Raking leaves isn’t just about maintaining a neat appearance on your lawn. It’s also essential maintenance for the health of your grass.
A thick layer of leaves can smother grass and block air flow and sunlight. It also can form a barrier that prevents water and nutrients from getting to the root system of the grass. And it can be a habitat for diseases and pests. If left under a layer of leaves all winter, your grass might not come back as healthy or at all in the spring.
If you do not love the idea of raking, buying or renting a mulching mower in place of at least some of your raking or leaf blowing can crush your leaves down into small pieces with very little effort. The pieces then work their way down through the blades of grass and leave them out of sight. A benefit to this is that the organic matter they actually can improve the soil, which in turn can improve the health and appearance of your grass!