Autmn leaves are beautiful. Who doesn’t appreciate the Maples ablaze in bright orange and red . Fall is a treat for the eyes for sure, but there is a downside. Who hasn’t spent an entire day cleaning leaves off their lawn only to wake up the next day to a yard completely covered in, you guessed it, more leaves. Typically, I must rake my yard at least 6 to 7 times a season to keep the leaves under control and prevent their weight from smothering the grass. One thing’s for sure, there’s no way to keep the leaves from falling, but there are some ways to make the cleanup easier. Try the tips below to make this fall chore less hassle.Use your mower: Raking is hard work. Instead, let your mower bag them for you. The mower will cut them up so you can simply add them to your compost pile or spread them around your plants and shrubs as mulch.
Invest in a good rake: If you’re going to rake, don’t wate time with a small sized rake. Purchase a wide head rake and look for one that is a No- Clog version. This means that the leaves won’t get stuck in the tines and you won’t need to continually stop your job to pull leaf clogs off the rake head.
Think about purchasing a mulching lawn mower: These mowers tear the leaves into such small peices that they settle right into the turf. There they will decompose and become fertilizer. This may require a couple of passes over the yard, but it is much less strenuous than raking and your yard will benefit from it.
Try a Yard Vac: The vac sucks the leaves up and minces them, so tons of leaves can fit in a single bag. This is especially handy for keeping patios, decks and walkways clean.
Don’t waste time bagging: Bagging raked leaves is time consuming. Rake the leaves onto a tarp or an old sheet and drag them into the woods.
Make leaf clean up fun: Turn the chore into a fun family activity. Rake up big piles of leaves and let the kids enoy jumping into them. It’s just good old fashion fun!!