Leaf Removal vs. Leaf Mulching

Leaf removal is just something that we do automatically every Fall. But what are we really doing? If you said throwing away perfectly good mulch and fertilizer, you would be right.

Leaf mulching is the way to go! Did you know that a leaf mulching program can actually save you money? Think about it. Every Fall, free mulch falls from the sky. It's a mess right? You contact a landscaper. You pay good money have your leaves raked up and hauled away to the dump. And then, the following Spring, you pay the same people to buy mulch from a store and place it around your trees and planting beds. Traditional leaf removal is a huge waste of organic material.

Loughridge Landscapes can shred your leaves and spread them on your landscape beds and around your trees. Shredded leaves make a great mulch and compost easily. They break down quickly, releasing beneficial nutrients into the soil. They allow more air and moisture to penetrate the soil than uncut leaves do. And like other properly applied mulches, they help to inhibit weed seed germanation.

Shredded leaves are not only good for your bedding plants, they are great for your lawn as well. In the Fall, even though grass growth has slowed, make sure to cut up the leaves on weekly basis. Try to cut leaves when they are dry for best results. A dry leaf will reduce into much smaller pieces. Wet leaves may have to be raked. Also, make sure to vary your mowing pattern on each cut. Leaves on turfgrass that are cut up by a mower help to add organic matter to the soil and fertilize your lawn. Fertilizer rates can therefore be reduced.

Besides being a mess, unshredded leaves break down slowly. If allowed to sit too long, uncut leaves can kill grass and other small plants.