How many mulched leaves can a lawn take?

[pepper]

As an obvious example. On one side of my front area, next to the huge circle of rhodos and the line of Forthia there is a patch of ground, about 20 feet by 10, I just leave the leaves there all winter/spring etc, and basicly all grass is gone. Its an obsure place rarely traveled in. So I rest my case, Leaves on grass, kills grass. How much can you leave, I know there are some in the process of me cutting them up and sucking them up in the riding more to the bags, but in general very little is left behind.

The reason for that is because if you just let the leaves sit on the grass it will deprive the grass of light. When you mulch you are turning the leaves basically into confetti. It's the same reason it takes a pile of leaves a long long... long time to compost but if you mulch them it will compost quickly. If leaving mulched grass and leaves killed lawns obviously no one would do it but many people do.

 

[pepper]

There are things that suck about it though. If you always leave the mulched leaves and especially grass on the lawn and you have dogs and/or kids they will track it into the house when they come in from playing outside. And it also doesn't look great for the time it takes to decompose into the lawn as apposed to using a bag to collect it on the mower. But there are pros and cons to everything in life, it's not that big of a deal.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

The reason for that is because if you just let the leaves sit on the grass it will deprive the grass of light. When you mulch you are turning the leaves basically into confetti. It's the same reason it takes a pile of leaves a long long... long time to compost but if you mulch them it will compost quickly. If leaving mulched grass and leaves killed lawns obviously no one would do it but many people do.

But of couse, I know that, I am just responding to the folks that say leaves are good for the lawn, they are not totally, but very little will not hurt them. If I only mulched my leaves an left them there ----just the mulch would be a solid 2-3 inches all over.

 

[pepper]

But of couse, I know that, I am just responding to the folks that say leaves are good for the lawn, they are not totally, but very little will not hurt them. If I only mulched my leaves an left them there ----just the mulch would be a solid 2-3 inches all over.

But that's the thing. Come fall once the leaves start to fall the grass has stopped growing here but I keep cutting otherwise my mower would never get through all the leaves. By the time all the leaves have fallen from all my trees and I have them all mulched up there is at least 3 inches of leaf confetti in the area of the lawn I didn't put in the garden and compost. Then after the snow in the spring it is still there but after I go over it then a couple more times it disappears. I have a giant old maple tree in my yard that was there before this house was built and about a 40 foot elm tree as well as a bunch of fruit and nut trees so trust me I get as many leaves in my yard as any anyone lol.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

But that's the thing. Come fall once the leaves start to fall the grass has stopped growing here but I keep cutting otherwise my mower would never get through all the leaves. By the time all the leaves have fallen from all my trees and I have them all mulched up there is at least 3 inches of leaf confetti in the area of the lawn I didn't put in the garden and compost. Then after the snow in the spring it is still there but after I go over it then a couple more times it disappears. I have a giant old maple tree in my yard that was there before this house was built and about a 40 foot elm tree as well as a bunch of fruit and nut trees so trust me I get as many leaves in my yard as any anyone lol.

I get more leaves that you. I have 16 , 180 foot tall canopy trees that drop leaves in my front yard alone. And my neighbors leaves blow into our front yard also, he has 8, 180 foot tall canopy trees on the edge .

 

[l008com]

I get more leaves that you. I have 16 , 180 foot tall canopy trees that drop leaves in my front yard alone. And my neighbors leaves blow into our front yard also, he has 8, 180 foot tall canopy trees on the edge .

And you mulch all that up with a lawn mower and don't have any problems?

 

[pepper]

I get more leaves that you. I have 16 , 180 foot tall canopy trees that drop leaves in my front yard alone. And my neighbors leaves blow into our front yard also, he has 8, 180 foot tall canopy trees on the edge .

It's impossible to tell since neither of us knows the size of land each other's trees are on. For example if you have 5 trees the exact same size spread out across an area the size of a football field and 5 in an area the size of a tennis court even though the amount of leaves would be the same, the amount in the small area would have much more density.

But all I ment was you said you would end up with 2-3 inches of mulched leaves all over and I was saying I have at least that after it's mulched and it doesn't hurt the grass at all and gets eaten up by the microbes in the ground rather quickly. I have to believe the only time that someone could have "too much" is when they can no longer get through it without the lawnmower stalling out.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

It's impossible to tell since neither of us knows the size of land each other's trees are on. For example if you have 5 trees the exact same size spread out across an area the size of a football field and 5 in an area the size of a tennis court even though the amount of leaves would be the same, the amount in the small area would have much more density.

But all I ment was you said you would end up with 2-3 inches of mulched leaves all over and I was saying I have at least that after it's mulched and it doesn't hurt the grass at all and gets eaten up by the microbes in the ground rather quickly. I have to believe the only time that someone could have "too much" is when they can no longer get through it without the lawnmower stalling out.

It does hurt the grass. I will continue getting my leaves up.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

And you mulch all that up with a lawn mower and don't have any problems?

I do a few things, blow into piles with a blower and drag piles to the woods. and sometime go around an mulch with the ridding mower, and suck up the cut leaves in the baskets behind it, then dumping those baskets in the woods. Depends on my mood for the day, or energy level which I do.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Picture is taken from the street. just showing the front yard, of course the driveway to the left is cut off and the ground on the other side of the driveway, as is some is cut off on the right side, the big rhodo area, tw of them. Anf you can also see all the trees in the back of the house. This is spring, by now leaves are taken up.

 

[pepper]

It does hurt the grass. I will continue getting my leaves up.

We can agree to disagree. To be honest I am probably bias about it anyway because usually when people are in awe of something it is a flower garden or house, veggie garden or things like that. To me all lawns look the same as long as they are green and cut. I've never passed a home and thought to myself who cares about that beautiful flower garden, look at that grass! It's green and cut just like every other lawn... Wow, amazing!!

 

[l008com]

Picture is taken from the street. just showing the front yard, of course the driveway to the left is cut off and the ground on the other side of the driveway, as is some is cut off on the right side, the big rhodo area, tw of them. Anf you can also see all the trees in the back of the house. This is spring, by now leaves are taken up. View attachment 98268

I would imagine with that much tree canopy in your yard, you're grass is going to have trouble growing well no matter what you do with the leaves, with all the shade that's going to give you. I actually have no trees over my yard. All my leaves come from some small maples around the edges, and ginormous oaks on my neighbors yards. I'm definitely going to try just mulching this fall and seeing how that works for me. I bet it will work really well in the back. I suspect it may be too much for my mower to properly mulch in the front. But my front yard is very tiny so I can deal with raking or leaf blowing if I have to. I think I'm repeating myself in most of this reply

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Folks, forgot to mention, its not just leaves, but sticks and small branches that fall. Before I can cut the grass I take the wheel barrel around, after 2 full loads of sticks off to the burn pile. And after a storm, its out again collecing branches. Yes, we do get grass, we find the seed that is for shade, however we also get some mosses, mushrooms, wild violets , can't fight it all. But one good thing, I only cut the grass once a month.

 

[pepper]

I would imagine with that much tree canopy in your yard, you're grass is going to have trouble growing well no matter what you do with the leaves, with all the shade that's going to give you.

I find it actually works out better with shade. The part of my back yard that is shaded with trees never gets brown from lack of rain like the lawns that get full sun.. unless people water them. When it does rain heavy it soaks right down and soon dries from the warm breeze just like the garden. I've no idea what kind of grass I have so maybe some types doesn't handle shade well. Although if I had to pick between my trees and my grass I'd order a few tons of white sand to make a zen garden. Only problem is I would have to rake the leaves then lol.

 

[oneeye]

Leaves contain high levels of carbon and small amounts of nitrogen. The microbes that decompose leaves and other types of organic matter require nitrogen for their own metabolism and growth. As long as there is an adequate amount of nitrogen and If the carbon doesn't exceeds the proper portion of protein then adding leaves can be helpful. However if carbon exceeds the proper ratio it can do more damage and cause yellow spots in the yard during the rainy season.