As the leaves shift in New Jersey to stunning shades of orange and yellow before eventually falling to the ground, our lawns will soon be covered with them, and we'll have to find time to rake them all up, bag them, and leave them on the curb to be collected.

But is that the only option?

What if we simply leave the leaves where they fall? Or use the lawnmower to mulch them instead?

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October is National Leave the Leaves Month and the National Wildlife Federation conducted a survey asking people what they do with all the fallen leaves on their property.

Most people take time to rake up the leaves and remove them, however, there are several added benefits to just leaving them alone!

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To Rake or Not to Rake Leaves On New Jersey Lawns

Emile DeVito, Manager of Science and Stewardship at the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, told NorthJersey.com"Leaves help block sunlight from penetrating directly into your lawn's soil, which will also prevent weeds from growing. And instead of purchasing mulch for your yard, leaves will suppress weeds the same way, but for free."

You could use your lawnmower to cut them down, however, experts say insects usually use the leaves during the winter months for protection so that may not be the best option.

With so many trees in my backyard, leaving the fallen leaves undisturbed would save me a significant amount of time and help reduce weeds, so I'm all for it!

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