to where everything is mulched over and over until the square is smaller and smaller.
I had a walk behind Husqvarna. Terrible mulcher because of the plastic belt cover under the deck left many unground clippings and leaves in rows. 3 years ago got a Troybilt. Not as powerful but a fantastic mulcher of grass and leaves. Lawn has looked much better since I got it.
Just did mine in Ohio on Monday. Rain since. Have always mulched my leaves. Started here 20 years ago with mostly clover and weed for greenage. Mow low every time by push mower at 66. It would ruin a twenty something. Plenty of green grass today.
Lived in my house since 1999, i mulch grass and leaves from maples trees every year. In the fall when trees drop all leaves i mulch then run mower back over with bag on because if I don’t my dogs bring leaf clippings into the house. My lawn looks fantastic every year, I water twice a week and apply organic fertilizers 4 times a year, weird what you say about dandelions ai never heard that but now that I think about it I really don’t get them?
@GregPhillips.22 Well, being a landscaper, and judging by the size of your property, I thought you would have at least a 60" zero turn. I've got 2 and 1/2 acres, and it takes me an hour and a half just to cut it. I've been mulching my lawn since the early 80s. When Montgomery Wards came out with the first Commercially available 20 in mulching mower deck. And I haven't looked back.
The question is how much is to much...? My trees would deposit about a 12" to 16" depth of leaves if i had to guess. I have aDR lawn vac that grinds them up. I them use them as mulch in all my planter beds.
It's a great question...i have not seen anything that indicates "too much". Be a function of how fine you can mulch them and frequently of being able to mulch them up before it gets too deep.
In the shady spots, I don't mulch the leaves as the grass tends to get smothered. Also grass isn't growing well there. I would keep using them in your beds or compost pile. Maybe mulch some but that sounds like alot of leaves!
I can only comment on my personal experience, my backyard has several big trees that keep dumping leaves, I mulched it and went over it half a dozen times multiple times a week til everything looked like confetti and still had die-off followed by a season of super thin grass and moss in those areas. Now I bag it all up after overseeding and my problem spots are thick again. Never ever ever, will I mulch back there again. I couldn't make it work. Sounds like you may be in the same situation. Don't treat everyone's opinion on this topic like gospel, that's what I did and it backfired. Put it in your beds as your gut suggests.
I am in a similar situation. I have some large oaks, some maples, some chestnut and others with large leaves that I can't identify. And of course, my neighbor's leaves. After mulching several times, the mulched leaves just make rows of mulch between mowing paths. And the grass dies where it doesn't get sunlight. The last 3 or so years, I switched to blowing the leaves to the rear of the lot, which is downhill. That is just too much work for an old man, but it is better for the grass. I was considering a leaf vac, but was unsure if one could handle the job. And they are quite expensive.
@dlyscas my DR attached to my zero turn and as I noted I use the end product in my beds. This saved me from buying mulch. The savings paid for the DR within 2 to 3 years. Obviously as we get older the fun work becomes just work... then a burden. You have a few choices at that point..... we all get there at some point
You can apply lime in the fall and by spring the lime (calcium oxide) has had time to react to the soil and you are going into spring with a good pH. Also have results so you can apply phosphorus or potassium in the spring so the turf has everything it needs prior to stressful summer.
I can not, because we have too many huge trees in the neighborhood. I get almost two foot deep drifts in some areas like along my two hundred foot driveway with a chain link fence on one side of it. I use a rider with a bagger and i can hardly go ten feet and its full at times. Its just too much leafs! I need one of those pull behind carts.
Needles would be hard to mulch up. Plus the structures of a pine needle are more complex than a leaf. Exception being the "veins" and stem of the leaf wound be comparable to that of a pine needle. Other than that would be a guess on my part on the nutrient and/or pH effect on the soil.
Appreciate the advice. Other have added their tips and tricks as well. it really ads to the conversation and helps folks out. It is welcomed and greatly appreciated.
Does the leaf type have a different effect such as pecan, ash , and red bud trees ? These are the prominent species that fall / blow into my yard . TIA
Michigan State only looked at maple trees. There may some small differences but if it were significant such as toxicity I would think MSU would have said something or at least looked into it as well.
Lots of trees in my 1.5 acres of grass in New England completely surrounded by mature forest. The yard accumulates 18 inches or more of leaves each fall. There’s no way I can mulch that into the grass. It will cover and suffocate the grass. I know because I’ve tried.
I think maybe there has been confusion about leaves over the years. If you don't do anything with them it will most likely have a negative effect on low areas of the yard where they accumulate and choke out the grass. Possibly that is where the negativity comes from?? Anyway either mulch or remove them, I always mulch mine.
That is true about choking out the grass. Think some of the negativity is some tales folks tell without checking out the science behind it. It's why I did the research and the video. Like to give folks the facts and let them choose which is the best path for them. Thanks for the response!!
I tried reseeding this year. Unfortunately the squirrels ate half of it, even though I covered it with mulched grass clippings. 🤷🏽♂️ I guess I’ll try again in the spring.
@@GregPhillips.22 Same here in KC, only had one big rain event for months. Doubled my water bill trying to get my new grass to grow. Overseeded front and side yard and grew new grass on a backfill around the patio. Got good germination, but had to switch focus to front yard and half of my new grass around the patio died. Without in ground irrigation it's tough. Working on above ground irrigation solutions now. Great content. Go Wolfpack!!
Thanks for putting out the "science based" info, even though half the population prefers conspiracy theories and seems to know better than science. Those were great tips you mentioned. I've been doing this for years. I try to mulch every week in the fall if possible to keep up with the amount of leaves falling. If you don't keep up with it and wait until they all come down then you have a real mess to deal with. I've never seen any adverse effects from mulching leaves and to me it makes the job much easier and less time consuming. If you aren't able to raise the front of your mower deck easily, just raise the height of the deck a little higher. The spinning blades creates a natural vacuum.
Lol, man, I'm going to show this to my husband because you're a man, and second, you've done it for years. We argue over this procedure often, and so I've given up and he does all the yard work in the fall now because I'm not wasting my time or back pain. He claims it kills off the grass. Lmao, oh Lordy.
We have a lot more leaves than you do, so I need to mulch them in several times or they'll get too thick, for my mower, lol. I've found it works a lot better when the leaves are damp.
@@GregPhillips.22 We have mainly oak leaves. I have a Craftsman DLT3000 riding mower with a 42" deck. The motor is 500cc so it probably has decent torque. If I hit a really thick section it will bog down a little, but not too bad. When the leaves are bone dry they make a lot of dust that the mower kicks up.
Nineteen years ago when I started mulching, my bro told me I'd kill my lawn with low pH. I replied that was my goal, so I wouldn't have to mow it, but the lawn keeps coming back every spring greener than ever. When, O when, will it die!?
Nature always mulches leaves back into the soil...Duh! Not to be flippant, I have never understood discarding lawn clippings just so one could spend money to buy fertilizer.
I was surprised when I found that on MSU research page. I would like to know specifically why that is tho. Is it ground cover within the turf canopy, something in the leaves like a phytoalexin? Likely need more study to determine what it is.
@@GregPhillips.22 I'm guessing it's just the ground cover. The dandelion seeds travel in the wind, fall, and can't geminate in them. Now that I think about it, I rarely see dandelions in mulched beds either, compared to the lawn beside it that's got plenty of them.
We got 5 live oak trees. Mulching those leaves stifles the grass imo. The leaves last forever and barely break down if you dont bag mow them up, which is terrible for the Bermuda. I bag mow for those reasons.
What height are you mowing your Bermuda. I most mine at 2 1/4 (or at least that is my "winter height". One thing I would like a university to do is a study on this and its effects on poa annua/winter weed control on doormat bermuda. My guess is a thin layer at the soil surface of mulched leaves during the winter would keep the sun off the soil surface. Suppressing germination of winter weeds in dormant bermuda. Growing tall fescue and bermuda side by side at least my experience has been that the leaves seem to mulch up better on the bermuda due to the thicker canopy than in the tall fescue area of my lawn.
@GregPhillips.22 mowing at about the same height for winter. I did mow pretty low last week though, get 1st rd of leaves off the grass + low so I could put down my lesco 0 0 7, bug granules and a fall rd of 13 13 13. Had 50% chance of rain for 3 days after but got none lol. So I'm running sprinklers today to get it all watered in. It's looking pretty good after 105 degrees and no rain for 2 months. Oct was 10 degrees warmer than usual all month long. Finally fall has come to south central texas 70s and 80s probably for Nov with mostly 50s lows
So sometimes if the leaves get away from me I will mulch and run over it again and bag what I can get in one pass. The lawnmower isn't a vacuum so it doesn't get all of the leaves up anyway so there is still leaf mulch on the ground but it also allows the grass to at least not look like it's smothered in leaf mulch. The few bags I do get go to the neighbor's compost pile and he uses them in his garden. Win-win. Passing by houses in the neighborhood where the owners are out there hand raking their leaves by hand into dozens and dozens of bags elicits a huge eye-roll from me.
Like all win-win situations. And making friends with the neighbors! Several have shared their tips and tricks and I really appreciate it. These help everyone!!
I can attest to what this guy is saying. I had over an acre of grass on my property surrounded by tree's. I used a JD 214 garden tractor with a 48" deck and mulching blades. You block the chute and lower the deck. Just keep riding over the leaves till they literally disappear into the grass. It saves blowing, raking, drop cloths, bagging, trips to the curb or the dump. You never get off the tractor till the leaves are gone ! You couldn't tell the difference if the leaves had been blown off or mulched into the grass. My grass was fine year after year and I did notice considerably less dandelions ! Its very satisfying and more fun than cutting the grass ! So don't rake or blow your leaves ! make them disappear ! One final note: If you get tons of leaves do them as they come down in layers instead of waiting for the full load. You may do it a few times but it will be quick and easy and your lawn will have more time to absorb the mulch.
Thanks for letting us know and the support. Good to share your experience with others. The exchange of ideas is helpful for folks to decide what works best for them.
People with A LOT of leaves cannot incorporate them in their yard for the long term! Not if you want a nice lookng lawn. You cannot mulch them small enough!
It will very from situation to situation. Some folks are not aware that this is an option and the scientifically proven positive aspects to this practice.
1. Turf grass is one of the most environmentally irresponsible things you can do as a homeowner. It isn't native, requires massive amounts of water, not to mention the fertilizer, and running your gas powered lawn mower for an hour emits more CO2 and toxic emissions than your car does in like 500 miles of driving. 2. Lots of beneficial insects overwinter or lay eggs in dead leaves. By raking them up, you reduce the populations of these beneficial bugs. But hey, if your only goal is to make your neighbors jealous by maintaining your turf grass lawn like the back 9 at St. Andrew's, by all means, keep it up.
It can be much less labor & water intensive than you describe. I'm in Charlotte, NC and installed my Zenith Zoysia lawn in 2008. Before seeding, I rototilled 3" of compost into the native red clay to 8" depth. After the second summer, I've only watered 1-2x per summer. This summer I did not water at all. I topdress in July with 1/2" compost and apply Milorganite in August. I mow my leaves into the lawn. No other fertilizing, nor weed control. I mow 2-3x per month at 3/4" height and it looks pristine. By contrast, my neighbors did zero soil prep. They have Fescue that they water daily, fertilize every 6 weeks, apply pre&post-emergent weed control, fungicide in August and aerate & overseed their burned out lawns every September. *My education is in Ornamental Horticulture, then back to school for business (about 4yrs behind @GregPhillips.22). I understand the value of soil-building first and choosing the appropriate lawn type for the climate zone. I was a design-build landscape construction contractor for over 20yrs with an emphasis on "Intelligent Design." None of my landscapes here in Charlotte required irrigation systems.
Yeah sure years ago I followed the mulch leaves into the lawn BS……killed the grass and wound up with a lawn of mud……if there are not many leaves yes ….lawn clippings yes….Otherwise clear them off…..
@@kkevinj1 Yes, you'd really have to keep on it with 1/2in mowing height or mulch some/rake some. I have zoysia at 3/4" & mow all leaves into it 2x per week. But my leaf load is low on the lawn. Tricky to balance heavy/deep leaf load with low mowing height. That said, I have rental homes with 3" tall fescue and heavy load of maple & white oak leaves where I only mulch & never rake that look great.
appreciate this thread. Like the exchange of ideas, experiences and views! Let folks know your viewpoint, experiences so they can make the best decision for what works for them!
turf.umn.edu/sites/turf.umn.edu/files/files/media/tree-leaves-and-weeds.pdf
Not good for certain types of grass everybody's lawn different
I've been living in my home for 46 years now. For about 40 of those years I have been Mulching my leaves into my grass. I have one of the best looking lawns on my block with few, if any dandelion weeds.
Thanks for sharing and congrats on the lawn! Wish UA-cam allowed photos like to see it!
You gotta have more weeds than just a few,or you have a little lawn
Same here. My neighbors always wonder why my lawn looks so good. Well maybe cause I'm not hauling free lawn nutrients to the curb every weekend!
@@BrandonBell-r8l
Ever heard of pre emergent,, I have 30k sq ft Bermuda , very few weeds..
@bobgriffith1810 few means you still have weeds
Glad to hear as I started doing that about 10 years ago.
no longer do my lawn but back in the day I used this mulching thing and never saw any bad results and its a lot easier than trying to manage a pile of leaves any other way...
I have a beautiful St Augustine grass yard. I mulch grass and leaves back into the yard, never use any fertilizer or weed control for 20 years
I was really grateful to see this video. I have always either mulched back into the lawn or put the leaves into the compost. It seems really obvious to me. Some years I do nothing. I don’t care what anyone else thinks. My grass just keeps growing, no matter what I do!
Thanks! I am glad you enjoyed it. Goal of my channel is an exchange of ideas and help folks.
There's a different version of it when you take care of it
Time to plant a grass that you can harvest & sell. (Just kidding! legal in most states, personal use only)
@@Rein_Ciarfella called ghetto grass
I’ve been mulching leaves into my lawn for the past 7-8 years. So much easier/neater than hauling them to the curb and have also used them in the landscape beds. Highly recommend.
Sounds a little lazy
@@BrandonBell-r8l Lazy is paying a contractor $$ to blow leaves to the street that could be used as nutrients for the lawn. Mow over them 4-5 times and the bits of leaves just disappear into the lawn.
Been mulching my whole life. My yard looks better and is healthier than the yards around me. No thatch problems.
Thanks for the comment! I am glad to hear from you. What species of grass do you have?
I mulch the leaves then go over with a bagger. The bagger gets a lot while making the lawn look nice and clean. The leaves that get down into the grass that don't get bagged decompose doesn't get easier.
This is what I’ve done for the last 27 years. I raise my mower deck up and sort of wind row the leaves. Then lower the deck some and I’ll go over them again the other direction. After that I use my lawn sweeper and remove the excess. The excess goes onto the compost pile.
That is a great idea. Thanks for the comment and sharing your personal experience. It ads to the conversation tips and tricks everyone uses.
I agree with this video. I am a Michigan resident, and learned many years ago from MSU Extension and a Consumer Reports article about mulching lesves. Its a great time saver too. I found that my yearly soil tests says I don't need to add mych of anything throughout the warmer months. I don't know if that is a result of mulching leaves, but I'm okay with giving the mulched leaves credit 😊
I always want to tell my neighbors that all they need to do is cut their fall lawn instead of blowing/raking, but people don't want me to tell them how to do their lawn, so I don't.
Have had a few comments saying they dont like to look of mulched leaves. Plus I think some folks like doing it the same way they always have just because that is the way the want to do it. Made the video just to let folks know the science behind how it affects their turf so that they know. I am also on a personal crusade to put the facts and debunk allot of the bad information out there. Thanks for the comment! I appreciate feedback!
I started mulching our grass and fall leaves 4 years ago. We get mostly oak leaves and pine needles. I mulch the same way you did in the video. We used to get loads of dandelions and now they're sparse. Also this past summer we noticed our grass was slow growing. I mowed less than half as much as I did in past years. The lawn looked okay but seems thinner. Next spring I plan to use more fertilizer, add seed, and water more. Mulching is more work than normal grass mowing but a high quality mower mulching blade helps.
Also look into aerification too. Am hitting mine hard next spring.
I’ve been doing this since I got a good mulching lawnmower. If there are an abundance of leaves, I use the leaf blower to make a large mound underneath a tree and mulch them in later after they have dried up more and the mound of leaves has shrunk down to about a 1/4 of its original size.
I live in ohio I mulch my leaves the last 34yrs lawn is green every spring..you either mulch or rake the leaves can smother your lawn during winter early spring 😊
Been mulching leaves for 34 years, sometimes its like plowing leaves, but keep chasing them and you'll get them. I use a zero turn, with mulching blades and discharge blocked off. Having dry leaves helps. It really chops them up to very small pieces 1/8" to 1/4". Have to hit some areas twice, but they just disappear in to the grass.
Buffalo NY here. I mulch as much as I can, before I rake leaves. Especially since I have several locust trees and their leaves are a pain to gather up. In more than 13 years of doing so, I've never had issues with my grass in the spring.
Yes, I do rake towards the late fall seasonal drop, as I have way too many to just keep mulching with the mower... but I always mulch at least 1/2 to 2/3rds before doing so. I have locust, red maple and ash trees, as well as a large pine and a number of ornamental smaller trees. All get mulched into the lawn... including all grass clippings during lawn growing seasons.
Thanks for sharing!!!
Gator Mulcher blades work very well. I have about five acres of centipede grass, it loves it. As an old dude, it beats raking leaves.
If you have a link leave it below. Thanks for the heads up!!
@@GregPhillips.22 I don't have a link, I get mine at Agri Supply here in NC, a farm supply store.These are probably available anywhere, and actually made in the US. Heavy steel, not the stamped thin stuff.
I just crank up the ol' J-D riding mower and mulch. I have been doing it that way for35 years.
I bought a mulching mower 10 years ago and I don’t have dandelions anymore and my lawn is the first to green up in the spring
Yeah ok
We have LOTS of oak leaves/acorns and pine needles fall on our lawn in New England. Since those make the soil more acidic, I rake most of them so I don't have to apply as much lime to my lawn. It's good exercise too and doesn't pollute the air and sound in the neighborhood. Hate hearing all those leaf blowers in the fall!!!
Next door to me they have 6, yes 6, contractors at once blowing the leaves to the curb. I was coughing from gas fumes when I walked outside.
The only caveat that I would add to this (I'm also a mulcher) is based on volume. I just moved into a home with several mature oak trees and some areas end up with an inch of oak leaf mulch on top of the grass. I've seen this smother the lawn in those areas and am relocating some of the leaves to areas without cover to avoid this. Yes it's common sense but I thought this point should be added. Thanks for your video!
Good tip. It's great when folks contribute their tips and tricks. It adds to the conversation. It was dry this year so I got away with only 2 mulching sessions on my yard. Usually takes 3 to 4. They really mulched up well with the dryer weather
Great insights! Thanks for sharing
About a third of my lot is woods. I blow the leaves into the woods then mulch them there.
Cool tip. How my house is located, I have a long street directly west of my back yard wall (corner lot). So, with our crazy west winds, I am fighting leaves blown in all winter. And of course the trees down that street are fruitless Mulberry (big leaves). 🍁
I am lucky that all my maple tree leaves fall and I can get them with a couple of "mulches" then my neighbors in the back left of my videos have Bradford pears. They loose leaves nearly a month later. Lucky it's on the downwind side of my house so I dont get those in my yard or it would extend my mulching season by over a month.
I always run my mower over the leaves every fall, works good for me
I've been doing this for years
.. such a much easier way to do things.
Stared a few years ago myself. After doing the research found how beneficial it is.
I have so many oak leaves that I have no other choice but to mulch them with my Scag turf Tiger with mulching kit on it.
Works great and never have a problem , I don't worry about anything but getting more leaves next year.
thanks to letting folks know your experience. It's great to have an exchange of ideas and experiences.
Each year a tree grows enough leaves to fertilize itself. Mulching leaves also improves tree health
Acidity or not, it’s easy to mow & an added bonus of less dandelions is great!
I was surprised by what MSU found on dandelion control.
I don't have any leaf baring trees on my property... I do have 6 on either side that drops them on my property. I mulch them first in a shrinking circle. I add the grass clipping catch bag to my mower and pick up what I can that is mulched but still lying on top of the grass. They don't all drop at the same time so near the end of our leaf pick-up in the village...I just continue to mulch what ends up on my lawn from neighboring trees till the snow comes. Seems like they are always somewhere waiting to get blown on to my lawn.... where do they hide till then ????
Sometimes it's different tree species are the issue. Maples drop first then oaks nearly same time but usually a week behind then a month later the pear trees. So it's like a 45 day to two months of leaf dropping season.
@@GregPhillips.22 We had a long wet and warm fall this season.. my grass is a green now as it was in spring. 3 inch snowfall Thursday and windy and much warmer today..My neighbor to the north has four of the tress and the neighbor to my south has the others I did some today..all bright yellow leafs today from the last of the four trees. Its about 2/3s bare now..
Hey just subscribed
I like mulching my leaves . But hate my neighbors out of control zoysia grass spreading onto my property and into my Bluegrass
Thank you Central New Jersey
One thing you can do is use herbicides that are not labeled for zoysia. Tenacity (mesotrione) is one of those. I'll look deeper into it. Most folks are trying to get Bermuda out of zoysia or Bermuda at Saint Augustine. I would imagine this year was particularly bad because of the dry hot summer. My Bermuda grass is creeping into my neighbors yard and I'm going to have to hit it next spring with tenacity, so it doesn't take over their yard.
Just what my parent's back yard looked like - they had a number of big trees, shade, and did not bother to feed the grass or correct the soil Ph so they ended up with a yard full of violets and woodland weeds. The one good point is that every spring I could go over to the house and fill a gallon ziplok bag with fresh violet blossoms for salads. (violets are edible)
What a great memory! Thanks for your comment! I like the exchange of ideas and experiences. I often eat salad for lunch. May grab a few and try it myself :)
Leaves = free organic material which is what the fertilizer companies are pushing. I don’t wait till I have a lot on the lawn I mulch /mow 1 x a week
That's key. Waiting until they are all on the ground and then mulching them in is too much at one time.
true that!
👍🏼… 40+yrs of mulching 🍂🍁 every fall followed up by aeration of soil right before snow ❄️ falls give lawn Milorginite..
Hi. Just watched your video, and it's really informative. I just finished raking my backyard - twice - to get rid of the leaves AND some thatch and debris. I have a question about raking vs mulching: if I had left the leaves on the ground - un-mulched - over the winter, would the grass have still benefited next spring as if I had mulched the leaves first?
It likely would have smothered the grass. You need to either remove/rake them or mulch them into the turf canopy..
@@GregPhillips.22 Thanks for that quick response Greg. That's what I thought, which is why I raked them up. So the next question is: is there such a thing as too much mulch?
Been doing this for years!
And millions others
In a dryer climate, there is an issue with mulching. The mulched leaves will absorb water you put on your lawn. Then the dry air will take back the water from the mulched matter. The grass gets less water this way. So if you live in a dry climate and mulch your leaves, please water extra to break down the mulched matter and assure the grass gets its water. After leaves are absorbed into the ground, you can reduce the watering back to normal
One way to overcome that is to water very early in the morning or just before sunrise. Granted, in extreme climates you do not get dew but for the regions that you do, watering at this time will overcome what you are talking about.. When you begin to irrigate you have to saturate the turf canopy before the water begins to enter the soil. Ultimately, only when you have achieved that threshold is when you are actually "watering" the grass.
When I mulch, my leaves always spit out to the right, so I just make sure I mow in a square pattern to where everything is mulched over and over until the square is smaller and smaller.
good tip! What kind of mower do you have?
I had a walk behind Husqvarna. Terrible mulcher because of the plastic belt cover under the deck left many unground clippings and leaves in rows. 3 years ago got a Troybilt. Not as powerful but a fantastic mulcher of grass and leaves. Lawn has looked much better since I got it.
Genius
Just did mine in Ohio on Monday. Rain since. Have always mulched my leaves. Started here 20 years ago with mostly clover and weed for greenage. Mow low every time by push mower at 66. It would ruin a twenty something. Plenty of green grass today.
I am 54 and I like to push mow my yard for the same reason. It's good exercise.
Lived in my house since 1999, i mulch grass and leaves from maples trees every year. In the fall when trees drop all leaves i mulch then run mower back over with bag on because if I don’t my dogs bring leaf clippings into the house. My lawn looks fantastic every year, I water twice a week and apply organic fertilizers 4 times a year, weird what you say about dandelions ai never heard that but now that I think about it I really don’t get them?
It was interesting to me as well.
You're using a 21" push mower?
What size mower should I be using?
@GregPhillips.22
Well, being a landscaper, and judging by the size of your property, I thought you would have at least a 60" zero turn. I've got 2 and 1/2 acres, and it takes me an hour and a half just to cut it. I've been mulching my lawn since the early 80s. When Montgomery Wards came out with the first Commercially available 20 in mulching mower deck. And I haven't looked back.
The question is how much is to much...? My trees would deposit about a 12" to 16" depth of leaves if i had to guess. I have aDR lawn vac that grinds them up. I them use them as mulch in all my planter beds.
It's a great question...i have not seen anything that indicates "too much". Be a function of how fine you can mulch them and frequently of being able to mulch them up before it gets too deep.
In the shady spots, I don't mulch the leaves as the grass tends to get smothered. Also grass isn't growing well there. I would keep using them in your beds or compost pile. Maybe mulch some but that sounds like alot of leaves!
I can only comment on my personal experience, my backyard has several big trees that keep dumping leaves, I mulched it and went over it half a dozen times multiple times a week til everything looked like confetti and still had die-off followed by a season of super thin grass and moss in those areas. Now I bag it all up after overseeding and my problem spots are thick again. Never ever ever, will I mulch back there again. I couldn't make it work. Sounds like you may be in the same situation. Don't treat everyone's opinion on this topic like gospel, that's what I did and it backfired. Put it in your beds as your gut suggests.
I am in a similar situation. I have some large oaks, some maples, some chestnut and others with large leaves that I can't identify. And of course, my neighbor's leaves. After mulching several times, the mulched leaves just make rows of mulch between mowing paths. And the grass dies where it doesn't get sunlight. The last 3 or so years, I switched to blowing the leaves to the rear of the lot, which is downhill. That is just too much work for an old man, but it is better for the grass. I was considering a leaf vac, but was unsure if one could handle the job. And they are quite expensive.
@dlyscas my DR attached to my zero turn and as I noted I use the end product in my beds. This saved me from buying mulch. The savings paid for the DR within 2 to 3 years. Obviously as we get older the fun work becomes just work... then a burden. You have a few choices at that point..... we all get there at some point
Why is fall better for testing PH, then any other time?
You can apply lime in the fall and by spring the lime (calcium oxide) has had time to react to the soil and you are going into spring with a good pH. Also have results so you can apply phosphorus or potassium in the spring so the turf has everything it needs prior to stressful summer.
I can not, because we have too many huge trees in the neighborhood. I get almost two foot deep drifts in some areas like along my two hundred foot driveway with a chain link fence on one side of it. I use a rider with a bagger and i can hardly go ten feet and its full at times. Its just too much leafs! I need one of those pull behind carts.
Some situations you would have to mulch every day which is not practical for some folks.
Im surrounded by trees, when I mulch it so much that it kills my grass. nothing grows. its gotta be taken out or blown out.
What species of grass do you have in your yard?
@ tall fescue. But I think I need to put down lime or whatever my area gets deficient in. I need to soil test.
I only have pine trees in my surrounding properties. Might there be a difference for that?
Needles would be hard to mulch up. Plus the structures of a pine needle are more complex than a leaf. Exception being the "veins" and stem of the leaf wound be comparable to that of a pine needle. Other than that would be a guess on my part on the nutrient and/or pH effect on the soil.
Do this when the leaves are very dry, Pick some up and roll them between you hands. You want little broken pieces.
Appreciate the advice. Other have added their tips and tricks as well. it really ads to the conversation and helps folks out. It is welcomed and greatly appreciated.
Does the leaf type have a different effect such as pecan, ash , and red bud trees ? These are the prominent species that fall / blow into my yard . TIA
Michigan State only looked at maple trees. There may some small differences but if it were significant such as toxicity I would think MSU would have said something or at least looked into it as well.
@@GregPhillips.22 Thanks Greg. I only asked the question due to pecan leaves seem to be pretty acidic.
Lots of trees in my 1.5 acres of grass in New England completely surrounded by mature forest. The yard accumulates 18 inches or more of leaves each fall. There’s no way I can mulch that into the grass. It will cover and suffocate the grass. I know because I’ve tried.
I think maybe there has been confusion about leaves over the years. If you don't do anything with them it will most likely have a negative effect on low areas of the yard where they accumulate and choke out the grass. Possibly that is where the negativity comes from?? Anyway either mulch or remove them, I always mulch mine.
That is true about choking out the grass. Think some of the negativity is some tales folks tell without checking out the science behind it. It's why I did the research and the video. Like to give folks the facts and let them choose which is the best path for them. Thanks for the response!!
I tried reseeding this year. Unfortunately the squirrels ate half of it, even though I covered it with mulched grass clippings. 🤷🏽♂️ I guess I’ll try again in the spring.
It's been a difficult fall due to lack of precipitation. In my area we have only had 3 rain events since late August.
@@GregPhillips.22 Same here in KC, only had one big rain event for months. Doubled my water bill trying to get my new grass to grow. Overseeded front and side yard and grew new grass on a backfill around the patio. Got good germination, but had to switch focus to front yard and half of my new grass around the patio died. Without in ground irrigation it's tough. Working on above ground irrigation solutions now. Great content. Go Wolfpack!!
I hate raking. I always mulch the leaves back into the lawn.
Mulching the leaves in the spring provides the lawn with free organic fertilizer.
Thanks for responding. It's good to let folks know your experience.
Thanks for putting out the "science based" info, even though half the population prefers conspiracy theories and seems to know better than science. Those were great tips you mentioned. I've been doing this for years.
I try to mulch every week in the fall if possible to keep up with the amount of leaves falling. If you don't keep up with it and wait until they all come down then you have a real mess to deal with. I've never seen any adverse effects from mulching leaves and to me it makes the job much easier and less time consuming.
If you aren't able to raise the front of your mower deck easily, just raise the height of the deck a little higher. The spinning blades creates a natural vacuum.
Thanks for letting folks know your personal experience with mulching. Exchanging trips and techniques is helpful for everyone.
Lol, man, I'm going to show this to my husband because you're a man, and second, you've done it for years. We argue over this procedure often, and so I've given up and he does all the yard work in the fall now because I'm not wasting my time or back pain. He claims it kills off the grass. Lmao, oh Lordy.
Hay..I stay out of domestic issues..😀😀😀 thanks for the laugh and comment!!
It does
We have a lot more leaves than you do, so I need to mulch them in several times or they'll get too thick, for my mower, lol. I've found it works a lot better when the leaves are damp.
I usually have problems when mine are damp. Could be a difference in tree species or mower??? What kind of mower do you have?
@@GregPhillips.22 We have mainly oak leaves. I have a Craftsman DLT3000 riding mower with a 42" deck. The motor is 500cc so it probably has decent torque. If I hit a really thick section it will bog down a little, but not too bad. When the leaves are bone dry they make a lot of dust that the mower kicks up.
Nineteen years ago when I started mulching, my bro told me I'd kill my lawn with low pH. I replied that was my goal, so I wouldn't have to mow it, but the lawn keeps coming back every spring greener than ever. When, O when, will it die!?
LOL..love brother stories.😀
Nice sweatshirt... Go pack!
❤
Nature always mulches leaves back into the soil...Duh! Not to be flippant, I have never understood discarding lawn clippings just so one could spend money to buy fertilizer.
Makes sense that it would control dandelions.
I was surprised when I found that on MSU research page. I would like to know specifically why that is tho. Is it ground cover within the turf canopy, something in the leaves like a phytoalexin? Likely need more study to determine what it is.
@@GregPhillips.22 I'm guessing it's just the ground cover. The dandelion seeds travel in the wind, fall, and can't geminate in them.
Now that I think about it, I rarely see dandelions in mulched beds either, compared to the lawn beside it that's got plenty of them.
We got 5 live oak trees. Mulching those leaves stifles the grass imo. The leaves last forever and barely break down if you dont bag mow them up, which is terrible for the Bermuda. I bag mow for those reasons.
What height are you mowing your Bermuda. I most mine at 2 1/4 (or at least that is my "winter height". One thing I would like a university to do is a study on this and its effects on poa annua/winter weed control on doormat bermuda. My guess is a thin layer at the soil surface of mulched leaves during the winter would keep the sun off the soil surface. Suppressing germination of winter weeds in dormant bermuda. Growing tall fescue and bermuda side by side at least my experience has been that the leaves seem to mulch up better on the bermuda due to the thicker canopy than in the tall fescue area of my lawn.
@GregPhillips.22 mowing at about the same height for winter. I did mow pretty low last week though, get 1st rd of leaves off the grass + low so I could put down my lesco 0 0 7, bug granules and a fall rd of 13 13 13. Had 50% chance of rain for 3 days after but got none lol. So I'm running sprinklers today to get it all watered in. It's looking pretty good after 105 degrees and no rain for 2 months. Oct was 10 degrees warmer than usual all month long. Finally fall has come to south central texas 70s and 80s probably for Nov with mostly 50s lows
So sometimes if the leaves get away from me I will mulch and run over it again and bag what I can get in one pass. The lawnmower isn't a vacuum so it doesn't get all of the leaves up anyway so there is still leaf mulch on the ground but it also allows the grass to at least not look like it's smothered in leaf mulch. The few bags I do get go to the neighbor's compost pile and he uses them in his garden. Win-win. Passing by houses in the neighborhood where the owners are out there hand raking their leaves by hand into dozens and dozens of bags elicits a huge eye-roll from me.
Like all win-win situations. And making friends with the neighbors! Several have shared their tips and tricks and I really appreciate it. These help everyone!!
I can attest to what this guy is saying. I had over an acre of grass on my property surrounded by tree's. I used a JD 214 garden tractor with a 48" deck and mulching blades. You block the chute and lower the deck. Just keep riding over the leaves till they literally disappear into the grass. It saves blowing, raking, drop cloths, bagging, trips to the curb or the dump. You never get off the tractor till the leaves are gone ! You couldn't tell the difference if the leaves had been blown off or mulched into the grass. My grass was fine year after year and I did notice considerably less dandelions ! Its very satisfying and more fun than cutting the grass ! So don't rake or blow your leaves ! make them disappear ! One final note: If you get tons of leaves do them as they come down in layers instead of waiting for the full load. You may do it a few times but it will be quick and easy and your lawn will have more time to absorb the mulch.
Thanks for letting us know and the support. Good to share your experience with others. The exchange of ideas is helpful for folks to decide what works best for them.
@@GregPhillips.22 👍
By mulching I save time and gas by going to the compost site so I’m reducing my carbon footprint
People with A LOT of leaves cannot incorporate them in their yard for the long term! Not if you want a nice lookng lawn. You cannot mulch them small enough!
It will very from situation to situation. Some folks are not aware that this is an option and the scientifically proven positive aspects to this practice.
I’m not feeding Asian Jumping Worms
1. Turf grass is one of the most environmentally irresponsible things you can do as a homeowner. It isn't native, requires massive amounts of water, not to mention the fertilizer, and running your gas powered lawn mower for an hour emits more CO2 and toxic emissions than your car does in like 500 miles of driving.
2. Lots of beneficial insects overwinter or lay eggs in dead leaves. By raking them up, you reduce the populations of these beneficial bugs.
But hey, if your only goal is to make your neighbors jealous by maintaining your turf grass lawn like the back 9 at St. Andrew's, by all means, keep it up.
so what ground cover do you have in your yard?
It can be much less labor & water intensive than you describe. I'm in Charlotte, NC and installed my Zenith Zoysia lawn in 2008. Before seeding, I rototilled 3" of compost into the native red clay to 8" depth. After the second summer, I've only watered 1-2x per summer. This summer I did not water at all. I topdress in July with 1/2" compost and apply Milorganite in August. I mow my leaves into the lawn. No other fertilizing, nor weed control. I mow 2-3x per month at 3/4" height and it looks pristine.
By contrast, my neighbors did zero soil prep. They have Fescue that they water daily, fertilize every 6 weeks, apply pre&post-emergent weed control, fungicide in August and aerate & overseed their burned out lawns every September.
*My education is in Ornamental Horticulture, then back to school for business (about 4yrs behind @GregPhillips.22). I understand the value of soil-building first and choosing the appropriate lawn type for the climate zone. I was a design-build landscape construction contractor for over 20yrs with an emphasis on "Intelligent Design." None of my landscapes here in Charlotte required irrigation systems.
3 minutes I will never get back
LOL!!
Yeah sure years ago I followed the mulch leaves into the lawn BS……killed the grass and wound up with a lawn of mud……if there are not many leaves yes ….lawn clippings yes….Otherwise clear them off…..
I don't bag grass or leaves. I have the best-looking lawn in town!
What species of grass do you haver?
@@GregPhillips.22 Tall Fescue
I will have to pass, im bagging, lawn looks SO much better
If you do it right with mulching blades and the discharge on the mower blocked you'll never go back to bagging.
@@ssom06 Not on 1/2in bermuda
@@kkevinj1 Yes, you'd really have to keep on it with 1/2in mowing height or mulch some/rake some. I have zoysia at 3/4" & mow all leaves into it 2x per week. But my leaf load is low on the lawn. Tricky to balance heavy/deep leaf load with low mowing height.
That said, I have rental homes with 3" tall fescue and heavy load of maple & white oak leaves where I only mulch & never rake that look great.
appreciate this thread. Like the exchange of ideas, experiences and views! Let folks know your viewpoint, experiences so they can make the best decision for what works for them!