key points
- Clean up leaves as soon as they dry – wet piles become heavy, moldy, and difficult to remove.
- Use equipment such as rakes, tarps, blowers or mulchers to efficiently move, shred and reuse leaves.
- Shred leaves and add compost or mulch for nutrients and a light layer to protect the grass.
Cleaning up leaves doesn’t have to be difficult or take over your weekend. Use the right techniques and tools to make the job faster, easier and more efficient.
remove leaves early
Clear the leaves as soon as possible. Dry, freshly fallen leaves are easier to remove than leaves that have been on the lawn for a long time.
Leaves on lawns block sunlight, promote fungus, and can be slippery and dangerous. After quite a long time, the leaves rot and become almost impossible to pick up.
Break leaf removal into several smaller tasks rather than one big project. If you prefer to remove the leaves only once, do so as soon as possible – right after the last leaves have fallen.
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shake leaves off tarpaulin
Sometimes, you’ll need to take a large pile of leaves from the lawn or to the street for municipal collection. A thick tarpaulin makes this easier.
Spread a tarp on the grass near the leaves. Carefully arrange the leaves on the tarp. Hold each of the four corners with a partner, but do not lift the tarpaulin. Slide the tarp to its destination.
Use a heavy-duty, tear-resistant polyethylene tarp 16 mil or thicker. Do not use plastic sheeting; When you slide it, it will explode.
use the correct rake
make sure you have some different types of rakes This allows you to move more leaves with less effort:
- plastic leaf rake:The wide, fan-shaped head of this rake collects broad pieces of leaves.
- lawn rake: With flexible, springy tines, this rake captures small debris embedded in lawn thatch,
- garden rake: The hard teeth of a garden rake clean leaves and debris from dirt and garden beds. Flip the rake head upside down and use the rake to push leaves onto the grass or to deposit leaves in the yard bin.
vacuum the leaves
Vacuum up fallen leaves and collect them in bags for easy disposal.
best leaf vacuum It also has a shredding component. Between the vacuum nozzle and the collection bag is a shredder that shreds the leaves 11 to one.
blow leaves
Shake off the leaves as well. Blowing leaves reduces the physical effort of raking and allows you to clear leaves from sensitive areas that may be damaged by the rake.
Leaf blower, such as powerful backpack leaf blowerWorks best on dry leaves, so get to them as soon as they fall.
make small piles
Moving huge piles of leaves to the lawn is difficult and takes a lot of time. Eventually, the pile will become too large to be moved.
Rake leaves into small piles or rows throughout the lawn. Smaller piles are more manageable to transfer and collect into trash or yard waste bags.
press leaves
Push the leaf piles instead of pulling them or moving them to the side with a rake.
Use a hard tool with a wide head to push away the leaves. Do not use a leaf rake, as it may break. A push broom or an inverted garden rake works well for moving piles of leaves.
Mulch the leaves
Mulch the leaves to reduce their overall size for easy disposal or spreading.
Together Electric Leaf MulcherThe pile of cards can be reduced to as little as one-sixteenth of its original size. A leaf mulcher shreds leaves with a metal blade or plastic wire, similar to those found on weed trimmers.
Pinch the leaves into small handfuls. The leaves will be shredded and deposited directly into the bin or bag below. Some leaf shredders will even cut pieces up to 2 inches in diameter.
The result is a dense pile of leaves that can be packed into a yard trash bin or paper bag. Or, spread shredded leaves around the yard as a nutrient-rich mulch.
cut leaves
Instead of using a leaf mulcher to shred leaves, mow them with your lawn mower.
Light, newly fallen leaves can be cut with a lawn mower. There is no need to collect leaves in a pile.
After mowing, make sure wet leaf material Left behind is not very thick. It should integrate seamlessly with the turf. If it doesn’t, cut it once again.
make compost from leaves
Pluck leaves to make compost In the compost heap or bin.
To make compostYou need green and brown materials. Green materials include kitchen scraps, coffee grounds, plant residues, and grass clippings. Brown materials are things like cut tree limbs, cardboard, newspaper, sawdust and fallen leaves.
Add the leaves after cutting them into pieces. compost bincompost heap, or DIY Compost TumblerMix brown and green ingredients in a ratio of approximately 2:1. So, for every two buckets of leaves and other brown matter, add one bucket. Vegetable peels and other green ingredients,
cover excess leaves
When you have collected more leaves than you can immediately dispose of, cover them with a tarpaulin and weigh the tarpaulin down.
When exposed, the leaves become wet and heavy, making them more difficult to move. When enough time passes, roots and fungus grow within the leaves.
Cover the leaves completely with tarpaulin from end to end. Tie the tarp’s grommets to tent poles or press down the edges with bricks.
trim trees
Instead of cleaning up leaves, avoid the leaves in the first place.
Prune trees in winter or early spring before buds open. Each organ you remove eliminates leaf growth and eventually the leaf withers after six to eight months.
professional Tree Pruning Cost Ranges from $215 to $730 per tree. with a ladder, pole saw trimmerUsing a pruning saw, and pruning clippers, you can cut low-hanging tree limbs yourself.
dispose of leaves
Use all available methods of leaf disposal to get leaves out of your garden.
In the fall, piles of leaves accumulate faster than they can be disposed of by municipal collection. The standard 96-gallon compost bin in many communities fills quickly with freshly fallen leaves. Use these tips to maximize municipal collections:
- Place the branches to the curb for disposal after the leaves are gone.
- Pluck the leaves.
- Tamp each layer of leaves into the bin using a garden rake or shovel.
- Call the municipal waste management agency to see if you can add extra paper yard waste bags to the collection bin.
see the weather
Set up weather alerts so you’ll know when heavy rain is going to fall in the fall. It is important to clear the leaves before it rains.
Even heavy dew will accumulate over several mornings, causing the leaves to become heavy and eventually become slimy and moldy.
The weather can also work in your favor. Strong winds may be enough to knock off any leaves remaining on the tree.
Do not collect all the leaves
It’s okay to leave some leaves scattered in your yard after cleaning. Unless you like the look to be unkempt, a few leaves can remain on the grass as long as they are sparse and evenly distributed. They can be mowed with a mower or left alone.
Do not leave more than five to 10 percent of the leaves behind. Leaving too many leaves behind will deprive the grass of air, water and sunlight.
FAQ
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What’s the best way to clean up leaves?
The best way to clean up leaves is to get to them as quickly as possible when they are still dry and easy to remove. Blow leaves into piles or rows with a gas or electric leaf blower. Then, shred the leaves to reduce their size. Mulched leaves can be used around the yard to conserve moisture and provide nitrogen to garden beds. Or the mulch can be sent to municipal leaf collection.
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How do I get rid of lots of leaves from my lawn?
The best way to get rid of lots of leaves on your lawn use a leaf blower Sorting the leaves into long rows and then vacuuming them up with a leaf vacuum. Another way to do this is to blow the leaves into small piles in a grid-like pattern and feed the piles into a leaf shredder.
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Do leaves need to be cleaned up?
leaves need to be cleaned in the yard. They deprive the grass of air, sunlight and water, leading to fungus and mold, which eventually kills the grass. It’s best to clean up all the leaves, but if you prefer, you can leave a small amount – about five to 10 percent – that can be mowed with a lawn mower.
