Raking Leaves?

Deborah · November 27, 2015

Here comes a dumb question from a third generation native southern Californian who truly doesn't know...
Why do people in snow country rake away leaves when they'd just be covered by snow anyway? Wouldn't the decayed leaves that were left under the snow make a natural mulch and your lawns and plants come up through it?

Spike2 · November 27, 2015

Can't answer for anyone else but I rake my leaves! One, leaves have a magical property that makes me turn into a 5 year old and play with my dogs in them. Then I scoop them all up and plow them into the garden. But we have 6 large trees and my cousin lives next door and has another 6 large trees that drop leaves in my yard. That many leaves just left makes a royal mess come spring.

jmsieglaff · November 27, 2015

Deborah, not dumb you just don't experience our winters. I wish that's how it worked but at temps under the snow the leaves don't decay, microbes and creatures are pretty much shut down. So essentially they are preserved. When spring comes it would take too long to decay and the grass under the leaves would likely die.

Salsacharley · November 27, 2015

I rake leaves to compost them...plus my wife makes me rake them. It's no fun to make a snowman with leaves stuck all over it.

clkeiper · November 27, 2015

If you leave the leaves on the lawn they get wet, mat flat and kill the grass. Come Spring and Summer there are patches of dirt left (if you are mowing them over and over as you mow the "grass" in a back and forth pattern because you aren't mowing in circles to avoid the leaves) then when it rains the dirt erodes or you have mud for the "lawn".

chiefbeaz · November 27, 2015

I don't rake, but I do run a mower over them several times in late fall after most of the leaves have dropped. That seems to work, and the grass comes up OK in the spring. I have too many trees to rake. It would be a endless task .

AlittleSalt · November 27, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salsacharley

I rake leaves to compost them..."plus my wife makes me rake them". It's no fun to make a snowman with leaves stuck all over it.

uh-huh here too

Ricky Shaw · November 27, 2015

Most HOA's would require you rake leaves. Some covenants say you can't have a clothesline or shed. And why I live in the old district, laissez-faire prevails.

Worth1 · November 27, 2015

For one thing if you live in suburbia you aren't raking your leaves you are raking your neighbors leaves.
I have lived in two places that had sycamore trees talk about a nightmare.

One place had the tree in my neighbors yard and I had an open carport with half walls.
Every year the carport would fill up with leaves.

My neighbor lady cant keep her garage open this time of year because my leaves blow out of the trees into her garage.

I raked the leaves in my yard one year and ended up with weed city never again.
If they get on my drive I push broom some over my pepper plant and the rest end up in a big pile to rot.
There are little elm leaves and break down fast.

Gardeneer · November 27, 2015

Leaves are raked for more than one reason. You don't want then in your flowers bed, on the lawn, because they are not pretty. And sometimes too much , too thick that can choke the grass and some seeds from germinating and pushing through the leaves.
And yes, they make a good compost and soil amendment when worked into your garden. Some people even collect leaves in the neighborhood, packed in paper bags.

Worth1 · November 27, 2015

I dont have a lawn I have a forest floor.

Worth

4season · November 27, 2015

I don't rake, no trees but my friend delivers bags he has raked up for other people and I collect a few along the roadside. Great to cover root crops so the ground does not freeze. Grind them up and they are good mulch.

Deborah · November 27, 2015

OK, mystery solved and thanks all. I can see how it's necessary to get rid of the leaves.

chiefbeaz · November 28, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

I dont have a lawn I have a forest floor.

Worth

I was trying to explain exactly what Worth posted. It's hard to rake leave when you have more of a forest floor than a traditional lawn. I don't garden around my house. I have a 20 + acre field that I garden in. Not much of a problem with leaves there. I will set the record straight, I don't use all 20 acre to grow on.

BigVanVader · November 28, 2015

Good question. I assume its because they have never used a backpack leaf blower

November 27, 2015	#1
Deborah Riding The Crazy Train Again Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: San Marcos, California Posts: 2,562	Raking Leaves? Here comes a dumb question from a third generation native southern Californian who truly doesn't know... Why do people in snow country rake away leaves when they'd just be covered by snow anyway? Wouldn't the decayed leaves that were left under the snow make a natural mulch and your lawns and plants come up through it? __________________ "The righteous one cares for the needs of his animal". Proverbs 12:10

November 27, 2015	#5
clkeiper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ohio Posts: 4,350	If you leave the leaves on the lawn they get wet, mat flat and kill the grass. Come Spring and Summer there are patches of dirt left (if you are mowing them over and over as you mow the "grass" in a back and forth pattern because you aren't mowing in circles to avoid the leaves) then when it rains the dirt erodes or you have mud for the "lawn". __________________ carolyn k Last edited by clkeiper; November 27, 2015 at 07:21 PM.

November 27, 2015	#13
Deborah Riding The Crazy Train Again Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: San Marcos, California Posts: 2,562	OK, mystery solved and thanks all. I can see how it's necessary to get rid of the leaves. __________________ "The righteous one cares for the needs of his animal". Proverbs 12:10

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

November 27, 2015	#2
Spike2 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: NE Ohio Posts: 992	Can't answer for anyone else but I rake my leaves! One, leaves have a magical property that makes me turn into a 5 year old and play with my dogs in them. Then I scoop them all up and plow them into the garden. But we have 6 large trees and my cousin lives next door and has another 6 large trees that drop leaves in my yard. That many leaves just left makes a royal mess come spring.

November 27, 2015	#3
jmsieglaff Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Southern WI Posts: 2,742	Deborah, not dumb you just don't experience our winters. I wish that's how it worked but at temps under the snow the leaves don't decay, microbes and creatures are pretty much shut down. So essentially they are preserved. When spring comes it would take too long to decay and the grass under the leaves would likely die.

November 27, 2015	#4
Salsacharley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: New Mexico Posts: 2,052	I rake leaves to compost them...plus my wife makes me rake them. It's no fun to make a snowman with leaves stuck all over it.

November 27, 2015	#6
chiefbeaz Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Middle, TN Posts: 271	I don't rake, but I do run a mower over them several times in late fall after most of the leaves have dropped. That seems to work, and the grass comes up OK in the spring. I have too many trees to rake. It would be a endless task .

November 27, 2015	#8
Ricky Shaw Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Zone 6a Denver North Metro Posts: 1,910	Most HOA's would require you rake leaves. Some covenants say you can't have a clothesline or shed. And why I live in the old district, laissez-faire prevails.

November 27, 2015	#9
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	For one thing if you live in suburbia you aren't raking your leaves you are raking your neighbors leaves. I have lived in two places that had sycamore trees talk about a nightmare. One place had the tree in my neighbors yard and I had an open carport with half walls. Every year the carport would fill up with leaves. My neighbor lady cant keep her garage open this time of year because my leaves blow out of the trees into her garage. I raked the leaves in my yard one year and ended up with weed city never again. If they get on my drive I push broom some over my pepper plant and the rest end up in a big pile to rot. There are little elm leaves and break down fast.

November 27, 2015	#10
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,909	Leaves are raked for more than one reason. You don't want then in your flowers bed, on the lawn, because they are not pretty. And sometimes too much , too thick that can choke the grass and some seeds from germinating and pushing through the leaves. And yes, they make a good compost and soil amendment when worked into your garden. Some people even collect leaves in the neighborhood, packed in paper bags.

November 27, 2015	#12
4season Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: albuquerque Posts: 308	I don't rake, no trees but my friend delivers bags he has raked up for other people and I collect a few along the roadside. Great to cover root crops so the ground does not freeze. Grind them up and they are good mulch.

November 28, 2015	#15
BigVanVader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Greenville, South Carolina Posts: 3,099	Good question. I assume its because they have never used a backpack leaf blower