10/16/2026
What Happens If Leaves Stay on Your Lawn All Winter?
A few leaves aren't necessarily a problem.
A thick, wet layer sitting on your lawn all winter can be.
Once leaves become wet and matted, they can block light and airflow to the grass underneath. Add months of snow cover, and you've created conditions your lawn may not appreciate.
That's one reason fall leaf cleanup isn't only about making a property look tidy.
You don't need to panic every time another leaf hits the ground.
But you also don't want to send your lawn into an Ottawa winter buried under a heavy blanket of wet leaves.
Sometimes there's a happy medium between chasing every last leaf and ignoring them completely.