It is the time of the year when you, as a homeowner, may need to deal with fallen leaves. For some, fallen leaves can be a real eyesore. Aside from the mess they create, there’s also the work of sorting out what to do with them. Whatever your issue with fallen leaves is, we have a few suggestions to help clear your landscape of them.
Get a good rake
Leaving leaves (see what we did there?) on your grass can lead to a variety of issues. Simply put, piles of leaves can suffocate your grass when wet which can lead to a moldy, boggy surface. Even if the leaves are dry, they’ll block sunlight to your grass, starving it of the ability to photosynthesize. Using a rake to clear the leaves is a great, cost-effective way to move your leaves to another location. We would recommend a very wide rake that can capture a lot of leaves in one swoop.
Use a leaf blower
Perhaps you’re not into back-breaking garden raking, and that’s where a leaf blower can come in handy. While a bit pricier, it will save you the extra effort and time while still doing a fantastic job of moving the leaves.
A few pro tips for using your leaf blower more effectively
- Work with the wind – figure out which way the wind is blowing and work with that wind direction. Trust us, you’ll save a lot of effort.
- Divide the leaves into smaller piles – it’s tempting to put all your leaves into one big pile, but these can be easily blown away with a gust of wind. Try to focus on different sections of your landscape and blow the leaves into a corner or smaller area to remove later.
- Have the right blowing angle – by pointing the nozzle downwards you’re going to focus the air pressure in a smaller area, reducing the chance of the leaves and other debris blowing everywhere.
Use the leaves in your garden
If you’re not looking to remove the leaves in a garden waste bag, they can actually be really beneficial to your garden. Here are a few simple ways to get the most out of your leaves.
- Create mulch – leaves are perfect to use as mulch around your trees, bushes, flowers and other shrubs. They’ll help to prevent weeds from growing and will keep in the moisture and warmth.
- Use in your soil – fallen leaves a great addition to your soil. Earthworms and other microogranisms are drawn to leaf matter, and this is good news! If you’re laying new soil down simply mix in your leaves, or add them in to existing garden beds.
- Add to compost – fallen leaves are considered ‘brown waste’ in compost terminology, this is because they are full of carbon. Add these to your compost pile alongside other ‘green waste’, like grass clippings, veggie scraps or spent flowers.
In all of the above cases, we recommend shredding your leaves beforehand!
Make sure your gutters are covered and cleared of leaf debris
Make sure your gutters are covered and cleared of leaf debrisClogged gutters are never fun. They can lead to water leaks, damage to ceilings, and even foundational issues. The best way to prevent clogged gutters is to remove those leaves and keep them out! We recommend pulling out as much as you can by hand, and then going through with your hose and blasting out any remaining debris. After the gutters are cleared, put in some preventative measures so there’s less to do next fall. Gutter covers or spikes can be used to stop leaves from collecting, whilst still allowing for water to pass through.
Call in the landscaping experts
If you’ve tried the above (or maybe you lack the daylight hours to), it might be time to call in the landscaping experts. The team at Eichenlaub are happy to organize a landscaping maintenance schedule that works in with your household’s needs, as well as the needs of the season.
