Let your lawn breathe easy

Lawns need a few basic elements to grow and be healthy:

Water
Sun
Oxygen
Nutrients

Like everything in life, when elements get out of balance, problems start brewing.

One factor that can brew trouble for your grass is autumn leaves blanketing the ground. Since they can’t break down quickly, leaves build a mat that smothers your grass.

This is troublesome because even though grass growth slows in the winter, it’s root system is still alive, collecting nutrients and sustaining itself to make it to spring. Grass covered by leaves can’t achieve the right balance and instead is exposed to too much moisture and not enough sunlight and oxygen, especially after spring arrives.

The result can be fungus and grass that stops growing. Thick blankets of leaves harbor spiders and other insects. Spores on leaves left to sit come alive during spring rains and infect trees and other nearby plants with diseases such as anthracnose, rust, and powdery mildew.

No wonder leaf cleanup is such a big part of autumn. But don’t reach for the rake just yet.

If you have just a few small trees, you may not need to rake. Instead, mow the leaves when they’re dry to make them into mulch. The finer the chop, the quicker the organic material can be absorbed and used by the soil.

If you have large, mature trees that put off a lot of leaves, you may also be able to use a mower affixed with a bagging attachment instead of raking. Be prepared to empty the bag many times since there is so much air in the leaves. Mow when the leaves are dry for the best results.

Shawnee County Solid Waste will collect up to 15 bags of yard waste during normal pickup. Just make sure to bag it before putting it out for collection.

You can also let us do your fall clean up for you. We can get everything cleared away and ready for next spring!