5 Tips for Raking Leaves

If you have ever tried to rake leaves on a windy fall day, you have probably since gained a greater appreciation for those tidy piles of leaves you see in the yards of people who have somehow mastered the art of leaf-raking. Is it genetic? Do they have the power to control the wind? Fortunately for you, raking leaves effectively does not require any special powers or abilities. All they have that you don’t is knowledge of the following basic lawn raking principles that will have you clearing your lawn of leaves in a snap.

• Work With the Wind, Not Against – Once you think about it, it’s really quite simple. Working against the wind when raking leaves is a surefire way to end up frustrated and leaving your lawn covered in fall debris. Figure out which way the wind is blowing by watching the path of your leaves, and rake them into the furthest corner of your lawn in that direction.
• Let the Leaves Fall – This is to say, let them fall on your lawn until the tree has given up its last leaf. Then rake them all into a pile. It’s still a good idea to rake footpaths, as walking on leaves can crush them and make them harder to clean up when the time comes.
• Buy a New Rake – A leaf raker is only as good as his or her rake, as the saying might go. Rakes with bent and missing prongs will just end up creating more work for you, so you might as well invest the money and get an effective rake.
• Wait for Leaves to Dry – Raking wet leaves is difficult, generally fruitless, and can actually damage your lawn by tearing up grass and soil along with the leaves as you struggle to lift them while still soggy. Dry leaves are lighter and can be brushed into a pile with the help of the motion of the air that occurs when you swing the rake.
• Use Leaves as Fertilizer – Leaves make an excellent source of nutrition for growing plants. Instead of leaving your leaves in a blustery pile on your lawn, you can rip them up, mix them with soil and add them to the bases of the trees and shrubs on your lawn. If you are looking for a more time-efficient solution, you can also just dump them in the compost.

If you have any other questions about the mysteries of your lawn, don’t hesitate to call Green Lawn, your local Philadelphia tri-state area lawn care company. We are always available to answer your lawn-related questions, and even to do the tricky and time consuming things like fall lawn fertilization and aeration and seeding for you. Give us a call today.