When I was a little girl, I lived with my mom in a lovely townhome in Southeast Michigan, about twenty minutes west of Detroit. We did not have many trees except for the wild apple orchard next to our complex.
The trees we did have were maintained by a landscape company. The kids in the neighborhood rarely got to play in the leaf piles because the company did the fall clean-ups as soon as the leaves dropped.
Later in life, I married a landscaper, and we bought a home near West Bloomfield in the Lakes Area of Oakland County with many mature trees in our yard as well as in our neighbors’ yards. There are so many lakes, trees, and wildlife in this area, and it is truly magnificent. Here are some of the trees we have in our yard:
- Oak
- Maple
- Arborvitae
- River Birch
- Birch
- Red Maple
- American Elm
- Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)
As you might imagine, with that many trees surrounding my home, it produces a lot of leaves to clean up in the fall, so we must do the clean-ups in stages.
I would often request that we cover our flower beds with the leaves and mulch them up to fertilize the lawn instead of having to bag an enormous amount of leaves. In fact, when it is all said and done, we typically have twenty-plus lawn and leaf bags filled to the rim!
Let’s see what the experts have to say. According to Integrity Nursery and Outdoor Living, here are some of the pros and cons of mulching leaves versus bagging leaves, “Raking leaves is never a favorite fall chore, and bagging them can be a back-breaking endeavor.
PROS:
Fast disposal of all leaves, even huge piles.
Great cardiovascular exercise.
Keeps turf exposed so grass will not smother or rot.
Creates a cleaner, neater appearance and better curb appeal.
Decorative bags (pumpkins, ghosts, spiders) can be fun fall lawn décor.
CONS:
Requires much more intensive physical labor.
More expensive with purchasing bags and possible pickup or disposal fees.
Removes the nutrients decaying leaves would provide as nourishment to the lawn.
Mulching Leaves
Running a mulching lawn mower over fallen leaves is a fast, easy way to shred leaves and encourage their decomposition, but easier isn’t always better.
PROS:
Easier labor to mow over leaves rather than rake them up.
Shredded leaves will break down faster to absorb into the lawn.
Mulched leaves can be ideal for covering flowerbeds or gardens.
Decomposing leaves block weeds and improve soil quality.
Backyard wildlife can feed on leaf litter or use it for winter nests.
CONS:
Mulching may need repeating as more leaves fall, as mowing large piles can clog the mower.
Mulching is not effective on pine needles, which would still need raking.
One pass may not be enough to break leaves down, requiring extra time and labor,”.
Some cons I have noticed when I don’t bag the leaves are that mold grows in the corners of my flower beds, and poison ivy seems to grow out of the leaf piles near the trees. Since I am highly allergic to poison ivy and my sons and I are allergic to mold, these are huge cons!
Mower height for mulching leaves
When I could get my landscaper spouse to mulch the leaves with his commercial lawn mower, which had a 36-inch deck, he would set the mower height to around two to three inches, always ensuring that the blades were sharp.
Before we had kids, if we were bagging the leaves, we would first make leaf piles big enough for our beloved dogs—Josi and Roxy — to jump and play in. Dogs also love the sound of crunchy leaves under their paws and playing in the piles, just like children do. Once we had our sons, we did the same for them.
As the boys grew older, they would help their dad with the fall clean-ups, so I no longer had to do that physical, laborious work. Instead, I would be doing laborious work like laundry or something else inside while preparing a nice warm comfort food dinner for us to eat once they finished cleaning up leaves for the day.
Fast forward to today, with one son who is twenty and the other almost seventeen, they now get to do the fall clean-ups for their middle-aged mama. Their dad and I got divorced, and I am not able nor do I want to do that type of work anymore.
Furthermore, we no longer have the commercial-grade lawn equipment and tools we used when our family landscaping company operated out of our home. In the divorce agreement, their father bought the business, and naturally, the equipment came with it as part of the package deal.
Can you use whole leaves as mulch
As my trees continue to grow and mature, I have more leaves than ever before. Plus, it is a lot of work for my sons to use the small lawn mower and one battery-operated blower, compared to having two gas-powered backpack blowers, one rolling gas-powered blower, and a 36-inch commercial lawn mower.
I am considering purchasing a riding lawn mower with a mulching unit so that once they eventually move out, I can do the job myself. Until then, I would like to know if we can use whole leaves as mulch.
The Laidback Gardener answers if you can use whole leaves as mulch in the following way, “Yes and no.
Small leaves (those of birches, willows, elms, etc.) make a very good mulch even without shredding, as they form a fairly light and fluffy layer that allows plenty of air circulation, just what you’d want in a mulch.
The problem is mainly with large leaves (like those of maples, oaks, planes, etc.). These leaves sometimes seem settle flat one on top of the other, even interlocking. This creates a barrier that makes it difficult for garden plants to sprout through in spring. Also, this same dense accumulation also reduces air and water circulation, notably reducing the air circulation to the roots of plants: never a good thing. It also reduces the efficiency of soil microbes, the ones that enrich the soil by decomposing fallen leaves.
A whole leaf mulch can sometimes be the opposite of a good mulch: heavy and dense rather than light and airy,”.
Pros and cons of mulching leaves
In conclusion, mulching leaves can be a smart, eco-friendly choice—but it’s not one-size-fits-all. Consider your yard’s needs, equipment, tree types, and allergies before diving into leaf management.