Those leaves hanging off the branches will soon be down on the ground so here’s some expert advice on getting some ‘re-leaf’ for the situation!
- Before you start the regular lawn mowing regiment, put on your safety gear including ear and eye protection. A respirator is recommended too when working with leaves to guard against the aggravation of mold and dust kicking up. (Yes, that means you, macho man!)
- We recommend using a heavy duty (preferably gas powered backpack blower with a flexible hose and variable speed triggers) to blow all the leaves out of the beds and
into the lawn area. - Obviously it will be prudent to pick a day when the leaves are dry for better mobility.
- Set the height of your mower blades to the highest they will go. Using mulch blades on your lawn mower will pulverize the clippings and leaves and they will drop back into the turf to decompose and add nutrients to the soil.
- Go over the leaves multiple times with the mulcher blades to disperse around the lawn making sure the tiny bits of leaves are pulverized and easier to decompose faster.
- If there are too many leaves and they are covering your grass blades to an extent that it would smoother, then stop! Rake part of the shredded leaves onto a tarp and relocate into your garden beds for a great layer of mulch that will decompose over the winter and leave decomposed ‘black gold’ for you to dig through next spring. Planet Natural claims that one pound of leaves contains “twice the mineral content of manure.”
- Do this weekly to provide a better end result during the decomposition process.
As the leaves start to change and fall, start with this easy regiment to keep ahead of the game. If leaves make you sneeze, then you can contact us or call and get on our fall calendar for leaf cleanup at 828.774.1590.
