Question of the Week – Number Two: December 31, 2020

“Dear Neil: Do acorns on a lawn hurt it? We have so many that it’s like walking on a bed of marbles.”

The only way acorns would cause any problem would be if they covered and shaded the grass. I normally use my leaf rake to “comb” through the grass, then I blow them into windrows as best I can. I can then shovel them up and remove them. (It sounds good, but is more difficult than I’m admitting.) By getting as many as possible, I reduce the population.

It should be noted that the turf in the photo is obviously very thin, almost missing. That wasn’t caused by the acorns. There probably is so much shade that the grass has given up trying to grow there.

One other suggestion: while I normally recommend always buying the best tools to make gardening easier, in the case of leaf rakes, I prefer not to use spring-backed rakes in my lawn. Bermudagrass and especially St. Augustine runners are pulled loose by the stouter rakes.