Learning Center / Timing and seasons
Why shouldn’t you leave leaves on your lawn all winter?
Because a wet mat of leaves blocks light, holds moisture against the grass and invites disease, so the lawn comes out of winter thin and patchy. It can undo the fall seeding most lawns here depend on.
- By David Obeid, founder
- Reviewed
- 5 min read
The short answer
What do leaves do to a lawn over winter?
They smother it. Tall fescue keeps growing through the fall. A wet mat of leaves left over it for weeks blocks the light it needs, holds moisture against the crowns of the plants and invites disease and thin spots by spring.
The damage is worst where it costs the most: on lawns that were just aerated and overseeded. New seedlings are small and tender, and a layer of leaves can wipe out much of the young grass you paid to grow.
Beyond the lawn
Why clean leaves out of beds and walkways too?
Leaves cause problems everywhere they pile up, not just on the grass.
-
Garden beds
Leaves piled in beds and against the foundation hold moisture and give pests a place to spend the winter.
-
Walkways, stairs and driveways
Wet leaves are slippery, and they stain hardscape when they sit.
-
Gutters
Leaves that land on the roof end up in the gutters, which is why our gutter cleaning includes a winter visit once the trees are bare.
Timing
Is one leaf cleanup in November enough?
Usually not here. The oaks, maples and tulip poplars across Arlington, Falls Church and McLean drop most of their leaves from late October into December, and oaks often hang on into the new year. A single cleanup in early November misses most of it.
That is why our fall leaf cleanup is built around two main visits at least two weeks apart, plus a touch-up for the stragglers, from late October into early January. The leaves are hauled away each time, so you don't have to bag them or wait for a county pickup.
Mulching
Can you just mow over the leaves instead?
For a light scattering, yes. For a real leaf drop, no. A mower can chop a thin layer of leaves into small pieces that fall down between the grass blades and break down.
Under the mature trees common in Northern Virginia, the leaves come down far faster than a mower can handle, and chopped leaves piled thick still smother the lawn. Once you can't see the grass through the leaves, they need to come off.
Doing it yourself
What if you clear the leaves yourself?
That works, as long as you keep up with it through December. Rake or blow them off every week or two during the heavy drop rather than once at the end.
Check your county's rules before you start. Arlington County's vacuum collection makes two passes per neighborhood in November and December, with leaves raked to the curb until the truck comes. In Fairfax County, plastic bags have not been accepted for yard waste since 2021, so bagging means paper bags or rigid containers.
Our leaf cleanup starts at $452 for the season, priced by lot size, and it is included in every plan.
Related questions
What people also ask
How many leaf cleanup visits do I get, and when?
The service includes two main cleanup visits and one optional touch-up visit between late October and early January, spaced at least 14 days apart so each visit catches a new wave of leaf drop. More or fewer visits are available by the hour if your property needs them.
What happens to the leaves?
We move the leaves to the curb and remove them from the property within a few days, weather permitting. You do not need to bag them or wait for a county pickup.
Do you clear leaves from garden beds and patios too?
Yes. Leaves are removed from the lawn, garden beds, common areas, and hardscape like patios, walkways, and driveways.
Are wooded areas included?
Leaf cleanup covers the maintained parts of the property: lawn, garden beds, common areas, and hardscape. Natural, unmaintained, and wooded areas are not included.
Keep reading
More from the Learning Center
- What should you do for your lawn each season in Northern Virginia? A season-by-season lawn calendar for tall fescue: what happens in winter, spring, summer and fall, and which season matters most. Timing and seasons · 6 min read
- Should you mow your lawn shorter before winter? Why the last mows of the season should drop to about 3 to 3 1/2 inches: a long lawn traps leaves and debris over winter. Lower, never scalped. Timing and seasons · 4 min read
- What happens to your lawn in the winter? Why fescue slows down and dulls in winter, what frost, snow, salt and leaves do to it, and the few things worth doing before spring. Timing and seasons · 5 min read
Have a question we didn’t answer?
Ask us. A real person on our team will answer, and if other homeowners are asking it too, we’ll answer it here.
