Raking leaves can be a backbreaking experience – or at least it can feel that way. Did you know that there are several ways to make the leaves cleanup easier? You can save yourself time, effort, and even some money by learning how to properly clean your yard this fall.

Blowing Leaves 

The first thing that needs to be completed when getting your yard clean for fall is blowing the leaves off of your lawn or driveway. The best way to do this is to start at one end of your lawn and blow all of the leaves into a pile so that they can be easily picked up. Once this is done, you might want to vacuum them up or burn them if permitted where you live. You can vacuum leaves if you have a blower that has this feature, or try using a large shop vacuum if you have one. 

Using a Mulching Lawn Mower

If you have an area of your lawn that's covered with leaves, you can mulch them into the grass. This can be done by simply turning off your mower's bagging feature and letting the leaves drop onto the lawn.

If you want to go all out, you can even get a mulching lawn mower that will chop up the leaves and spread them over the grass. This is a great way to reduce the amount of work you have to do when it comes time to clean up fallen leaves.

Composting Leaves and Yard Debris

Leaves are great for compost. After you rake them up, add them to your compost bin.

Leaves have a lot of nutrients. They also have a lot of carbon, which means they'll help balance out the nitrogen in manure and other materials added to the compost pile. As the leaves break down, they'll create heat that speeds up the process.

Composting leaves can reduce your need for fertilizer if you're trying to grow plants in your yard or garden.

Trimming and Caring for Trees

Fall is the perfect time of year to trim and care for trees. Tree care can help reduce cleanup tasks and improve the appearance of landscaping.

Many trees will drop their leaves during the fall, but some trees drop leaves throughout the year. Branches can also become brittle and break off during winter storms, leaving behind a mess in your yard. Trimming and pruning your trees helps them maintain a healthy shape and reduces the amount of debris they produce.

Fall is also an ideal time to prune some shrubs and bushes that bloom in spring or early summer. Pruning these plants now will encourage them to produce more flowers next year.

There are easier ways to clean up the leaves in your yard before winter than just raking them! Call a professional lawn maintenance and landscaping company such as Fox Land Services, for help before fall arrives.