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No, it’s not necessary to remove all the leaves from your lawn—in fact, leaving some behind can be beneficial. While it's important to clear thick layers of leaves that can smother your grass, leaving a light scattering of leaves can help feed your soil while also providing safe winter habitat for pollinators like bumble bees. Leftover leaves will eventually break down, enriching the soil and promoting healthy lawn growth.

In the short term, you’ll have a lot of fallen trees to deal with. Tree removal services costs typically start at $200 per tree and increase based on species and size. Then, you’ll have to deal with the loss of trees: That means a loss of shade and a greater risk of rain runoff and erosion. Also, you’ll miss out on the health and aesthetic benefits of having trees on your property, which could even affect the resale value of your home.

That being said, cutting down a tree it’s not always a bad idea. Trees growing too close to rooftops can present fire hazards or debris problems. You may need to remove diseased or dying trees to prevent future issues.

It’s possible to over-mulch leaves. If the leaf mulch is thick enough that it’s blocking and smothering the grass, that’s a problem. Ideally, you should still be able to see the grass when you’re done mulching to ensure its ability to continue growing. The solution is to make another pass at the top layer of leaf mulch to collect some of the top layer.

If you are xeriscaping a lawn from scratch, your best bet for preparing the lawn is to work with a xeriscaping specialist in your area. The most common first step to making the transformation, however, will be to remove the turfgrass from your lawn. The subsequent steps will often include amending the soil to support new plants and installing low-drip or drip irrigation systems.