When to schedule fall leaf cleanup in Pflugerville

Fall in Pflugerville doesn't look like fall up north. Most of our leaves come down late, and some of the biggest trees in the area don't drop much at all until spring. Here's how to time your cleanups so the leaves don't sit on your grass all winter.

Which trees drop leaves when

Cedar elms, red oaks, Bradford pears, pecans and cottonwoods do most of their dropping from November into December. Live oaks are the exception: they hold their leaves through winter and shed them in a big push in late winter and early spring, right as the new growth comes in. If your yard has live oaks, plan on a second round of cleanup in spring.

Why leaves on the lawn are a problem

A light scatter of leaves is fine. A thick layer that gets wet and mats down blocks sunlight and holds moisture against the grass. On St. Augustine, the most common lawn grass around here, that cool, damp shade is exactly what fungal problems like brown patch like. Leaves piled in flower beds and against fences also make good cover for pests.

How to time it

• One cleanup: wait until most of the leaves are down, usually early to mid December.
• Two cleanups: one in mid to late November, then a final pass in December. This is the better choice if you have a lot of trees or if leaves are already covering more than half the lawn.
• Live oaks: add a spring cleanup in March or April.

Mulch or haul?

If the layer is thin, mowing over the leaves chops them into small pieces that break down and feed the soil. Once you can't see the grass through the leaves, they need to be blown, gathered and hauled off. A cleanup visit covers the lawn, beds, patio and driveway, and the debris leaves with me.