While I’m a big fan of the fall season, there’s one part I could happily do without: raking leaves. So last year, I hung up my rake and skipped this dreaded annual tradition, which, living in New England, felt like breaking some sort of unwritten law. But guess what? My lawn didn’t die, I had more time for fall activities and the world kept turning. Beyond saving time and energy, there are plenty of other benefits when you don’t rake your leaves that really make this choice a no-brainer. Read on to learn more about why you should stop raking your leaves in the fall with insights from Julie Dellinger of Garden for Wildlife.
Maybe the Leaves Aren’t the Problem
While evidence of humans using rakes dates back thousands of years, it wasn’t until turfgrass lawns appeared in suburban neighborhoods in the 1950s that leaf removal became a staple of American lawn care. Manicured yards became the new status symbol, and leaves were not an acceptable part of the “perfect” lawn.
But, like many mid-century ideas, the belief that every leaf needs to be removed from your lawn has not aged well and deserves a modern update. The truth is, if you don’t rake your leaves, you won’t ruin your yard; in fact, you might even improve it.
Why Raking is the Worst
Raking leaves into piles, putting them in bags and driving them to the dump only to do it all over again next year? No, thank you. This is an act of futility I just cannot get behind. Not to mention it’s a dusty and dirty job.
It’s also surprisingly strenuous, with lots of repetitive motions and heavy lifting. This can lead to back strains, pulled muscles and cardiac events, not to mention allergy attacks from the dust and debris.
Raking leaves also disrupts important insect habitats and reduces biodiversity. “Insects overwinter in the leaf litter and some of them become a food source for birds when other sources of food become scarce,” Dellinger says. “It’s a critically important part of the ecosystem! Unfortunately, many homeowners rake up the leaves and throw them away to make their yards look neat and tidy.”
In this pursuit, we’re filling up our landfills, with American homeowners sending over 10 million tons of yard trimmings to local municipal sold waste centers in 2018 alone.
Why Leaving Leaves is a Better Alternative
When you don’t rake your leaves, you not only free up your valuable time, avoid injury, improve native biodiversity and reduce landfill fodder, you potentially benefit your lawn. Decomposed leaves add useful organic material and nutrients to the soil, which improves its health and structure. Leaf litter can also reduce erosion on hillsides by acting as a protective barrier for the soil. Instead of hurting your lawn, you’re actually helping it when you don’t rake your leaves.
When You Can’t Leave All the Leaves
While I am fully subscribed to the idea of not raking my leaves at all, I do need to note that if the majority of your lawn is covered in a thick layer of leaves, you’re going to have to do something about it. Thick leaf cover will kill your grass if left to decompose over the winter and can encourage snow mold to develop.
If this is the case, consider a middle-ground approach instead of removing every leaf from your yard. Try raking most of your leaves and leaving any late-season stragglers behind, for example.
Another option is to rake leaves onto garden beds to spare your grass, suppress weeds and create a winter habitat for beneficial insects. “If you can’t leave all of the leaves, designating a specific section of your yard to keep them can make a big difference,” Dellinger says. “We’ve even heard from customers who dump the leaves in their garden to form a natural mulch and preserve the benefits to wildlife without upsetting the HOA or their nearby neighbors.”
About the Expert
- Julie Dellinger is a marketing director and content creator at Garden for Wildlife, a National Wildlife Federation program that promotes native gardening education.
Sources
United States Environmental Protection Agency. Nation Overview: Facts and Figures on Materials, Wastes and Recycling. (2024)
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