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To Rake Leaves Or Keep Them
In autumn or fall months, it’s common for people to rake leaves. It’s when the foliage of deciduous plants and trees change colors or sheds. Yet some decide to leave them where they are. This is why some yards look organized while others appear messy. Is it worth it to gather fallen leaves and get rid of them later or let them stay where they are? As it turns out, there are several reasons why going for either is helpful. So, before you clean your garden, consider the pros and cons of taking out and leaving leaves first.
In this post, we’ll take a look at the benefits you could in clearing dead leaves and if you don’t rake leaves. Also, we’ll check the disadvantages of both perspectives. Still, included are pointers to develop a genius way to rake leaves and how to use fallen or dried foliage. Hence, keep reading to learn more about leaf raking.
If You Don’t Rake Leaves
A lot of people don’t bother to know the best way to rake leaves because they leave them in their yards. Many believe that doing so contributes to having a healthier garden. Also, people say that retaining dried foliage helps improve the environment somehow. Either way, a detached leaf or a bunch of them decompose. When that happens, they release carbon dioxide back into the air. Because of their number, they often scatter and make a land look unkempt. It’s appealing to some people but isn’t great for everyone. So you have some benefits and drawbacks if you don’t collect fallen autumn foliage.
Leaf litters also attract a lot of insects and even microorganisms. These eat the dead leaves and, as a result of that, return nutrients to the ground. Detritivores or arthropods feed on dead matter prefer and look for them. It’s the same with the bacterial and fungal decomposers of nature. After these creatures and microorganisms eat, they release nutrients back. To be specific, they release essential nutrients such as carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen. These help plants thrive. We can say that not picking up dead leaves can be a natural way to keep the surroundings well. So it doesn’t always apply to know a genius way to rake leaves.
If You Rake Leaves
Contrary to what others do, many folks search for the best way to rake leaves. One of the main reasons why gardeners collect leaf litter is to make their yards clear. In many ways, having a cleaner garden is better. Without dead leaves, several plants and even grass can “breathe” better. It avoids overfeeding or overwatering greenery that causes plant suffocation. When small plants and large shrubs can function well, it also means that they are more beneficial. Taking out dead fall foliage aids in having a neat yard, fresh air, and healthy vegetation. So it’s typical for many gardeners to use a genius way to rake leaves when fall months arrive.
Doing this is a cleaner approach to gardening than if you don’t rake leaves. Plus, it allows movement on the part of the gardener. Leaf raking makes people exercise and it’s a healthy activity. Also, it helps remove organic matter that may cause diseases to surface in plants. Still, getting rid of fallen leaves may make some plants and even grass grow better. After all, it eliminates debris that can obstruct sunlight from reaching vegetation. Without leaf litter, a garden would have better nutrient and moisture control. Hence, as part of their routine gardening tasks, people collect dead foliage. This often occurs before wintertime, but there’s also raking during spring and summer.
Benefits If You Don’t Rake Leaves
The best way to rake leaves doesn’t matter to some people and that’s fine somehow. It’s only because dead foliage contributes to a healthy garden too. As described, it can serve as a component of mulch and fertilizer. Keeping them where they fell allows them to decompose and fertilize the ground. Take note that foliage of herbs, shrubs, and trees contains a lot of beneficial minerals. Hence, they can enhance the soil condition of gardens. As mulch, dried leaves can also feed the soil and even the creatures like earthworms there. Still, their presence helps keep soil compact and prevents or addresses weed invasion.
In the long run, not raking leaves can help with biomass emissions and other problems. Leaving them in the ground aids in reducing the number of foliage gathered in landfills. Bear in mind that having too many piles increases methane production. This gas is flammable and reduces the oxygen in the air. Not gathering leaf litter also discourages burning leaves that pollutes the air. Burn foliage releases fine dust, ash, and microscopic particles that can harm humans. Thus it’s sensible why so many don’t rake leaves at home.
Advantages Of Leaf Raking
You’re doing good when you rake leaves too. In that way, you declutter your yard. It’s not only messy but also dangerous when you leave your garden in disarray. With scattered debris, seeing plants becomes difficult. You may also step on sharp objects when you have poor yard visibility. Hence, there is no doubt that cleaning your garden by removing the fallen leaves is a sensible thing to do too.
Dried foliage on the ground can carry lots of plant pathogens. Small creatures that eat dead organic matter are after these things too. This is why people find a genius way to rake leaves. It’s to keep their yard healthy, productive, and free of unwanted objects. Doing so improves self-confidence since it’s great to see a maintained property. Still, gathering dead leaves makes it possible to build mulch or fertilizer. So you won’t have to buy compost and have things for your potting mix when you collect leaf litter.
Do This Instead of Raking Dead Foliage
If you wish to let the dried leaves from your small, medium, and large plants and trees stay in your yard, be strategic. Since they can indeed accumulate germs plus particles, and attract pests, chop them up. Cutting the leaves makes them easier to decay and get used by the soil. To get them sliced, using a lawn mower can help. Trimmed autumn leaves make free and excellent mulch and fertilizer, after all. So it’s why leaving dead foliage also appeals to some expert gardeners.
To make them manageable, you could try to spread them out. This also helps make garden surfaces even. At least, with this approach, you can also leave the dried foliage to the bugs and animal critters that need them. That is to say, doing this can help preserve the natural ecosystem of your garden. This method can also help you keep the moisture underneath the leaves almost even. That would be for the plants beneath the dead foliage. It’s also sometimes best to ignore scattered leaf litter due to the mushrooms that appear. These fungi break down organic matter and give soil more nutrients. Thus the best way to rake leaves isn’t always necessary for some gardeners.
Have A Genius Way To Rake Leaves
There are different styles that you can use to rake leaves. In most cases, folks use a tool that can sweep the ground to get rid of the dispersed clumps of leaf litter. In modern times, homeowners and even professionals use electronic leaf blowers too. Because it gets the job of getting leaves removed faster, using both things makes a lot of sense. We can even say that it’s the best way to rake leaves. With them, you can gather leaves and level the ground. That is while accessing difficult-to-reach areas and finding fine cuttings. So going for manual raking and leaf blowing is quite ideal.
Another genius way to rake leaves is to follow the wind’s direction. Be efficient and welcome all the help you can get. Instead of putting everything in a plastic bag or wheelbarrow for disposal, use a tarp. Sweep the dried leaves there and stomp on them so the wind won’t scatter them once more. On the tarp, it would be easier to put them in one pile. Yet make sure that you have a secured spot to gather the fallen autumn foliage. Schedule raking your lawn if you have to and try to divide your yard into different sections too. It’s to avoid ending up being too exhausted. If needed, also shred the leaf litter. Dead leaves are easier to sweep when they are lighter. Thus be practical and you’ll be able to get things right.
To Sum Up
As a gardener, you have the option to rake leaves or otherwise. Depending on your lawn, either activity can help you with home improvement. Also, there are advantages and disadvantages to both approaches anyway. Hence, going for either is a sound decision. The former is usually laborious and challenging yet gets a lawn clean and tidy. The latter can appear messy but brings benefits to a garden environment. So it’s a matter of trying something and seeing if it works. Every situation is different.
We hope that you learned a lot from reading our post about leaving fallen leaves alone and getting rid of them. What’s your take on the matter? Let us know your opinion in the comments section below. For now, thanks for checking this and we wish to see you in our next entry.