If you have not been diligent in raking your leaves this past fall you might be in for a patchy lawn this spring. The fact is, fallen leaves create a barrier over the lawn. A leaf mat traps moisture, inhibits sunlight and harbors insects and diseases that can kill patches of even the healthiest grass. Sometimes Mother Nature lends a helping hand by blowing a sweeping breeze that carries your leaves over to the neighbor’s yard. But beware: that same breeze is probably blowing more leaves onto your lawn, too.

The bottom line is that leaves should be removed regularly to avoid lawn damage. You may think that waiting until all your leaves have fallen from the trees is a more efficient way to handle your raking duties, but the longer leaves lay around and the thicker they accumulate, the greater the damage you cause to your grass. Regular raking is the best way to ensure a healthy yard come spring.