leaf sweeping

Leaving grass clippings on the lawn is a good way to recycle them, but leaves are a different matter.

With just a few leaves on the lawn, shredding them when mowing the lawn and leaving them is no problem. But if there are a lot of leaves, you should shred them with the mower and then compost them or dig them into flower beds or vegetable gardens.

However, tree leaves are different. Grass clippings are mostly water and with very little lignin and consequently they can break down quickly. Tree leaves that fall to the ground are dried out and high in lignin, (the substance in trees that holds cellulose fibres together), so they won't decompose as readily.

Large amounts of leaves left on the lawn through the winter, whether shredded or whole, could smother some of the lawn and the turf might thin out, allowing weeds to move in. A good way to recycle your leaves in the autumn is to create a compost heap or purchase a compost bin.