The falling leaves and temperatures in Pittsburgh can wreak havoc on lawns. Here's how you can avoid that.

Eventually, this stretch of beautiful weather in Pittsburgh will give way to rain, and before that happens, you might want to do something about the leaves that will blanket the ground. 

Simply put, wet leaves are the kiss of death for your lawn. 

While the colors are spectacular, they'll soon go from the branches to the ground, and if you let them lie for an extended period of time, it will affect the quality of your yard next spring. 

Turf expert Jeff Fowler of Tip Top Turf Solutions said the wet, fallen leaves form a mat on top of your lawn. 

"Wet leaves suffocate grass and don't let the sunlight get to them, and that doesn't let those roots develop the way we want them to," he explained. 

The end result usually is leaving a grass graveyard, and Fowler said getting rid of the leaves is important to keeping your lawn healthy. 

"You can mulch them early on this time of year when they're just starting to fall," he said. "The organic matter that's in them isn't an issue at all for the grass or for the yard." 

However, that's not a one-and-done task. Once the layer of leaves is too thick, it's time to get out the bag mower, the leaf blower, or the rake. 

"We need to pick them up, or rake them up, or blow them up, and either take them to the municipal compost pile, or have the city or town pick them up, and get rid of them for us," Fowler said. 

Then, with the leaves dealt with, Fowler said it's time to feed the yard. 

"Basically, give it food to live throughout the winter so it comes out in spring very healthy," he said. 

Fowler said the lawn product companies make it fairly easy, as most of the companies will label the product "winterizer." 

Getting that winterizer down is key, and Fowler explained that you need to get it down between now and the first few days of November. Doing so won't necessarily save you money, but it will save you time from having to really work on your lawn come spring.