It’s that time of year when you need to start thinking about cleaning up your yard to get ready for winter. This article will provide you with a list of 7 essential items for your fall yard cleanup. Depending on where you live, your needs will differ, so this will be a general list, but most of the information will apply to everyone.
Why should you clean your yard in the fall?
You have enjoyed your yard all summer and worked hard to keep it looking nice, so you want to give yourself a head start for next year. That’s where doing some cleanup in the fall will help. You want to get rid of fallen leaves and branches, give the lawn one last mow, trim back any perennials and remove any dead plants and annuals that you will replace the next year.
Leaf Cleanup
For leaf cleanup, there are many options you may have in your area. My area for instance allows you to place your leaves along the street at the front of your house, and the city comes along with a giant vacuum to clean them all up. There are advantages and disadvantages to this. You don’t have to buy bags and take them away, but with windy fall days, you might find yourself raking many times before pickup day.
Another option is paper yard waste bags that you can buy pretty much everywhere. My city also has the option of putting leaves in paper yard waste bags out with the regular garbage. This option the additional cost of the bags, but once that bags are filled and taken away, your work is done. You may also have the option of taking the bags to a disposal site yourself, which may also give you the option of simple putting the leaves directly in a trailer/truck bed, or using re-usable bags and dumping them out there.
Some other options you can consider are, using a mulching lawnmower to mulch the leaves into the grass to give your lawn some extra nutrients, or perhaps burning the leaves if that is an option in your area.
Tools for Leaf Cleanup
Leaf Blowers
Leaf Blowers are available in gas powered for heavier jobs, electric for medium sized jobs, and battery powered for smaller jobs. Here are a few options available
Lawn Mowers
Lawn mowers can also aid in leaf cleanup. You can use a bagging lawn mower to collect the leaves and dump the bag directly into your yard waste bags or whatever method you are using to dispose of the leaves. For smaller amounts of leaves, you can also simply mulch them and allow them to provide more nutrients to your lawn. As with the leaf blowers, lawn mowers are available in various sizes, and gas powered, electric, or battery powered.
Rakes
The old tried and true method of leaf cleanup, the rake. There are many kinds of rakes at many different price points. Depending on the size of the job, you might want to look for one with a padded handle to give your hands a bit of help. Also, the size of the head of the rake will determine how quickly you collect the leaves.
Yard Waste Bags
If you chose to dispose of your leaves using yard waste bags, you should be able to find them at most stores. They are generally stamped with the logo of the store and sold in several package sizes, such as 5, 10 or 25 bags. You can also get reusable bags that you can use to transport the leaves to a disposal site and empty them there. Some disposal sites accept yard waste for free, so check your local facilities.
Tools for other plant cleanup
Trimmers
Trimmers are great for cutting back hedges, tall grasses, or tree branches that are over grown. This will stimulate new growth and improve the health of your plants. They are generally available in electric or battery powered. In the fall, you can use the trimmer to remove annuals, or dead plants that you don’t want, to prepare for planting in the spring. The trimmings can be disposed of in the same was as your leaves. Here are a few options:
Garden Shears
For jobs that are too small to warrant a hedge trimmer, hand shears are the perfect solution. They are also available in several sizes, so pick the one that is perfect for your job.
Other Accessories
Here are a few things you might want to grab to make your life a little easier. Gloves are great to lessen the stress on your hands when raking and to protect them from sharp thorns or spiky weeds. You can also look for helpful tools like this chute that helps hold the yard waste bags open and standing to make it easier to put the leaves in.
Summary
Hopefully this post helps you with your fall yard cleanup. The more work you do in the fall, the less you have to do in the spring, and the better prepared your yard will be to start growing again.
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