Should Your Mower Bag Be On Or Off When Mulching Leaves In The Fall?

With fall weather settling in, many are enjoying the natural tapestry of leaves changing colors. Those leaves will eventually end up in your lawn, of course, and you'll then need to consider how best to remove that leafy blanket before it smothers your grass. Along with rakes and blowers, your lawn mower can prove valuable in that battle, as many are designed to function as a mulching agent for grass and leaves. Others are even designed specifically for that purpose. But many mowers also come with a bag attachment, begging the question of whether to mulch with or without the bag attached. That is, ultimately, a personal preference, and each method provides certain benefits. 

Mulching without a bag, for example, may aid in the overall health of your lawn, as broken down leaves serve as a sort of natural fertilizer. The method tends to work best if you mow only when the leaves are drier, as they cut finer and settle more easily in the grass than wet leaves, which can clump and potentially kill healthy grass underneath.

It's recommended that you mow in mulching mode about once a week during peak leaf fall, as such frequency should prevent the excessive buildup of leaves and thus ensure you are breaking them down fine enough to settle in between blades of grass as desired. When that happens, they should be able to deliver essential nutrients like carbon, phosphorus, and nitrogen to your lawn.

While mulching mowers have certain drawbacks, they can also help eliminate the headache of piling them up by the curb for municipal pickup. Bagging your leaves may help lessen the effort that goes into that endeavor, though emptying the bag every time it's full can turn into its own headache depending on yard size. For that reason, mulching instead of bagging may be preferable for homeowners with bigger lawns.

Despite the advantages that come with mulching sans bag, it's worth noting that doing so may leave your lawn looking a little rough in the short term, as the cut and shredded leaves will likely still be visible after your initial pass. You may be able to break the leaves down further with an additional pass, but if you're the sort who can't stand the look of even a slightly unkempt lawn, bagging your shredded leaves is the best way to leave no trace in your green space.

The question then becomes what to do with the leaves that end up in your collection bag or box when you mow. If your city or municipality does offer annual leaf pickup, it really might just be a matter of taking that lawn mower bag and dumping the leaves on the curb. You could also take that shredded mix and dump it into the flower beds surrounding your home, as it can provide a similar function as mulch. Yes, you can even use the shred as part of your composting routine, if you're into that.