To Rake or Not – Experts Weigh In on Louisiana Yard Care Query

This morning temperatures across parts of Louisiana actually felt as though the Fall Season had officially arrived. When you wake up tomorrow you'll probably be convinced that Old Man Winter has moved into Shreveport, Bunkie, Zwolle, and the Greater Cossinade Metropolitan Area. Today's temperatures will start out near 60 across the state and tomorrow we'll be looking at more readings in the low 40s or upper 30s.

One of the sure signs of Autumn in Louisiana is the seasonal swoon of the New Orleans Saints. They usually fade like the leaves on a mighty Oak in the weeks before Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year is no exception. The Saints are sucking and leaves are falling. What is a homeowner to do?

There are two schools of thought regarding leaves. One school is just leave them and let God sort it out. The other is to rake them up into neat little piles and have those piles hauled away where God can sort them out on someone else's property.

There are pros and cons to both sides of the argument. Let's take a look at what the experts are saying when it comes to leaves in your yard.

If you leave the leaves you'll protect your lawn from harsh winter temperatures. Some parts of the state get those, others don't. You make the call on what's best for your yard. The bed of leaves also acts as a home for pollinators. Those are the insects and other creepy crawlies that help keep your yard and garden landscape alive.

The negative aspect of a bed of leaves on your lawn is mainly aesthetic. A lawn-filled yard just looks uncared for. And an abundance of leaves on the lawn can kill the grass beneath it. The thick bed of leaves can also allow for insect populations of bugs we don't want in our yard to thrive and survive the colder temperatures of winter.

Many yard and garden experts suggest a tactic that splits the difference between raking or just forgetting about the leaves altogether. There are several schools of thought that suggest you mow your leaves. If you have a mulching lawnmower this is an excellent suggestion. It puts the tiny pieces of leaves deep into your yard so they can break down and become fertilizer.

Another idea is to make several small piles of leaves and put them around your flowerbeds. This won't kill large areas of grass and you'll have a small home for pollinators to live as well. You could also use your leaves as "mulch" for your plants in your flower beds. I'd suggest mowing them into pieces first.

I realize we haven't given you a definitive answer on the leaf question but at least you have some food for thought and can make a strong argument for or against whatever option is presented to you. I'd opt for the set-it-and-forget-it plan. You can watch more football in the fall if you do that.