| MadSci Network: Agricultural Sciences |
Just leave them on the lawn. There is no ecological advantage to raking leaves unless your neighbors complain. They will either blow away or decompose in the winter. The trees recycle nutrients from them in the fall when the leaves change color, and from the soil where the leaves [and trees] decompose. Sometimes leaves may become soggy and compacted and degrade slowly in cold temperatures. This can kill the grass beneath them from disease and insect problems, and from sheer blocking of photosynthesis, which is needed to maintain life, even in winter [you eat then too don't you?].
Regards.
Dr. Jack Paxton Professor Emeritus
Dept of Crop Science, University of Illinois