Tired of raking leaves? Science says you really don’t have to

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) — Tired of raking those leaves from your yard, don’t, at least not all of them. Science says you don’t have to!

It’s that time of year when the leaves take on those vibrant colors before they fall to the ground. Thanks to the dry and cool weather, this is happening a little earlier than normal.

“We see thirty to forty percent of the tree canopy on the ground,” landscape designer Chris Trower said.

Many of us don’t like to rake our gardens, but the good news is science says you really don’t have to.

“The leaves, in small amounts, if chopped into a mulch, are actually beneficial to the soil,” Trower said.

You can chop these leaves by adding a special blade to your mower.

“You’re probably going to want to buy a serrated mulching blade,” Trower said.

As for the benefits, here are three:

“It creates moisture, it creates organic matter, an injection of nutrients, and then it creates a barrier to keep the grass warm through the freezing cycle, as we go into winter,” Trower said. .

Garden creatures, such as insects, salamanders and frogs, also benefit from these leaves. They use them as habitat.

As for the leaves you remove, you can add them to your garden or use them as mulch around trees.

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