Posted in Yard Care 101
If you have trees in your yard, it's time for your annual fall ritual of leaf removal. The key to leaf management is to avoid procrastination. Instead of waiting for all of the leaves to fall, schedule two or three raking (or leaf blowing) sessions during the season. Don't allow wet leaves to layer on your lawn because they will cut off oxygen and sunlight and eventually will kill the grass. Here are some leaf management tips:
Raking is the tried and true standby for managing leaves. Use a fan rake - wooden, plastic or light metal - and rake lightly over the grass, pulling leaves into several manageable piles. You can then bag your leaves or rake them down to your curb if you are lucky enough to have curb-side removal provided by your municipality.
Mowing over your leaves is an option if your leaf carpet is light (another reason to keep after this task!). You will have to make two or more passes to chop them up enough to leave them on the lawn as fertilizer. If you have a large yard with lots of trees, get a mulching blade for your mower - it will finely chop up grass blades and leaves that can more quickly sink into the soil and feed your lawn.
Using your leaves to make compost is great if you enjoy gardening. The good news is that leaves can be the mainstay of your compost pile. They are classified as "brown material" which should make up about two-thirds of everything that goes into a compost pile. Rake your leaves onto a tarp and drag them to the compost area. You really don't need a fancy bin. To learn more about composting basics, check out How to Start a Compost Pile. If you have only a few leaves, you can dig them directly into your garden and let them decompose over winter.
Enjoy your yard and all it has to offer. From raking leaves to your final pass with the fertilizer spreader, know that the time you spend pays off in a more beautiful yard every year.
Great for large jobs, frequent use. Combined with a maintenance-free axial cam pump, this Standard Series unit provides reliable cleaning power.
