# Why Do We Rake Leaves?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-rake-leaves/136165
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 10, 2002, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-rake-leaves/136165 "2002-11-10T19:29:05Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Torgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torgo)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2002, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-rake-leaves/136165/1 "2002-11-10T19:29:05Z")
Is it because snow cover on top of dead leaves is bad for your lawn? Or do we do it because we don’t like mess?
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### Author:  [@Yeah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeah)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2002, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-rake-leaves/136165/2 "2002-11-10T19:33:31Z")
Is it because snow cover on top of dead leaves is bad for your lawn? Or do we do it because we don’t like mess?
I think it’s for both reasons but I don’t rake, I use my mower to mulch in place. This gives protects the grass, looks neat, and imrproves the soil.
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### Author:  [@samarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samarm)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2002, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-rake-leaves/136165/3 "2002-11-10T19:38:44Z")
I think most people rake leaves because they think it makes the lawn look messy. I don’t really see what harm dead leaves are going to do.
Your sig: “My hovercraft is full of eels.” … I know that line from somewhere! Is it a Spike Milligan quote? Its driving me crazy!
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### Author:  [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2002, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-rake-leaves/136165/4 "2002-11-10T19:44:52Z")
I find dry rot on the grass where the dead leaves have been allowed to stay over the winter.
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### Author:  [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2002, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-rake-leaves/136165/5 "2002-11-10T19:45:08Z")
Because picking them up one by one by hand takes too long. 🙂
I think the distaste for leaves on the lawn is directly proportional to the level of manicure the owner wishes to project in the neighborhood. An ego thingie.
My father was pragmatic. He let the wind do it. It gave our yard that ruffled and rugged look. We also had more squirrels and other wildlife in our yard than anyone else. 😃
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### Author:  [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2002, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-rake-leaves/136165/6 "2002-11-10T22:20:16Z")
I don’t. Much to the chagrin of my neighbors. Of course, I would also let the grass grow if there weren’t laws against it…
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### Author:  [@Coil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coil)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2002, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-rake-leaves/136165/7 "2002-11-10T22:21:57Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by samarm \*
> \*\*
> Your sig: “My hovercraft is full of eels.” … I know that line from somewhere! Is it a Spike Milligan quote? Its driving me crazy! \*\*
It´s Monty Python.
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### Author:  [@DasUnterMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DasUnterMensch)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2002, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-rake-leaves/136165/8 "2002-11-10T22:34:15Z")
Since I don’t have tree in my front yard I just use the blower to move them back to their original owner 🙂
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### Author:  [@Billy\_Rubin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billy_Rubin)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2002, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-rake-leaves/136165/9 "2002-11-10T22:37:41Z")
Leaves are nature’s visqueen. (across the pond: Polythene)Left long enough they will kill anything under them.
b.
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### Author:  [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2002, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-rake-leaves/136165/10 "2002-11-10T22:45:49Z")
We have over 30 large oaks and many smaller ones on our property. There is no way in hell, even if I were younger that I could rake all the leaves. Some years I use the mower and some years I wait and let the March winds take care of them. It does look better to get rid of the leaves and not as many find those niches around doorways, etc. to congregate in.