The one rule to always follow when raking leaves is to get the leaves removed before the first snow falls. Leaves left on the ground over the winter can cause diseases in turfgrass. Too many leaves left around home foundations can harbor bothersome insects and rodents. Some gardeners like to rake leaves several times during autumn to keep the leaf piles smaller. Others wait until late autumn so one weekend of labor takes care of the task. However, “It’s not a good idea to have leaves sitting on your lawn because they can kill your grass by depriving it of sunlight,” Freda points out. It is always best to rake leaves when they are as dry as possible before winter precip makes a soggy mess.