Peak colors are in Ohio and the leaves should start falling in droves in a couple weeks

Some autumn leaves have already fallen across Ohio. Yet, with the state now considered to be at peak for fall color, a lot of leaves are still clinging on for dear life.

This means there's still a lot of work ahead for homeowners looking to clean up their yards and get ready for winter.

A relatively late fall foliage this year has pushed back the so-called big fall when the bulk of the leaves drop.

This creates headaches for those communities that offer curbside leaf pickups with the worry that crews might end up plowing both snow and leaves.

More: Ohio's fall colors are a tad behind in 2023. Here's when to expect peak autumn beauty

When will the leaves start falling in Ohio?

The rake might collect dust for a few more days in most areas of Ohio.

Jason Veil, curator of Ohio State's Secrest Arboretum in Wooster, said the same as it is for when the leaves change color, there are a number of factors that impact when they start falling off the trees.

Warmer weather affects when they change and also when they fall, he said.

As Ohio's overall temperatures continue to be high, Veil said, we should expect later fall colors and in turn later raking chores.

"It doesn't get as cold as early as it used to," he said.

So, Ohio's leaves will likely stick around for another two weeks before falling in earnest.

Veil said a big trigger for leaves starting to fall is a string of warm and sunny days and frosty nights.

There's also the variety of tree that determines just when the leaves fall. The honey locust is among the earliest to lose its leaves, followed by the maples and hickory trees. The last to go are the oaks and beeches, with some varieties holding onto their dead leaves well into the spring.

"Just in time for Thanksgiving we will have to rake," Veil said.

Should I rake my leaves?

With some 2,000 different varieties of trees and some 15,000 trees covering 110 acres, the arboretum staff are up to their eyeballs in leaves every fall, Veil said. But, like a homeowner, they have to find a way to handle the leafy problem.

Veil said the best solution is to not rake them up.

Homeowners should instead mulch them up like they do at the arboretum, and spread them around. The mulched leaves provide needed natural nutrients for the lawn and flower beds and helps keep the leaves out of landfills.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: When will leaves start falling in Ohio and what to do with them