Mulching fallen leaves with a lawnmower provide a healthy, protective mulch for the grass.
Mowing removes ugly leaves and prevents the lawn from suffocating the leaf litter.
Now you might have some questions like which mower to use for mulching? What are the benefits of mulching?
Let’s start by how to mulch leaves with a mower?
How to Mulch Leaves With a Lawn Mower?
One needs to follow some steps to mulch leaves with a mower. Here’s a step-by-step guide which you help in doing it.
Step 1: Use a lawnmower with having rotary-action
- To mulch leaves, you can use any rotary-action garden lawnmower.
- High-powered mulching lawnmowers and side-discharge lawn mowers are two types of lawnmowers that function exceptionally well for this activity.
- Remove the grass catcher or bag from the lawnmower, being very careful of the blade, if you wish to leave the leaf mulch on the lawn to enrich your grass.
- If you wish to utilize the mulch somewhere else, you should keep the grass collector attached to the mower because it saves you the time and trouble of raking it up later.
Step 2: Decide how to use your leaf mulch.
When it concerns you using your leaf mulch, you have two options.
- You may either leave it on the lawn to help enhance it, or
- Rake it up or capture it in the grass catcher on your mower and utilize it elsewhere in the garden.
If you’re going to leave the mulch on the lawn, make sure the leaves are evenly distributed. Spread them out with a rake across the entire lawn surface.
If you have planned to rake it, then try raking the leaves up into a small region if you plan to use the leaf mold elsewhere. That way, when you collect the leaf mold after mowing, you’ll have less area to cover.
You can also remove the grass catcher from the lawnmower and scrape out the leaf mold. Based on how much leaf litter you have, you may need to empty this constantly.
Step 3: Set your mower to a three-inch height and mow through the leaves.
Now cut the leaves into little pieces. To achieve this, you may need to drive the mower over the leaves numerous times. Make the second pass at a 90-degree angle to the first.
Step 4: Cover the lawn with a one-inch layer of leaf mold.
If you wish to leave the leaf mulch on the lawn, a one-inch layer is optimal because it will wash away and decompose over time.
Step 5: Mulch and feed your lawn at the same time.
Feeding and mulching your grass at the same time is an excellent idea; you will be able to notice the difference in the spring season.
In the fall, a winter blend fertilizer is a wonderful choice. These fertilizers have a high potassium content in comparison to other chemicals.
Benefits of Mulching Leaves
Why are we mulching leaves? There must be some good reasons, right! Let’s get to know about them.
You’ll be doing your lawn a favor if you keep the mulch leaves on your lawn after mowing. It will help to improve the soil by adding nutrients.
While fallen leaves will naturally mulch the lawn, mulching them with the mower will help them decompose quickly, particularly if they are combined with grass clippings. If you use a mower to generate the mulch, this will happen organically.
This is an excellent time to do it in the fall since the leaf mulch will shield the grassroots from the elements over the winter.
Mulches conserve soil moisture, improve soil nutritional status, limit erosion losses, inhibit weeds in crop plants, and remove pesticide, fertilizer, and heavy metal residues.
Mulches enhance the visual appeal of landscapes while also increasing the economic worth of crops.
Do you know a lawnmower can also pick up leaves and it would be best for autumn.
What to Consider Before Purchasing A Mulching Lawn Mower?
You now know that there are various benefits of mulching leaves but, will any lawn mower suffice?
Well, the answer is No!
If you want to buy the best mulching lawnmower, you should think about the following factors:
Motor Power:
A lawn mower’s cutting performance is determined by its motor power. You can choose from 56-volt or 40-volt batteries, as well as 13- or 11-amp motors. Performance is directly proportional to motor power.
Cutting Width:
Cutting width helps you in estimating the grass it can cut. You can get the mower that will provide you with the best cutting experience based on the size of your garden. Mulching blades in 14 and 18-inch lengths are available.
Power Type:
Mulching lawn mowers come in a variety of styles and power sources. You may acquire electric ones that are battery-powered or plug into a wall socket. Lithium-ion batteries are a prevalent type of battery.
Munching blades also play a key role in deciding the mulching lawnmower.
Conclusion
Leaf mold is an excellent garden mulch since it is readily available and easily decomposes, as well as having all of the benefits of conventional mulch, such as retaining moisture in the soil preventing suffocation of lawn.
Also, the best mulching lawn mower should be used for better results.
Proper cleaning of the Land Mower after munching is necessary to increase the lifetime of the machine.
Mulching is a good garden habit, all things considered!
