There’s nothing quite as magical as the sight of a landscape blanketed in a colorful spread of vibrant fall leaves. But while fall leaves may be beautiful to behold, when they build up on your landscape they block sunlight and moisture from reaching the ground underneath. In order to avoid dealing with these unsightly dead spots next spring, you need to stay on top of your raking throughout the season.
Here are some helpful hacks to make your leaf removal process as efficient as possible!
Invest in a good rake.
Don’t settle for a cheap plastic rake if you’re serious about fall lawn care. A few extra dollars now are going to save you hours of work over many seasons. As you’re shopping, remember the wider the rake, the easier the job. Look for a “no clog” rake with angled tines that won’t skewer the leaves.
Use a tarp instead of bagging.
Raking all the leaves on your lawn into a single large tarp, instead of bagging piles individually at the end, will save you a lot of time and energy. When you’re done, simply tie the ends of the tarp together and drag it to the curb or your disposal site.
Rake into rows.
Running back and forth from the center of your lawn to all of the far corners is going to tire you out pretty quickly. Instead, section your yard into quadrants and rake in a grid pattern. You can rake all your rows together at the end or, if you’re bagging, just bag them where they are. This technique works for leaf blowing as well.
Try mowing instead of raking.
If your lawn mower doesn’t have a mulch setting, consider investing in one that does to make lawn maintenance easier year-round. With a mulching mower, you can run over the leaves and shred them into tiny pieces. These pieces will decompose quickly, solving your leaf problem while simultaneously adding organic fertilizer to your lawn.
More often than not, homeowners simply don’t have the time or energy it takes to keep up with fall lawn maintenance the way they need to. That’s why VistaPro Landscape & Design offers leaf removal and seasonal lawncare services for property owners throughout Virginia, D.C., and Maryland! Our grounds management team will remove fallen leaves and other debris from your yard, as well as maintain and protect any plants that will survive the winter.
Contact us today to book our seasonal cleanup or other grounds maintenance services!