It’s that chilly, crisp, most wonderful time of the year – full of holiday celebrations, family time, winter weather, and fun traditions! Traditions are exciting habits that have been cemented over time in our family, friends, and loved ones’ history. 

Of course, there are good and bad habits, but once you get into the good ones, there’s nothing that can stop you – and those can carry over into your day-to-day lives! Those can be anything from self-care to better indoor practices to how you care for the lawn surrounding your home. 

What damages can various debris do to your lawn? 

If you’ve gotten into some bad habits with your landscape and tend to slack in the cleanup department of your lawn, you could be doing a great disservice to it! Unfortunately, many homeowners face this same problem, either forgetting about those leaves that have fallen to the ground or just letting them go so-to-speak. 

Letting those leaves (and other lawn debris) sit and settle on your lawn slowly kills the breathing organism below. The biggest problem you’re going to end up facing down the line is the suffocation of your grass, as the added weight prevents the right amount of air from getting into the soil. Your grass literally needs room to breathe, and it doesn’t have that if it’s covered up. 

Many people like to use leaves as mulch or in compost, but sometimes there’s too much to do that with. If you’re able to recycle those leaves, that’s fantastic, but if you’re not able to use it all, it won’t break down fast enough to let the soil absorb it. 

An excess of them can also lead to the growth of different forms of mold on your lawn – toxic for people or animals in the home and deadly for the grass itself. 

What are the best ways to go about having this debris gotten rid of? 

There are many numbers of ways you can take care of your lawn and keep it as clean as possible – yes, even in the winter. The first thing you’ll need to remember when it comes to anything landscape-related is watching your lawn and tracking how it’s doing. 

Part of your lawn cleanup task is being mindful of how much leaves are gathering on the grass, how many tree branches are falling, and any other debris like scattered mulch has blown where it shouldn’t. 

The most significant way you can help your lawn the most is by making sure those leaves and branches are cleaned up as much as you can – this will honestly give you better results come springtime. It’s not necessarily easy this time of year, but anything helps, and doing right by your lawn makes it worth it! Also, making sure excess snow (if you’ve seen a lot of it) is cleared away will make this job easier and help your grass in the process! 

If there is an option to use a blower, they can help this time of year as well – the cold temperatures aren’t always forgiving of folks doing yard work, so those blowers can be a lifesaver! 

Part of cleaning up this debris also includes clearing away anything on your hard surfaces, such as patios, decks, outdoor living areas, and more. Of course, the same goes for any of that beautiful snow you may have accumulated over time! 

What are some other negative impacts leaves can have on your property? 

The lawn disease and suffocation listed above aren’t the only dangers when it comes to letting a build-up of lawn debris gather on your landscape. Likewise, grass damage isn’t the only type of damage in this situation. Another major issue to consider is the slip and fall hazards that come with things such as slick leaves or fallen branches. 

When you’re walking around your home, the last thing you’ll want is to have your foot caught on a fallen tree limb or branch or slide across the ground on a slippery layer of leaves. Unfortunately, this worst-case scenario could lead to injury for anyone at your home! 

There’s also the potential for home damage as leaves and twigs tend to gather very quickly in your gutters. Most homeowners don’t think much about their gutters, but not being cleaned every so often, you’re putting your home at risk of damage to your walls and roof. 

Finally, let’s talk about how the leaves scattered all over your lawn make for a perfect breeding ground or hideout for many pests that you don’t want on your property. Spiders stink bugs, and cockroaches are all bugs that will hide under the layer of leaves and use it as protection. 

Rodents like mice, rats, and squirrels will also be more attracted to your lawn, as they can, again, use the debris as shelter. Unfortunately, these can also be dangerous to you, as they carry their own list of diseases! 

Why should I get help from the professionals? 

Cleaning up your yard sounds like a simple enough task, and often it is. However, especially this time of year, it’s not recommended to take it all on by yourself. This ‘winter wonderland’ can be beautiful, but it also poses dangers due to melting snow and ice – which is sometimes not immediately noticeable. Therefore, knowing your limits with both equipment and skill is essential when doing anything on your landscape. 

Those habits start with you, but the best thing about them is having people to help hold you to them. The experienced crew at EKG Lawn Services have precisely the right equipment and proper skill set to get everything you need done taken care of. 

They know what they’re doing with your lawn cleanups and will handle your property like it was their own. As a result, your property will look clean, be safe, and stay maintained with them, with service from the heart!