Is Mulching Leaves Good for Your Lawn?

When fall comes, trees shred their golden leaves, and piles of leaves cover your ground. If you are worried about raking leaves and looking for proper disposal with tons of hard work, then don’t be. There is a better solution.

The arrival of mulching blades in the market and on your lawn has made it easy to mulch the leaves and grass instead of pilling it up and getting rid of them in form of trash.

Yes, you can mulch these leaves into your lawn. These can also be used as fillers for the compost piles and in planting beds. Now you must be concerned “Is mulching leaves good for your lawn or not?”

Let’s deep dive into it:

Are Mulched Leaves Good for Grass? Can Leaves Be Used as Mulch?

When it comes to the question “Is mowing leaves good for your lawn?” The simple answer is yes. Mulching tree leaves is 100 percent beneficial for the health of the grass on your lawn. Leaves are free organic matter, and it is beneficial to use them on the same land from where they were originated.

The Nutrients in dry leaves are basically nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium which are present in leaves in an amount of 1, 0.1, 0.3 on a dry weight basis. Additionally, the nutrients in dry leaves that are present in minute amounts are carbon, magnesium, sulfur, boron, iron, manganese, zinc, sodium, chlorine, copper, cobalt, and nickel.

These nutrients are very beneficial to your lawn when it comes to mulching.  Because mulched leaves leach out these nutrients on decomposition.

So, now you know leaves are rich in nutrients, easily available, and free of cost, so they can be a good source for mulching.

Moreover, the earthworms and microorganisms decompose the leaves and turn them into a usable organic material which in turn increases soil fertility and provides insulation to the soil.

Another side benefit that comes is the weed barrier that mulch provides.

Summary

To conclude, When you go to mow your lawn, you can opt not to throw away your tree’s fallen leaves. After all, when it comes to fertilizer for plants, nitrogen is vital for the growth of most vegetation types. So by mulching the fallen tree leaves into your lawn, you’re essentially getting free 2% high-nitrogen fertilizer from a natural source!

Learn to decide on mulching or bagging leaves, which one is better from the video down below

To make it more clearly here is another video I found in this context of our discussion helpful:

Pros and Cons of Mulching Leaves

From the above pros and cons of mulching leaves it is clear that leaves mulch pros are more and better in all situations.

So when the question comes “Is mulching leaves bad for your lawn” then simply it is not that bad as leaf mulching provides nutrients to your lawn naturally and saves you both money and time doing the laborious work of compiling leaves and everything.

You just have to do a few things right like mulching properly, keeping best mower height for mulching leaves, maintaining the mulch thickness, frequently doing mowing, etc. And the leaf mulching benefits will surely come to your lawn.

How Much Leaf Mulch Is Too Much?

The leaf mulch should fall in between the blades of grass in a way that it doesn’t hide grass so the grass can breathe easily and take sunlight to make its own food through photosynthesis. Making a layer of leaf mulch over grass with a thickness of 2.5-3 inches is enough and efficient.

And if you want to 3-inch leaf mulch thickness throughout your lawn and don’t know how to calculate to maintain the evenness throughout your lawn then follow this thumb rule:

Prepare a bag of mulch that has a volume of 1m³ . This bag will be enough for an area of 12m² maintaining the mulch thickness of 3 inches evenly on all lawn surfaces.

Should I Mulch or Bag Leaves?

You should preferably mulch them. Most of the tree leaves carry two percent of the nitrogen that is required by all plants. If you are mulching leaves, it means you are providing them with natural nitrogen fertilizer.

By mulching, your lawn will give a greener look than others who don’t.  

According to PJ Publish, the bagging of leaves occupies more space and produces methane gas when decomposing with other organic matter. As a result, greenhouse gases will be produced that will cause climate change. Also, you will have to do a lot of work to rake all leaves, pile them up and wait for the proper disposal or trashing.

In other words, mulching leaves is also good for the environment as it prevents the litter of leaves.

Keep in mind that mulching leaves is only beneficial when you mulch right with a lawn mower.

Does Mulching Leaves Affect Soil Property?

 When I mulched leaves on the land, it didn’t cause any negative effect on the lawn. As you can see in the picture below and the condition of my lawn:

There is always a myth that soil becomes acidic due to the use of mulching leaves. Even after using the leaves as mulch consecutively for 5 seasons, it didn’t change my soil pH. In fact, it gave good health to the soil.

The fallen leaves are a good source of nutrients throughout the year as they decompose slowly and constantly.

Simultaneously, it increases soil’s property by keeping it porous, spongy, and moist.

Is Mulching Leaves Good for Winter?

There comes a change in temperature after fall (during winter). When fallen leaves are cut into smaller ones (mulched), they form insulation. So, the grass on your lawn is saved from harsh temperature changes.

It is a free-of-cost fertilizer. The layer of mulching leaves acts as protection from winters.

It also protects the grass from freeze damage.

Is Mulching Leaves Good for Rainy Season?

With heavy rains, soil nutrients are leached down. Most of these nutrients are soluble in water so they ran off with rainwater. But if you have mulched your lawn, it will act as a storehouse of nutrients.

If you are worrying that mulching leaves will suppress the beauty of your lawn because fallen leaves will give a rough look to your lawn, then don’t be.

With the help of a good mulching lawnmower, fallen leaves are cut into smaller ones. These leaves get mixed with grass and become invisible.

If you are still reluctant to mulch your whole lawn, just do one part of it. you will observe that part of the lawn is healthier than the one which received no mulched leaves.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Should you mulch leaves in the fall?

Fallen leaves are good for mulching. They are a good source of nitrogen. Mulching the leaves in the fall will increase the properties of the soil. Additionally, they will also improve grass growth.

Does mulching leaves harm lawn?

If you create a thick layer of mulching leaves, it can be harmful to the lawn. In contrast to it, if you mulch them properly with a mulching mower and create small leaf bits, it will improve the health of your grass. These leaflets will be merged in between grass blades and provide nutrition to them.

How to make mulch with leaves?

It is quite easier to make leaf mulch. At first, you just collect fallen leaves with the help of a blower or rack. Then filter out the healthier ones and discard the diseased ones. Then shred those leaves all over your lawn. With the help of a lawnmower, cut leaves into leaflets and let them merge in between grass blades. And here the mulch with leaves is ready.

Can I mulch leaves with my lawn mower?

No matter, what type of mower you are using, by adjusting its height and blade, you can mulch leaves. Although, it will take several turns to do so.

Should I mulch my leaves into the lawn?

Yes, it is better to use leaves for mulching from the same lawn they were originated. It will increase soil fertility. The cycle will be repeated, and the lawn will be healthier.

What to do with mulched leaves?

If mulched leaves are present in abundance, then you can use them in flower beds, and an excess of it can be added to the compost bin.

Does mulching leaves help lawn?

Yes, it helps the lawn in various ways. It removes larger leaves and cuts them into smaller ones. Hence, the beauty of your lawn is restored with decomposed and dried leaves. Overall giving a healthy and clean look to your lawn.

Is mulching leaves good for grass?

Yes, mulching leaves are good for grass as it saves grass from the harsh environment and provides nutrients to it. Moreover, it prevents grass from weeds and helps in the growth of grass.