Should You Rake Your Leaves—or Just Mow Them? Here's What Experts Recommend

As the temperature drops, so do the autumn leaves. Don't worry, though—leaves can actually be good for your lawn, enriching the soil and helping to prevent weeds. So how should you handle them: by mowing, or by raking?

The experts we talked to agree: Mowing will transform your lawn or garden. It boosts the soil, helps your lawn, promotes biodiversity, and provides a place for butterflies and flowers to grow and thrive. Ahead, learn how to treat leaves not as a nuisance, but as a boon for your lawn.

The Benefits of Leaves

Leaves are an important natural resource for your lawn and garden.

“As [they] decompose, they return vital nutrients and organic matter to the soil, strengthening your lawn and promoting healthy soil biology,” says John D. Faerber, director of horticulture at The Lake House on Canandaigua.

They help retain moisture, moderate soil temperature, and provide natural insulation. Additionally, leaves create habitats for beneficial insects and wildlife, and can help suppress weeds, making them an eco-friendly way to enhance your garden.

How to Mow Leaves

The best tool for the job is a mulching mower, but a normal mower will also work if you go over the leaves a few times.

“Leaves should be dry, and spread fairly evenly on the lawn,” says Rebecca McMackin, lead horticulturist at the American Horticultural Society. “Don’t set your deck height too low—remember there is grass beneath the leaves. Leaf particle size should be dime-sized or smaller, so they can fall between grass.”

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Leaves as Mulch

Mowing the leaves rather than raking them helps the shredded leaves decompose more quickly, returning nutrients to your lawn and garden.

“Mulched leaves can also be spread over garden beds and vegetable gardens, where they help suppress weeds and gradually enrich the soil with organic matter,” adds Faerber.

“When applied in the fall, these leaves break down over the winter, and by spring, beneficial insects and microorganisms have transformed them into rich, healthy soil, essentially creating your own natural compost right in your garden," he adds. This process saves time and labor, and keeps organic matter out of landfills.

Used in Compost

Dry fall leaves serve as a key carbon source, or a brown material, in the composting process. “These browns can then be combined with green composting materials, such as uncooked fruit and vegetable scraps, which are high in nitrogen and rich in moisture,” says Bruce Cakebread, viticulturist, gardener, and co-owner of Cakebread Cellars.

Getting the right ratio is important. Without enough carbon-rich browns, green materials can quickly turn to mush and become anaerobic. Ideally, you want 15 to 20 parts brown to one part green, creating ideal conditions for microbial activity—this is what drives healthy composting.

Helping Biodiversity

“Hundreds of species of moths and butterflies use tree leaves as caterpillars, then drop down into the leaf layer to overwinter or complete the next phase of their life cycle,” says McMackin.

Many homeowners are paying special attention to these leafy areas, adding low native plants beneath them so that they can grow through the fallen leaves. These convenient soft landings can double the butterfly and moth populations in your garden.

"When we rake those leaves away, we’re literally raking away butterflies," McMackin says.