It’s that time of year again when the leaves start to turn and fall from trees, drenching our lawns, streets, and houses in all kinds of beautiful colors. These seasonal crimson and gold hues in nature are a welcomed sight by many. But then comes the reminder that they present more yardwork. Before your autumn weekends waste away while you break your back raking for hours on end, consider other ways you can effectively tackle fall leaf cleanup on your property. Here are some timesaving, environmentally conscious, not-so-physically-demanding methods to try and how you can get help.
Mowing Leaves into Your Grass
Leaves are full of nutrients that can be recycled into your soil, meaning you don’t have to remove them from your lawn at all. Our favorite fall leaf cleanup tip is to run your lawn mower over the fallen leaves, thereby shredding them into organic matter that returns those beneficial nutrients to the lawn. You might have to go over it a couple of times to get finely chopped pieces. This helps with soil aeration and moisture retention, contributing to growth in grass and plants. Just be sure not to mow when it’s wet, and don’t wait until there are too many leaves for your mower to handle.
Leaf Blowing Leaves
It’s called a leaf blower for a reason! This is your best tool for getting leaves off your driveway, walkways, decks, and other hardscapes. You have a couple of options for where to blow leaves:
- Onto your lawn, then proceed with the mowing tip above
- Into the surrounding woods, if you live in a more remote area where this is possible
- Into a pile, collect in paper bags, and take to your local yard waste disposal center
Raking Leaves
If you do stick with traditional raking, don’t just rake into a large pile to abandon on your lawn; see the cleanup process all the way through. Again, you can collect leaves in bags. Or they also make great free mulch for your gardens. Just rake leaves directly onto your planting beds, where they’ll provide warmth and protection to your plants and trees.
Other Fall Leaf Cleanup Tips
Other pointers to help you be successful in your fall leaf cleanup efforts are:
- Wait for all the leaves to fall.
- Invest in the right tools and equipment for you and your property.
- Stretch before any physical labor.
- Dress appropriately for the weather.
- Don’t overdo it—take breaks and stay hydrated whenever working outdoors.
If you’d rather avoid the hassle of leaves on your lawn altogether, you can always call in the experts. Dolan Landscaping has been serving the Central MA community for more than 30 years, offering everything from landscape maintenance to construction services. For help with fall cleanup and other projects on your property, contact us today.