Can I Put Mulched Leaves On My Bermuda Lawn?

Q: My neighbor told me their “yard guy” advised them not to mulch leaves onto a bermuda lawn. I don’t think mulched leaves will hurt a bermuda lawn. After all, it is pretty much dormant by late fall. Your thoughts? 

A: As long as the leaf pieces are dime-sized or smaller, they will settle into a bermuda lawn just fine. It’s best to leave some of the brown grass blades sticking through the leaf layer. Almost immediately earthworms from below and fungi from above will start digesting the leaves, turning them into a source of nutrients for the grass. The UGA fertilizer recommendations for lawns state that you can reduce your fertilizer rates if you use a mulching mower, so you can save money by mulching lawn grass trimmings as well as fall leaves.