“Leave the leaves” has become popular garden advice, and there are good reasons not to send every fallen leaf to the landfill. Leaves provide organic matter, nutrients, mulch, and habitat, so the old idea that every yard should be spotless by November deserves reconsideration. But your lawn is one place where the advice needs some nuance, because a heavy blanket of intact leaves can block sunlight and airflow and leave turf struggling underneath. Iowa State University warns that dense leaf cover can prevent turfgrass from making and storing food before winter, potentially leaving dead patches that become vulnerable to weeds. The smartest approach to raking leaves off the lawn isn’t necessarily removing every leaf—it’s preventing enough from accumulating to smother the grass.
