Leaves on the lawn - Ask Extension
I have several trees in my yard so therefore quite a few leaves. My Katsura tree starts shedding leaves in early September and then the Oak and Maple ...
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Leaves on the lawn #947077
Asked October 14, 2026, 2:46 PM EDT
I have several trees in my yard so therefore quite a few leaves. My Katsura tree starts shedding leaves in early September and then the Oak and Maple later. It is late November by the time they have all fallen. The raking is getting harder for me to tackle myself. My question is does it hurt the grass for the leaves to be on a lawn? I can hire someone but they will remove the leaves after they have all fallen. Will it damage the lawn for the leaves to be on the lawn for up to two months.
Baltimore County Maryland
Expert Response
It could smother the lawn if they are thick enough. You can mow them or hire someone to have them mown and left on the lawn as nutrients.
If you have a leaf blower, you could blow them into garden beds or at the base of the trees as natural mulch.
If it's just the Katsura leaves for the extent of the time, maybe it isn't thick enough yet to lay on the lawn until the maple and oak add to it, so it would be ok to leave those until most of the leaves have fallen.
Leaving some of the leaves in your yard is beneficial to native insects and is free fertilizer or mulch for your plants!
Emily
