Fall Leaves Make Great Mulch for Your Lawn. Mulch leaves with mower

The Best Mower Height for Mulching Leaves Explained

Everybody loves having big shade trees in their backyard garden. However, we may start regretting our choices when the fall comes, and all these beautifully colored leaves end up on the ground. A lot of people prefer to rake them and discard them somehow. But they can be used for a greater purpose – the leaves can also be mulched or picked up with a lawn mower, using them as compost for your lawn or trees. However, when I first tried to do this I wasn’t really sure what height setting I should use on my lawn mower. After all, some of the leaf piles can be very intimidating, and I wasn’t sure if my lawn mower can deal with them. So, what is the best mower height for mulching leaves? The best mower height for mulching leaves is 3 inches. However, the right height can vary from 2 to 4 inches, depending on the height of your grass. If you aren’t sure, using the highest setting on your mower is generally a good practice for mulching leaves. As you can see, these numbers can vary a little, and I will get into that in a bit as there are some caveats and details that are worth knowing. So if you are interested in learning more, read on.

How Does Mulching Work?

Let me start by giving you the basics you need to know, then we can continue expanding on top of it. So what exactly is mulching? There are two types of mulch; (1) organic and (2) non-organic. Organic mulch consists of a tiny layer of decaying organic matter, which is spread out on the ground. For example, this is something that you would see naturally occurring in forests where leaves and branches fall on the ground and create a thick layer on top of it. Non-organic mulch consists of materials that will not break down and decay with time. Things like gravel, rubber chips and black plastic can be considered non-organic.

What Is the Purpose of Mulch?

Mulching is an excellent garden practice that a great many people do. Its purpose is to provide the soil and plants with nutrient-rich bio-degradable material. The mulch will lower the evaporation rate and keeps the moisture in the soil, and it will keep it from eroding, compacting, and crusting. The mulch is frequently used to protect plants during the winter by balancing out the soil temperature. It fertilizes the soil and creates an environment where microorganisms and worms will thrive and grow. Ultimately this will improve the plants’ health as well.

Can You Use Leaves for Mulch?

If you allow the leaves on your lawn to really build up without taking care of them, they will end up suffocating it. This happens because the thick layer of leaves that builds up over time will prevent any light and air from getting through it and reaching the soil underneath. This is where mulching comes into play. Mulching consists of shredding down the leaves into smaller pieces. The leaves will then act as a natural compost, fertilizer, and soil builder that will provide your lawn and soil with beneficial nutrients. Mulching your leaves can be an easy and readily accessible way for almost everyone to have a beautiful vibrant looking lawn without having to use chemicals, and best of all, it doesn’t require much time. Another advantage of using your leaves as mulch is that you don’t have to spend time raking them and collecting them into big piles. This can be extremely time-consuming, while in comparison mulching your leaves with a lawn mower takes very little time. Weeds are the bane of any gardener. But did you know you can also prevent weeds from growing naturally? Studies showed that using leaf mulch reduces the number of dandelions that will grow the following year.

Can You Use a Lawn Mower for Mulching Leaves?

Also, there are lawn mowers that come with a specially designed high-lift mulching blade(s) that tend to do a better job at mulching leaves.

But even the regular lawn mowers can do the trick, and a lot of people use them. After all, mowing thick grass can be more demanding compared to shredding dried leaves.

You can use the leaves as mulch on your lawn, in which case you can just go over them with the lawn mower without attaching the grass catcher. Keep in mind that it may not be recommended to use some mowers without a grass catcher. They may not even start. Make sure to double-check that in your user’s manual that came with your lawn mower. After you are ready, you may need to rake up the leaves in order to spread them out more evenly across the lawn.
The other option is to use the mulch somewhere else, in which case you can leave the grass catcher on and pick up the leaves with the mower.

Also, before you start, make sure to have all the leaves on your lawn. This may be the only real time-consuming part of the work as you will need to rake or blow the leaves from the driveway and patios.

What is the Ideal Mower Height Setting for Mulching Leaves?

Mulching at the right height is crucial as it will reduce the stress on your lawn mower. And there is a little caveat here that I’d like to explain – we need to consider the height of our grass first.

Different types of grass have different high recommendations, so the right height will depend on what kind of grass you have. For example:

Bermuda grass and Zoysiagrass are cut at 1 to 2 inches;
Kentucky Bluegrass and Buffalograss are cut at 2 to 3 inches; and
Tall Fescue is kept at about 2,5 to 3,5 inches.

Generally speaking, the height of your grass will be roughly between 1 to 3 inches.

Of course, this may not apply to your particular case if, for example, you haven’t mowed your lawn for a while. So take a quick look at how tall the grass is and start by adjusting your lawn mower accordingly. Usually, three inches or just using the highest setting possible should be good enough.

And if you want, you can also mow your lawn by lowering the height of your lawn mower after shredding the leaves.

How Do the Height Settings on Lawn Mowers Work?

Lawn mowers have various height settings.

However, these do not always represent the same height across the different models. And the numbers do not necessarily represent the height in inches, so a setting the height in position one doesn’t necessarily mean one inch.

Make sure to refer to your user’s manual for more information.

If there is not enough detailed information in the user’s guide, you can use a ruler to measure the height from the blade(s) to the ground manually.

Can a Lawn Mower Mulch Thick Leaf Piles?

Say you have your lawn mower set at the highest setting possible, but you are facing a mighty big pile of leaves. What do you need to do in this case? Can the mower do it?

If the leaves are really thick and in big piles, don’t worry. Just raise the lawn mower a little on its back wheels to get the leaves to pass under the blades. Make sure to keep the back of the lawn mower low.

Lawn mowers are super powerful, and even bigger piles of leaves have no chance of standing up against them.

How to Mulch Your Leaves with a Lawn Mower

Mulching leaves is not much different than what you would normally do when mowing your lawn.

Pass through the leaves one or two times and inspect the result. What you want to see is leaves, which are cut and shredded into very tiny dime-sized pieces.

You should end up with about a half of an inch of grass sticking out of the leaf mulch.

Generally speaking, there shouldn’t be more than an inch of leaf mulch. Make sure to rake it and spread it out as evenly as possible if it piles up.

You can also use the lawn mower with an attached grass catcher and go over the mulch to pick up some of it.

If you want to place the mulch around trees, use between 3 to 6 inches of mulch, and for flowers, you can use about 2 to 3 inches of leaf mulch.

I would recommend going once or twice over the same area and in a criss-cross pattern. That way, you will ensure good coverage and proper shredding of all of the leaves.

The last tip is to mulch only dry leaves. Wet leaves can:

And trying to work on wet ground may be dangerous, as there is an increased risk of slipping and falling.

Hi! I’m Peter, the owner of BackyardGadget. Working around the house has always been a big part of my life. I’ve created this site to share my experience, and to help people choose the right tools for the job. Thank you for stopping by!

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Fallen leaves are a healthy mulch for lawns! For this easy garden tip, all you need is a lawn mower. Learn how to mulch leaves.

Fall has officially arrived and leaves will soon be turning beautiful shades of yellow, orange and red, providing a fall foliage display that we look forward to each year. However, it’s what comes after the show that does not make most people happy—fallen leaves! But, did you know that there are some people who look forward to seeing fallen leaves on their lawns? Let me tell you an easy garden secret that they have already discovered. Fallen leaves make a great mulch and add nutrients to your lawn. All you need is your lawn mower. Learn how to mulch leaves and you’ll never rake again.

How to Mulch Leaves

When leaves are broken up into smaller pieces, they gradually break down and make their way down into the grass where they provide mulch. The mulching action of the leaves keeps a majority of weeds from germinating in spring. Now wait, it get’s even better. As the leaves break down, they add nutrients to your lawn as well, which is vital to Rapid recovery and regrowth in spring while needing less supplemental fertilizer.

So, are you ready to ‘mow’ your leaves instead of raking them this fall?

To create leaf mulch from your autumn leaves simply set your lawn mower on its highest setting (without the bag) and run over the leaves twice. This will break them down into small pieces. (I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather mow leaves than rake them!) Thereafter, every couple of weeks, continue to mow your leaves until they are finished falling. You’ll be surprised at how quickly they disappear from the lawn surface as they break down.

Knowing how to make leaf mulch for your lawn is a great example of sustainable, organic and easy gardening!

So, as the temperatures begin to cool and the first brightly colored leaves begin to fall, leave the rake in the shed and reach for your lawn mower. You’ll end up with a healthier lawn with much less effort.

Psst—we found more genius garden hacks you’ll want to steal immediately.

Backyard Uses for Fall Leaves

Romo Lomo/Shutterstock

Birds Blooms readers share the clever ways they improve their landscapes and help wildlife with fall leaves.

“After the leaves dry, we spread them on the lawn. My husband puts the grass-clipping catcher on the lawn mover and mulches them. We scatter the pieces on flower beds or the compost pile,” says Janet Minnix.

“I rake them into piles for overwintering insects,” says Ken Orich.

“I built a fire pit last summer, so the dried leaves are the perfect kindling,” says Ellen Savold.

“We put damp leaves into black trash bags and place them around rose bushes like a donut. The bags offer valuable insulation in winter,” says Clarice McKenney.

“I use my mower to mulch the leaves on my lawn. They slowly break down and go back into the soil,” says Don Bailey.

“I save leaves for bedding in my worm compost bin. The worms will eat the leaves and turn them into castings, also known as black gold. It’s perfect for my plants,” says Megan Long.

Next, check out the fall cleanup garden chores you should never skip.

How to Mulch Leaves (And Why You Should)

So you’ve been dreading the routine fall chore of raking leaves off your lawn, and someone has suggested that you mulch them. But how exactly is it that you mulch leaves?

Leaf mulch is broken-down leaf litter that you can spread over your lawn or flower beds. You can mulch leaves into shreds by running over them with a lawnmower. Other ways of breaking them down involve using a hand mulcher, stand-alone mulcher, or string trimmer.

There are many benefits to you as the homeowner, your lawn, and local wildlife of mulching leaves instead of raking them for collection. So let’s examine these benefits and how you can go about mulching leaves in your yard.

Why You Should Mulch Rather Than Rake

Leaves tend to mat, creating a barrier that air and water can’t get through. This barrier will choke your turf; however, shredding the leaves will break up the barrier and allow air, water, and light to get through.

This process of shredding the leaves is known as mulching. You can mulch as much as 6 inches of leaves into your lawn, provided you shred them fine enough.

Leaves are an outstanding source of nutrients and minerals, with 50 to 80 percent of the nutrients and minerals in a tree ending up in its leaves and then being dropped to the ground. By mulching, you return these nutrients and minerals to the ground rather than giving them away.

As microorganisms and earthworms break leaves down, they return nutrients to the soil without affecting turf quality or performance. Some leaves, such as those of honey locust, are high in nitrogen, which boosts plant growth.

There are numerous other benefits to mulching, namely:

Leaves such as sugar maple leaves reduce the germination of broadleaf weeds such as dandelions. Doing so reduces your need to weed or to apply herbicides.
Mowing the leaves together with the grass mixes the carbon-rich leaf shreds with the nitrogen-rich grass clippings, resulting in both breaking down more quickly than they do on their own.
Mulching leaves reduces the volume of leaves to about one-tenth, which helps significantly with their disposal.
Mulching saves you time and effort, as it incorporates into your regular mowing schedule rather than being another time-consuming and labor-filled chore.
Leaf mulch improves soil’s moisture retentive ability, which reduces your need to irrigate.
Leaf mulch helps buffer soil temperatures, keeping the soil cooler in summer and warmer in winter, which helps protect plants’ roots.
Leaf mulches can help to reduce soil erosion.
Mulching instead of raking and bagging eliminates the cost and environmental impact of plastic garbage bags.
Many species of butterfly and moth overwinter in leaf litter, either as eggs or pupae.
Mulched leaves are great for adding to your compost pile, being source of ‘browns’ or carbon-rich material, which compost piles often lack.
Mulching eliminates the environmental cost of city pickup and the amount of yard trimmings that goes to landfills, extending their lifespan and saving tax dollars.

Potential Disadvantages of Mulching and How to Avoid Them

There are some potential disadvantages to mulching. However, we are here to give you ways to avoid most of these disadvantages.

You will have to mow as often as every four days, and if you will have to make multiple passes if you are using a rotary mower. However, this probably counts as less effort than raking or blowing leaves and checking when collection days fall.
Dried leaves produce dust and debris that can affect your eyes and breathing. For your protection, you should wear goggles and a dust mask.
Leaves of black walnut and eucalyptus contain natural herbicides that will stop seeds, including grass seeds, germinating. Make sure that you don’t mulch leaves from these species.
Pine needles also aren’t suitable, as they decompose too slowly and will smother your lawn. Pine needles will have to be raked or blown.
If you have a lot of trees, the mulched leaves may pile up too thickly and smother the lawn, preventing light and air from reaching the grass and the soil. Attach a bagger to your mower and put the mulch on your beds to act as a winter mulch for shrubs.
Excessive mulch can provide cover for burrowing pests such as voles. Make sure to remove the excess mulch.
Excessive mulch on the lawn can also prevent the grass from storing carbohydrates in the fall. Again, be sure to remove excess mulch; we provide tips on doing that.
Ash and maple leaves are more difficult to mulch than oak leaves, and you may need several passes to break them down.
The notion that oak leaves are acidic and will lower your soil’s pH is a myth, and a study by Michigan State University found that six seasons of mulching oak leaves into a lawn did not affect its pH.
If you have mulched correctly and your turf is still performing poorly, you may need to fertilize your lawn with fertilizer that benefits beneficial microbes.

When to Mulch Leaves

A few leaves on your lawn aren’t a problem, but excessive leaf build-up will block sunlight, limit air circulation, and keep the soil over-moist. The result is stunted growth and diseases such as snow mold.

If you can’t see the growing tips of the grass blades, or if the leaves cover more than a third of your lawn, you should mulch. A sudden cold snap may result in a massive leaf fall that you can leave for a couple of days until the yard is nearly covered, but don’t leave it any longer.

Don’t wait until it rains. Wet leaves don’t mow as easily and can clog collection systems.

How to Mulch Leaves Using a Lawn Mower

You can use a mower designed explicitly for mulching, which will simultaneously cut your grass, chop the fallen leaves into a fine mulch, and return the mulch to the soil. Or you can use a rotary mower, although you may have to make more than one pass.

If your lawnmower does not already have a curved mulching blade to churn the leaves into smaller bits, you can convert it. Buy a conversion kit from your local home improvement store or your mower’s manufacturer.

However, a mulching mower has curved, serrated mulching blades and baffling under the deck to circulate the shredded leaves (or grass clippings) several times so that it gets chopped finer.

The airflow under the baffling then pushes the finely chopped mulch into the surface of the lawn.

We recommend that you invest in a mulching mower if you have to process large quantities of leaves in a short period. Otherwise, an ordinary rotary mower should be sufficient.

If you are hesitant about getting yet another tool, know that you can use a mulching mower for regular grass cutting, too. The grass clippings will provide a natural 4-1-2 fertilizer to your lawn every time you mow.

Start the fall season with your mower on its regular height setting, and mow to your regular schedule. As leaves start to fall in earnest, raise your mower height to its highest, and mow once or even twice a week.

Shred the leaves into pieces around 1/2 inch in diameter or approximately the size of a dime.

Mulch to around 1/4 inch of mulch on the lawn so that the blades of grass are still visible and upright. The lawn may look slightly brownish for a few days; however, as the mulch breaks down, the lawn will return to a lush green.

If you have too much mulch, redistribute it from areas with a lot of mulch to areas with thinner cover, or collect it for use on your beds or in your compost. We recommend alternating mulching your lawn with mulching your beds.

There are various ways you can use your mulching mower for mulching leaves:

Side Discharge for Mulching Leaves

Use side discharge if the grass is tall and wet and the leaf cover is wet (or particularly heavy). You’ll either mulch the leaves into the lawn or shred them into fine particles for picking up later with the bagger attachment.

Mow in stripes to cut the discharge from the previous pass, or mow in concentric circles. Either way, you want to cut and re-cut the leaves.

Mulch Setting for Mulching Leaves

If the grass is of standard height and the leaves are dry or at most slightly moist, use the mulch setting.

Put the mulch plug into the mower and shut off the side-discharge port. Mow the grass, making a second pass at ninety degrees to the first to shred the leaves thoroughly and mulch them into the lawn.

Bagging Mulched Leaves

If the grass is of standard height and the leaves are dry, you can bag your mulch for disposal at the edge of your property or put it onto your shrubs for winter mulch.

Dump the mulched grass clippings and leaf particles onto a small tarp or into paper leaf-collection bags as you go.

The Features to Look for in a Mulching Mower

You will need the following features in a mulching lawnmower:

Self-propelled – lawn mowers are heavy, and when the bag is full of shredded leaves and grass clipping, it will be even heavier.
Rear-wheel drive – bags full of shredded leaves weigh down the back of the mower and cause the front wheels to lift so that they lose traction.
A powerful engine – it takes power to shred leaves. Invest in a mower with a powerful engine.
An aggressive high-lift mulching blade – a standard blade doesn’t move the air enough, nor does it have the serrations of a specialized leaf mulching blade. You can use a standard blade, but you will have to make many more passes.
A high-quality dust-filtering bag – not a substitute for wearing a dust mask, but an excellent dust-filtering bag will prevent the dust from swirling when you mow leaves.

Other Ways of Mulching Leaves

If you do not want to invest in a lawnmower suitable for mulching your leaves, there are various alternatives you can use.

To shred leaves with a string trimmer, fill a garbage can about three-fourths full of leaves, stick your string trimmer in and turn it on. Move it through the layers of leaves, keeping it away from the sides to prevent the line from breaking.

Be sure to wear protection for your ears and eyes when using this method.

You can also purchase dedicated leaf mulchers in handheld and stand-alone options.

A popular option is to use a handheld mulcher that you can use as a leaf blower or switch over to a leaf vacuum that shreds and collects the leaves in an attached bag for use as mulch. They might be powered by gas or battery power if cordless, or they might have an electric cord.

Stand-alone mulchers resemble a wood chipper and sit in one place in your yard. You will have to gather up the leaves, which is why we don’t recommend this option (more work), and then place the leaves into the hopper and let it shred them into the collection bag underneath.

How To Mulch Leaves With A Mower,

Making Leaf Mold to Use as Mulch

Another way of mulching leaves is to make leaf mold.

Leaf mold is the soft layer of decomposing leaves found just above the soil in forests. As it slowly decomposes, it returns nutrients to the earth, improving the soil structure and feeding the plants.

It makes a great mulch around the garden and has an excellent water-retentive capability, holding anything from 300 to 500 percent of its weight in water.

To make it, construct a circular bin from chicken wire or snow fencing, add the leaves and dampen them. The leaf mold will be ready for use in the following spring or summer.

Final Thoughts

There are better things to do with a fall weekend than raking leaves. Incorporate mulching into your regular mowing schedule, and reap the benefits in free time and a healthier lawn.

You’ll save on plastic collection bags and help the environment too.

Ben has a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering. When not constructing or remodeling X-Ray Rooms, Cardiovascular Labs, and Pharmacies, you can find him at home with wife and two daughters. Outside of family, He loves grilling and barbequing on his Big Green Egg and Blackstone Griddle, as well as working on projects around the house.

Mulch your leaves this fall

Is It Better to Rake or Mulch Leaves?

Should you retire your rake and mulch your leaves instead?

While most people default to raking leaves in the fall, it’s not the only way to clear your lawn. Mulching involves running your lawn mower over the leaves in the same way you would mow grass. Which method is best? We’ve rounded up the pros and cons of mulching vs. raking to help you make the right choice.

Pros and Cons of Raking Leaves

Raking leaves is a classic way to remove leaves from your yard, but it can be a backbreaking task.

Pro: Grass Stays Healthy

A rake will aerate your lawn with every cleansing scrape, giving your grass room to breathe. Lingering leaf clumps, on the other hand, can smother your lawn and prevent it from growing back in the spring.

Pro: Prevent Mold and Disease

Thick layers of leaves can do just as much damage as clumps of leaves. Raking removes harmful leaf layers that can cause snow mold diseases, according to the University of New Hampshire. Raking away leaves, rather than just mulching them, lessens the likelihood that you’ll have to reseed in the spring.

Your yard is going to look unbe-leaf-ably clean

Con: It Can Be Costly

Disposing of the leaves you rake can add up, depending on where you live. For example, some cities prohibit you from throwing them in your garbage can and instead require you to purchase separate bags for leaf disposal. If dumping your piles at a composting or waste convenience site is not an option, you may have to enlist the help of a local yard cleaning service.

There’s also the environmental consideration, too. “ resources are usually involved in hauling leaves away as well, making a bigger carbon footprint.” says Tara Dudley, Owner of Plant Life Designs.

The typical cost of leaf removal runs between 191 and 557

Con: It Can Be a Daunting Task

No one ever said raking leaves was a simple task, especially if you have a large yard or a lot of trees to clean up after. Using a leaf blower, tarps, and committing to weekly raking sessions can help lessen the load, but it’s still a physically demanding job.

Pros and Cons of Mulching Leaves

Mulching leaves is a faster, less demanding way to gather leaves, but it’s still a process you must get right.

Pro: It’s Good for Your Soil

Mulching leaves into your lawn allows them to break down and boost the soil quality. Maple leaves, for example, have even been shown to reduce weed seed germination. Other leaves, like honey locust, are high in nitrogen, which helps grass and plants grow.

Making grass greener and thicker means you’ve got to give it some TLC

Pro: It’s Faster Than Raking

You can mulch leaves in the same time it takes to mow your lawn. This method is less physically demanding and you won’t waste a weekend on yard work. Enough said.

Con: You Need the Right Mower

To mulch leaves properly, you’ll need a curved mulching blade. This type of blade helps churns the leaves into smaller pieces that will absorb into your lawn easier. If your mower doesn’t currently have this feature, you can purchase a conversion kit from your mower’s manufacturer or at your local home improvement store.

Con: Doesn’t Work For Pine Needles

Mulching won’t work with pine needles due to their shape and texture. If you have a yard full of pine needles, or a combination, you’ll need to rid them by raking.

Con: You Have To Mulch Than Once

You’ll need to mulch your leaves multiple times throughout the season to prevent build-up. As with raking, thick leaf layers won’t decompose fast enough, which could kill your grass. Weather is also a factor. Mulching too many wet leaves will smother your yard and do more harm than good.

Reduce raking duties by mulching leaves with a mower

For many of us, the leaves of fall are a daunting task, but we know allowing them to pile up smothers the grass.

The task is particularly onerous when the leaves are plentiful and large, such as sycamore, sweet gum or maple.

The leaves from birch, ash, oak, linden and gingko trees are medium size and although plentiful, don’t seem to mound up as densely as their big-leaf cousins.

Mother Nature handles honeylocust leaves by blowing the tiny bits away. Any that remain are small enough that they won’t smother the grass. They will break down and help improve the soil.

Raking fall leaves

Of course, raking or blowing leaves is always an option. Leaves can be moved into piles then bagged for the city to pick up and recycle. Paper bags are recommended because they decompose naturally.

Vacuum fall leaves

Leaves also can be vacuumed up with specially designed equipment then placed in bags, or they can be mowed and blown into the grass catcher for bagging or dumping in the compost pile, applied as winter mulch or dug into in garden beds.

Mowing fall leaves

My methods is to mow the leaves with a mulching mower. The process chops the leaves into bits small enough to leave on the lawn to decompose and improve the soil. Sometimes it takes two passes with the mower, which is still less work than raking. Leaves I rake from the driveway or other hard surfaces get dumped into the compost pile.

Accumulation of leaves around trees and shrubs mimics nature and provides a natural insulation for perennials. As the leaves break down, they add organic matter to the soil.

Landscapers usually blow leaves on to a tarp so they can be loaded onto the trucks. Most landscapers recycle leaves and yard waste, but you can always ask if that is a priority for you.

Sources:

https://backyardgadget.com/best-mower-height-for-mulching-leaves/
https://www.birdsandblooms.com/gardening/gardening-basics/easy-garden-fall-leaves-make-great-mulch-lawn/
https://mybackyardlife.com/how-to-mulch-leaves/
https://www.angi.com/articles/raking-leaves-or-mulching-which-better.htm
https://hoosiergardener.com/reduce-raking-duties-by-mulching-leaves-with-a-mower/

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