Cleaning Leaves in Your Yard: Manual and Power Methods

As beautiful as it is to see the foliage turn yellow and red and then fall, these leaves create nothing but mess on the ground. Getting rid of them is necessary if you want your yard to look cute. But what does it take? The best leaf rake or blower, or, maybe, a leaf vacuum? How many hours does it take to clean an average yard from leaves, and how can one make getting rid of leaves easier? Let’s see.

Manual Methods

If raking the leaves from your yard is a sort of fitness or meditation for you or just a tradition you don’t want to break, you will need some tools for getting them out. Let’s list all the necessary items.

• The rake. This is the primary tool for moving the leaves from where they were to where they belong (there is, onto a pile). It’s recommended to use a wide rake, as with it, you will cover larger areas in a shorter time, and the effort will not seriously differ. There are even special anti-clog models that require less cleaning during the work.
• The bag. You will want to carry the leaves away—to the backyard or, maybe, to the trash container.
• Something to get the leaves where it’s hard to access them. If we exclude power tools, it might be a pole pruner which can also be useful to reach remote areas on the ground level and to cut what holds the leaves there—small branches, bushes, etc.

If your yard is just a part of your property, you can just rake the leaves beyond it and let them decompose. This will naturally fertilize your ground, especially if you’re going to plant something there. Sometimes, it makes sense to dig some small holes and press the leaves there so that they don’t remain on the ground level.

Power Methods

Nowadays, there are various power tools that make leaf removal easier and faster.

• The one that might have come to your mind is a leaf blower. This one blows the leaves away from where you aim it and is capable of cleaning spacious areas. It’s a great tool if you want to remove leaves from the paths in your garden but would rather let them decompose on the rest of the territory.
• Another type of device – a leaf vacuum – is preferable if you plan to move the leaves from the entire area somewhere further. A built-in mulcher processes the leaves that the vacuum sucks in, reducing their volume. The mulched leaves are much easier to dispose of, as they are stored in a sack after mulching.
• There are also leaf vacuum modules for lawnmowers, tractors, and other equipment you might have used by now. They add leaf vacuum functionality to other devices, which is easier and cheaper than buying a dedicated one. Also, they perform just as great.

What to Remember

No matter if you prefer manual or power methods, getting rid of leaves implies that there is no heavy debris on the way of whatever tool you choose. Neither rakes nor vacuums or blowers can handle gravel, heavy wood pieces, or other items.

Also, think about how you will dispose of the leaves. Prepare a place where you will bury or burn them or choose where you carry them. If everything is well-planned, getting rid of leaves will be rather a pleasant fall experience.