[jhon]

Up until a year or so ago, I used to bag my leaves and haul them to the recycle center in my trailer. They after reading a few forums here, I decided to get gator mulching blades and just pulverize them and leave them be. I only do it when the leaves are dry. I was amazed that after a few passes the lawn just looked like it would if I had bagged them. So this year I am doing the same. I have quite a few leaves and I was wondering if this would do any long term damage to my lawn? I am now doing lime twice a year to help with the acid oak leaves.
Here is a pic of about a week or two worth of leaves so you can get an idea of how many leaves I have. This is one of my three mowing areas. One section has more, the other has less. I have to mulch or bag about 5 times during the fall season.

 

[TUDOR]

Leaves decompose into dirt, even without mulching. Take a walk in any deciduous forest.

It's just that people are more interested in having a pretty lawn than one covered in decomposing leaves, mulched or otherwise.

 

[steddy]

Alongside your driveway and sidewalks, your lawn will seem to get taller. As the leaves decompose and become dirt, the grass will continue to grow up through it, and the surface of the lawn will rise up. Old lawns around here have that a lot. The sidewalks (which are still level and mostly intact) look like they're 3 or 4 inches below the lawn.

BTW I've heard conflicting accounts of just how acidic oak leaves are, if acidic at all. I know the ground below my oaks is lush and green, but the area under my pine trees, well, not so much.

 

[jhon]

Alongside your driveway and sidewalks, your lawn will seem to get taller. As the leaves decompose and become dirt, the grass will continue to grow up through it, and the surface of the lawn will rise up. Old lawns around here have that a lot. The sidewalks (which are still level and mostly intact) look like they're 3 or 4 inches below the lawn.

BTW I've heard conflicting accounts of just how acidic oak leaves are, if acidic at all. I know the ground below my oaks is lush and green, but the area under my pine trees, well, not so much.

I have a mixture of both oak and pine. I live in the outer rim of the Jersey Pinelands. The soil and water is acid without the leaves.

I think of all the loads of leaves I have taken to the dump over the years..... Mowing is fun, dumping and hauling leaves is not. So, leaves just became fun.

 

[CADplans]

The "negative effect" on your lawn will not come from remaining leaves.

All the trees in your pics will suck ALL the nutrients,,, and moisture,,,,
Growing grass in an area like you show in the pic will be difficult,,, at best,,, :hide:

 

[jhon]

The "negative effect" on your lawn will not come from remaining leaves.

All the trees in your pics will suck ALL the nutrients,,, and moisture,,,,
Growing grass in an area like you show in the pic will be difficult,,, at best,,, :hide:

That picture I posted was about 6 to 8 years old. The grass has done fine. I do fertilize three times a year and I have a sprinkler system. Here is a pic I took today after grinding the leaves. You can see how much bigger the pine tree is near the shed.
I will be selling in the spring, so it will be someone else's issue.