At the turn of every fall, leaf removal may seem like a never-ending task, but there are effective ways to reduce the effort involved. Simple practices like removing leaves regularly proves to keep the workload lighter and the lawn in its best condition; however, that’s not always the case, as some put off cleaning up leaves for long periods of time or ignore the task altogether.
Neglecting to remove leaves from your yard can lead to soil compaction and create an environment for pests to burrow in leaf piles over winter. If not cleaned up in a timely manner, leaves can also cause stress to your lawn, not to mention disease.
Stay on top of these issues by avoiding these common leaf removal mistakes:
Mistake #1: Leaving fallen leaves on the ground to become matted and decomposed.
Throughout the fall, your yard needs to breathe in order to receive the nutrients and sunlight to thrive come springtime. Try to remove your leaves every other week to maintain a healthy lawn. For a smaller job, try the efficient and easy-to-use TB430 blower. For bigger leaf cleanup projects, the TB672 wheeled leaf blower will do the trick; this model provides plenty of force and more than enough power for heavy leaf piles and hard-to-rake areas.
Mistake #2: Raking leaves down to the curb.
Raking your leaves all the way down to the curb can take too much time. Instead, roll out a heavyweight plastic tarp in a central location and rake leaves towards its center so you can drag it to the curb when you’re done. This will save time, energy and blisters from hours of constant raking.
Mistake #3: Throwing leaves away.
There are so many ways to recycle fallen leaves; there is no need to send them to the landfill. Use a mulching mower to add shredded leaves back to your lawn. As they break down, they act as a natural fertilizer that helps maintain healthier grass. They can also be used as mulch around flowers, trees and shrubs for the same purpose. Composting shredded leaves with grass clippings is another great way to recycle leaves and save for spring fertilizing. Make it easier with a chipper shredder or chipper shredder vacuum.
