(Editor’s Note: The following article was submitted by Wright County.)

Raking leaves is one of those fall chores that most people likely aren’t thrilled about doing, especially if they have an abundance of trees. It seems that this time of year the question that always arises is if it’s really necessary. The short answer to that question is that it depends on the situation, but here are the specifics.

The first thing to consider is how much turf grass is covered in leaves and leaf debris. A lawn can likely handle a 10-20 percent leaf debris coverage, but any more than that can cause significant issues. If the lawn is completely covered, the turf grass would be smothered next spring and therefore unable to grow. A thick covering of leaves can also promote snow mold diseases which can kill off the lawn as well.

If there is a less significant coverage, one great option is mulching the leaves. Mulching and leaving the leaf debris can have many advantages to the soil and lawn. Some leaf types have been shown to reduce weed seed germination when mulched into a lawn canopy (maples and others). The leaves of some particular tree species (legumes like honey locust and others) might actually add a significant amount of nitrogen to lawns because these species fix nitrogen from the atmosphere so higher leaf nitrogen contents in these leaves is possible. More information on these concepts can be found at www.Extension.umn.edu. It’s important to consider the final percentage of the lawn that is covered after mulching to avoid the issues mentioned above.

If mulching is not an option due to the volume of leaves, consider using a bagging attachment for a  mower to pick them up, or simply rake the leaves. Composting leaf material is a great idea. Leaves and grass clippings both make excellent additions to a home compost pile. If there are any disease issues in the trees or other plants with leaves, do not add those leaves to the compost pile, and do not leave them on the lawn, mulched or whole. Many bacterial and fungal diseases can stick around on the leaf debris and then re-infect the plant next year.

For additional questions about trees, leaves or lawn, visit the University of Minnesota Extension website, or reach out to (763) 682-7381 or AAusting@umn.edu.