Summer is winding down and the fall season is quickly approaching. You know what that means: Fall cleanup. This generally includes falling leaves and preparation for the long winter ahead. Raking leaves is a dreaded fall chore, but there are some ways to make the job easier on you, saving you both time and frustration. Here’s to enjoying fall.
Beautiful autumn day for racking leaves and preparing for Halloween
Make it a family project
Get your family involved in cleanup by setting aside a day for family cleanup. Assign different jobs to each family member. This will cut your workload drastically and give you extra quality family time.
Consider purchasing leaf scoops
Buying giant leaf scoops not only can pick up large amounts of leaves at once, but also pick up smaller objects and pine needles for easy transfer to outdoor leaf bags. You can purchase these online for about $15 at Gardener’s Supply Company.
Buy a snake rake
A snake rake is an ergonomic rake with offset handles and adjustable length. This will save you from the sore back you get after raking with an old-fashioned rake. These are available on Amazon.
Go Eco-Friendly
Instead of storing your leaves in paper or plastic bags, go eco-friendly with reusable sturdy plastic bags. Most of these are collapsible for easy storage.
Rake Downhill
Save yourself some frustration and try raking downhill and with the wind. There’s no sense in making this job any more difficult than it has to be.
Clean up the garden
If you have annuals in your garden, look for dead ones and get rid of those. Cut back any perennials you have and get them prepared to hibernate for the winter ahead.
Blow or rake dry leaves
Wait until leaves are dry before you get rid of them. This just makes it easier for you. When the leaves are dry, they are lighter and much easier to deal with. Wet leaves stick to everything and become more hassle than anything.
Compost your leaves
Continue mowing your grass with a shredding or mulching mower and use them as compost or mulch. You may need to mow over them several times to shred the leaves but it will still save you time over raking or blowing the leaves. After you’ve shredded your leaves, either place them in a pile or a composting bin and mix them with a source of nitrogen like grass clippings. This speeds up the process. If you do this, make sure your leaves are damp and turned every few weeks.
Use a tarp
Rake leaves onto a tarp to save time. This is faster than bagging them, and when you’re done raking the leaves onto the tarp, you can easily drag the tarp to your curbside for your city pickup.
Anyone with a yard has to deal with the inevitable fall cleanup, but with these tips, you can be on your way to an easier cleanup and have more time and energy to enjoy your fall. You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars to make this an easier chore. Following these tips can be of huge help to you this year for your fall cleanup.
For more on how to make fall cleanup easier and more effective, check out some of these other blogs from Snappy’s Outdoor Equipment. Also, for all your lawn and landscaping needs, head to our store at 2120 N. Dixie Highway in Lima. We have all the lawn equipment you need to make fall cleanup a snap.
