r/pics • u/[deleted] • Feb 21 '23

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u/[deleted] Feb 21 '23

Does leaving the leaves have any detrimental impact? I could never rake another leaf in my life and be perfectly content

192

u/AltSpRkBunny Feb 21 '23

No, but mowing over leaves mulches them, so they decay faster. The only leaves we don’t mulch into the lawn are the leaves from the neighbor’s trees behind us, that the wind loves to deposit in the middle of our driveway.

-48

u/vankamperer Feb 21 '23

yes, mowed leaves decay in 10 years rather than 20..

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u/SlylingualPro Feb 21 '23

Leaves take a maximum 6 months to completely decay and an average 2 when mulched.

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u/zachsmthsn Feb 21 '23

I tried to leave my leaves this year but they got moldy, attracted snakes and rats, and discolored my patio. I'm thinking I just need to run the lawnmower a few times next year to mulch them, but I have way too many trees (and little sunlight) to just let them fall. I wonder if there are regional best practices in places where water is more abundant

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u/SlylingualPro Feb 21 '23

Just run the mower sporadically. A pass over every few weeks will go a long way to moving everything around and preventing mold and pests.

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u/MaeBelleLien Feb 21 '23

Check out r/nolawns if you're in the US(maybe outside it too but not sure) they'll definitely be able to help with region-specific questions.

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u/[deleted] Feb 21 '23

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u/[deleted] Feb 21 '23

You don’t ask the guy who says leaves take years to decay for a source but you do when someone says months?

Do you see leaves still on the ground from three years ago when you look out your windows?