Lawn Care Tips – Don’t Let Leaf Litter Destroy Your Lawn

At this time of the year many lawns are in peril due to the excess leaf litter that is floating around. Go away for the weekend and you’ll likely return to find large yellow patches beneath all that leaf litter. The cause is simple enough – your lawn is not getting adequate sunlight.

When deprived of sunlight, grass, like most plants, draws out the chlorophyll from its stems. It is the chlorophyll that gives plant matter that green tinge – without it, plants (grass included) turn yellow. There are other hidden dangers with fallen leaf litter, especially if left too long.

Leaf litter as a mulch on gardens can be good. On lawns, it blocks out the sunlight, tends to sweat, and harbors bacteria and molds that could be harmful to your lawn. With the sunlight blocked out, your lawn is then weakened and susceptible to disease and insects – and remember, insects love to hide in leaf litter.

To ensure your lawn doesn’t suffer from leaf litter problems, remove the problem each day if possible. If you are going away for the weekend, avoid watering your lawn for several days. The reduced moisture will at least slow down the sweating and growth of mold and other harmful bacteria.

If you have left a pile of leaf litter for too long, remove the pile and expose your lawn to as much sunlight as possible. You could also add a little a seaweed tonic – just be sure it is a fairly weak solution (about half the recommended rate). Hopefully, this will help revive that yellow patch. If the lawn’s color hasn’t returned within seven days, there is a good chance it is dead – or dying.

Use a grass seeding tool to perforate through the thatch to soil below and over sow with a suitable grass seed. Water lightly but be sure to keep the leaf litter away. Your lawn should return to normal fairly quickly. Leaf litter can look attractive in small quantities, however, in large quantities, it can be deadly to your lawn.