Iowa Can Save Time This Year By Skipping The Fall Leaf Raking

The leaves just don't seem to stop falling in Iowa.  They fall and we rake.  And the wind blows all the neighbor's leaves in the yard, and we rake.

There is a better way for people to stop breaking their backs every weekend.

Iowa Wants Green Yards All Summer

You spent all summer keeping your lawn green and pristine.  Now all those pesky leaves are covering your lawn.  But those "pesky leaves" will actually help your green lawn next spring and summer.

The University of Minnesota says you can either rake them up with a rake or blower.  Use the bagging attachment on your mower. Or...

The Best Way To "Rake" Your Leaves In Iowa

Mulch the leaves.  That's right.  Drop the rake and start that mower one more time.  You'll save your back and the bags.

The turfgrass science department says:

The nutrients and organic matter will benefit the lawn and soil.  Some leaf types have been shown to reduce weed seed germination when mulched into a lawn canopy (maples, others).  The leaves of some particular tree species (legumes like honey locust, others) might actually add a significant amount of nitrogen to lawns because these species fix nitrogen from the atmosphere just like soybeans, so higher leaf nitrogen contents in these leaves is possible.

While mulching the leaves is ideal, you can even skip that step and just let them lay where they are.

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The Chesapeake Bay Foundation says you can save time, your back, and lawn mower gas money by not even firing up the mower.  Just let the leaves stay where they are.

While your neighbors that are picking up every leaf in their yard this fall, and then dumping chemicals on it in the spring to help it grow, may not like that when the wind carries your leaves to their yard, it will actually be helping them out.  So do them, and yourself a favor, and drop the rake and enjoy your weekend.