I have a giant oak tree next to my house, perfectly positioned so that my house is in direct sunlight in the morning but completely shaded by the tree from noon onwards, so even when it's 100°F outside my house doesn't get above the low 80s. I love that tree - except for right now when I have to rake the fucking yard.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

That's really awesome. Our trees basically stop all but a tiny sliver of sunlight from getting to the house, but it's still worth it.

That said, it's better to not rake at all.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/to-rake-or-not-to-rake-expert-tips-for-eco-friendly-autumnal-lawn-care

[–] AA5B@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Clearly written by someone without much tree cover. If I didn’t clear my leaves, by spring the grass would be gone, replaced with slimy black mold. Bad idea.

That being said my town collects leaves for compost, and I usually use the mulching mower on the last few weeks. Nothing wasted, no pollution, some nutrients put back, and I don’t have to wade through knee deep leaves, or suffer mold allergies in the spring.

Note, decaying leaves tend to be acidic, so check your lawn ph and be prepared to add lime

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

As I said already, I have a bunch of trees in our yard. We never rake. The grass is fine.