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During the fall, the trees shed a significant amount of the leaves that pollutes the lawn. But if you fail to remove the leaves, then they will suppress the grass. Besides, your driveway and patio might then become slippery too.
Collecting the dry leaves and throwing them away is an unwise move. These leaves are rich in plants nutrients and hence have alternative uses in the garden. Here are the best ways to handle the fall leaves;
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How to Collect the Fall Leaves
Employ a Leaf Blower
For a large lawn, the most convenient way to clear the leaves from the grass is by using a leaf blower to pile them up. Clearing dry leaves from the lawn is easier than wet ones. If you have an extension cord that can cover your whole garden then corded electric leaf blowers or backpack leaf vacuum mulchers are ideal. Otherwise, your choice is limited to rechargeable blowers or gas-powered leaf blowers. Just make sure to choose the quietest leaf blower that will cause the list interference to your neighbor.
Use a Leaf Vacuum Mulcher
A better alternative to making a pile of lives is using the leaf vacuum mulcher. That s because the garden tool will collect the dry leaves and cut them into smaller pieces. The shredded pieces of leaves are then much easier to handle. Moreover, you can choose the vacuum mulcher that will store the shredded leaves in a bag.
Rake your Small Garden
For gardeners with small lawns, just use a dedicated rake to clean your garden. Alternatively, you can also employ the besom broom to sweep the dry leaves into a heap.
Uses of the Piled Leaves
Mulching
In case you don’t have the leaf vacuum mulcher, use the lawnmower to shred the piled leaves. The small bits of leaves will then decompose faster. Use the shredded bits of mulch in your vegetable garden, around the trees, or flower beds.
Composting
Collect the shredded leaves and dump them into a composter. Make sure you separate each layer of the shredded leaves with other compostable waste. You can add some composted manure or fertilizer to speed up the rate of decomposition.
Leaf Mold
Load the shredded leaves into black bags and seal. Bore some holes at the bottom for drainage and sides for aeration before resting the bag in a shed. Keep it moist. After a year or two, the pile would have decomposed thus giving you rich compost.
Mix the Leaves into the Soil
During the fall, simply spread a layer of the shredded leaves over your garden before mixing them into the soil. Over the winter they will surely decompose.
The fall leaves are rich in plant nutrients and thus should not be thrown away. You can collect them using a blower or vacuum them and shred them on-site using the leaf vacuum mulcher. Alternatively, you can also employ the lawn mower to cut them into smaller invisible pieces that will easily integrate into the soil over time. The plant leaves also form great mulch for your vegetable garden.
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