The Pros and Cons of Raking Leaves

Cleaning and fixing things isn’t a bad thing. We do this every day. We wash our face, bathe our body, brush our teeth, and many more. We also wipe the dust off our furniture, vacuum the floor, and even wash the car regularly. We don’t have any harmful intent into doing all these things. In fact, we have been taught ever since we were young that tidying things up should be our habit and should always be our practice wherever we may be and whatever we’re doing. The result of doing these things also makes us happy. Who would not want to be neat and presentable? However, if we’re talking about doing this to our lawn, it’s a completely different story. Let’s break down what happens when we rake the leaves off of our lawn and the good and bad side of it. For specific information you can visit https://www.schwartzlawncare.com/

Advantages: 

  • There is no denying that nothing is better than a clean and well-maintained lawn. When we speak of that, we mean a lawn where the grass is not covered by dried leaves. It is the kind with healthy, thick, and visible grass. And that is only possible when there are no leaves present to ruin the sight of it. In terms of aesthetics, raking the leaves off the lawn really displays the calming potential of the green grasses.
  • Lawn Health. Yes, our lawn has its health, too. A few scattering dried leaves on top of the grasses won’t hurt. But a thick pile of dead leaves will affect, not just the appearance of the lawn, but its health. A heavy dump of dried leaves encourages moist build-up underneath it which in turn gives chance for fungi to grow. Pests such as termites and cockroaches will also use this as shelter and they may even multiply to great numbers if left alone. If you don’t want this to happen, you’re really going to consider raking your lawn.
  • Natural Fertilizer. Decent amount of leaves left out in the open lawn doesn’t really have much of a negative effect on the lawn, in fact, it can do otherwise. When dry leaves decompose, they provide natural nourishment for your grass to grow greener and healthier.

Disadvantages:

  • Time-consuming and Additional Labor. If you have a full-time job, keeping a healthy lawn will consume the time you should’ve spent to rest and to your family. Big or small, raking leaves can take you hours. Some people even have to spend an entire day from their weekend just to finish their lawn work. Aside from time, raking the lawn also demands energy and labor. So, if you’re tired from work, you can consider hiring a professional to do this for you.
  • Potential Damage. If you are not careful, the grass can’t be the only thing you can pull. The long claws of the rake can cling onto grass which will also leave them damaged—especially when their roots are accidentally dragged. This isn’t noticeable during raking, but after a few days, you may start to notice that there are already some empty patches and uneven areas.

To cut the long story short, raking your lawn has its pros and cons. If you are confident and willing to take the risk, then feel free to do so. Otherwise, consider hiring a professional to do it for you.