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SkyMall Monday: Leaf Rake Hands {Gadling}
Nov 29th 2011 9:10PM Guess I got carried away. The thing is, for the past 3 years that I've been mowing my leaves I get the biggest kick out of it - all the work saved and the leaves just disappearing like magic. Sorry for the long post.
SkyMall Monday: Leaf Rake Hands {Gadling}
Nov 28th 2011 8:36PM I used to rake my lawn but those days are gone - ever since I watched a video on Scotts Miracle Grow's website that showed that you can just mow your leaves right into your lawn (this is not an advertisement - I promise. Do a google search for the words [scotts mow leaves] and you should be able to find the video. They do recommend applying their fertilizer after your last mowing/mulching of the season.). Now when fall comes I religiously mow my lawn every week - setting my mower on its highest setting once grass stops growing and leaves really start to accumulate.
My house is tucked into a FOREST and I get a ton of leaves. When I used to rake I'd wind up with close to 40 leaf bags full - the kind they sell at hardware stores and supermarkets. Now I cannot believe how the leaves just disappear into the lawn when I mow them. Sometimes when they have accumulated extra heavy I may go over the same area twice, but it's still a heck of a lot easier than raking and bagging and you wouldn't believe how they just disappear into the lawn. This year I even blew the leaves from my driveway onto the grass and then mowed them to bits. I've been doing this for the last 3 years without any problem - lawn comes back just fine every spring (disclaimer - I'm not "Mr. lives for his perfect lawn" - if it's green it gets to stay - life's too short, but I haven't noticed any difference in my lawn's look and health from when I used to rake and remove the leaves.
If you decide to try it out, the one thing I recommend is that you don't wait until all the leaves have fallen to mow. I find it easier and faster to mow once a week throughout the period during which the leaves are falling. Also, if the leaves are extra high, set the mower on it's highest setting, mow once at normal pace, not worrying that everything is perfectly mulched, then go back and mow a second time.
BTW, I have a Lawn-Boy Gold Series self-propelled mower. When I use the mower to mulch I attach the plastic cover over the discharge hole where the bag would attach on the side of the mower so the leaves aren't shooting out the side of the mower, but being mulched beneath the mower.
I am SO GLAD I never have to rake again!
