From torrential rains to six-week droughts, Eastern Iowa lawns have seen it all during this unpredictable weather year.
And now, as the calendar flips to November, most Iowa lawn grasses are enduring a beloved and (for some homeowners) loathed seasonal storm.
Leaf falls.
They are the most colorful and picturesque of storms, often falling at a rate of 1,000 leaves a day or more (after all, the average Iowa maple tree has 100,000 leaves).
They are also the bane of the autumn existence for exhausted rakers who are naturally asking “Do I really have to rake all these leaves?”
Sorry, folks, but the short answer is yes (but not all of them).
The Troubles with Excessive Leaves
As the University of Minnesota’s Sam Bauer notes, a heavy leaf cover can suffocate your lawn when it needs vital oxygen and nutrients to tide it over until spring, and also carries other threats to your lawn’s health.
“Excessive leaf matter on your lawn going into winter is bad for several reasons,” Bauer writes. “First, it will smother the grass and if not removed very soon in the spring it will inhibit growth.
“Second, it can promote the snow mold diseases. And finally, turf damage from critters (ticks, voles, mice) can be more extensive in the spring.”
Raking, bagging and mulching leaves with a mower can safeguard your lawn from health issues come spring. And mulching the ground with leaves, as Treehugger’s Derek Markham notes, “helps to feed the soil for a healthier yard.”
