Mulching leaves - Ask Extension
I prefer to mulch leaves in the fall rather than bag. Assuming I pulverize all the leaves when they are dry is there such a thing as mulching too many...
Knowledgebase
Mulching leaves #870496
Asked May 28, 2024, 6:22 PM EDT
I prefer to mulch leaves in the fall rather than bag. Assuming I pulverize all the leaves when they are dry is there such a thing as mulching too many leaves back into the lawn?
I am not opposed to performing substantial mulching to get the job done.
Carver County Minnesota
Expert Response
There is recent research at the University of Wisconsin addressing exactly this question. The result was that if the leaves are pulverized, you can cover the lawn up to six inches:
https://winterturf.umn.edu/tree-leaf-mulching-impacts-lawn-health
Our previous recommendation was not to cover the lawn so much that lawn wasn't showing. This research seems to indicate that as long as the leaves are mulched, the lawn can be covered.
If you want to play it safe, don't cover to a depth that you can't see the lawn. And if you still have extra leaves, bag them and use the leaf bags as a winter mulch for perennials - just toss the bags onto the beds in early December, and remove them in late March. Then in the spring you can work the leaves into your compost bin.
https://winterturf.umn.edu/tree-leaf-mulching-impacts-lawn-health
Our previous recommendation was not to cover the lawn so much that lawn wasn't showing. This research seems to indicate that as long as the leaves are mulched, the lawn can be covered.
If you want to play it safe, don't cover to a depth that you can't see the lawn. And if you still have extra leaves, bag them and use the leaf bags as a winter mulch for perennials - just toss the bags onto the beds in early December, and remove them in late March. Then in the spring you can work the leaves into your compost bin.
