Fall Leaves

We love the colors of fall leaves. We want to see our kids jumping and playing in piles of leaves. We do not like picking up all the leaves and hauling giant bags out to the street, just to find hundreds more the very next day! The colors of autumn leaves are breathtakingly beautiful in many parts of the country.

The life cycle of a leaf

Have you ever thought about a life cycle of a leaf and why they change colors? Born in the spring typically and dead by fall. It is a short but important life as a food source for the tree.

A leaf starts its journey in the summer as a forming bud that won’t blossom until the following spring. The bud opens and grows to reach its full potential to provide energy to the tree through photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process of the leaves absorbing carbon dioxide, sunlight, and water to help the tree create oxygen which is then released into the air. To learn more about photosynthesis visit https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/photosynthesis/. Leaves produce chlorophyll, which turns sunlight into carbohydrates to feed the trees. Chlorophyll is what gives leaves their green color.

A tree’s growth slows in the fall as the sunlight decreases and the weather gets colder. Flowers, seeds, and fruit production will end at this point. Chlorophyll production begins to slow and leaves being to turn colors as a result. This is when you see the vibrant reds, yellows, and orange colors. Eventually, they die completely, turn brown, and fall from the tree. This is not the case for evergreen trees which do not rely upon the sun as much as other trees. The leaves of this type of tree fall throughout the year when the leaf has reached the end of its life cycle.

Benefits of raking and removing leaves in the fall

We should let our kids play in the leaves and enjoy the colors, however, it is best to then rake and remove them. Leaves in your yard will deprive your grass of the sun it needs to survive. They can also have a disease that could affect any plantings and healthy trees if left on the ground all season.  Also, a yard full of leaves looks messy when they all turn brown! The best benefit to raking leaves is that it provides exercise and the essential vitamins from the sun that your body craves as it gets colder.

Some people prefer to mow the leaves. The leaves will be chopped into tiny pieces and can be picked up with a grass catcher. The tiny pieces of grass can also be used as mulch in other areas of your yard if needed.

Why call a professional to rake and remove leaves?

Leaf removal is just one aspect of a good fall yard clean-up. Professionals can prune, remove debris around drains, apply herbicides if needed, and get your yard ready for spring.

Depending on yard size and the number of trees you have, it can take many hours of labor to rake and remove leaves. You could be left with a sore back and calloused hands.

Call Hope Grows today to schedule your fall clean-up! Visit us at https://hopegrows.us or call (317) 207-4884 today!