How to rake leaves the easy way — tips and tricks
If your yard is covered in leaves, you probably want to know an easy way to rake leaves. This is especially the case in the fall months when you constantly have to deal with leaves, twigs, foliage and other debris.
Additionally, leaf raking is an important part of lawn care to ensure your lawn stays healthy and healthy greener for the spring. A thick layer of fallen leaves can smother the blades of grass, depriving them of sunlight and other nutrients. In addition, the humid conditions provide the perfect breeding ground for lawn diseases and pests. That’s why it’s important to remove leaves as soon as possible; Otherwise, you need to keep reading our guide how to revive dead grass in the future. Plus, raked leaves can be used for compost or mulch, saving you money in the long run.
While working with a rake to remove piles of leaves can be a tedious and time-consuming task, it doesn’t have to be. Luckily, there are some useful methods that will help you rake leaves in less time and maintain a healthy lawn. So if you want to know how to easily rake leaves, check out these tips and tricks.
You may also want to know When should you stop mowing your lawn in winter?or how to aerate a lawn the right way.
How to rake leaves
Before you start, always Rake on a dry day as the leaves are easier to collect. Wet sheets just turn everything into a soggy mess, making it more difficult and time-consuming.
1. Invest in the right type of leaf rake
Not all rakes are created equal, and the right type makes collecting leaves easier. General, Aluminum or plastic rakes are best suited for most leaf cleanings. “First of all, investing in a good quality, ideally flat tine rake will make the job a lot easier,” suggests Chris Bonnett, founder of Gardening Express (opens in new tab). “The rake should be light and the right height so you don’t have to crouch too much. The wider the end, the more leaves you can grab at once.” Rakes like these ORIENTOOLS garden rakes, ($29 (opens in new tab), Amazon (opens in new tab)), are lightweight and adjustable.
2. Gather leaves in a tarp
In order not to always stop to pack leaves, Gather them in a tarp can be faster. “A good trick that will save you a lot of time is to lay out a large tarp and stack the leaves on top of it instead of collecting them in individual bags,” agrees Bonnett. Once you’ve stacked all the sheets, simply gather the corners of the tarp, tie them together, and move the sheets to where they need to go. This method is commonly used by many professional landscape gardeners.
3. Try a leaf waste funnel
You can do math directly into a leaf waste hopper who already has a bag to catch. Simply lay flat on one side, scoop in piles of leaves before discarding or mulching. A leaf trash hopper like this Bag Butler Lawn and Leaf Trash Bag Holder ($34 (opens in new tab), Amazon (opens in new tab)) will help make bagging sheets a breeze.
4. Buy a leaf blower
You can Invest in a leaf blower, leaf vacuum, and mulcher all in one. These handy tools are great for quickly removing leaves from awkward spots where rakes just won’t work. Leaves are vacuumed up, mulched and stored in the bag attachment on the unit for easy disposal. You can get affordable leaf blowers like this Sun Joe SBJ702E 13-Amp, 250-Mph 3-in-1 Outdoor Electric Vacuum/Mulcher/Blower ($54 (opens in new tab), Amazon (opens in new tab)) to get the job done. Leaf vacuums are not only ideal for removing leaves from your garden, but also for removing leaves/debris from gutters and rocky areas.
5. Use your lawn mower to mulch leaves
Another possibility is Use your lawn mower to mulch the leaves to you. “Many gardeners prefer to mulch the leaves instead of raking them,” says Bonnett. “That means they grind up the organic matter into small pieces with a lawnmower on the mulching setting. It takes a lot less time and you can leave the shredded leaves on the lawn as they can be used as garden fertilizer or compost material.” Better yet, this is an easy way to reduce the amount of raking you have to do.
6. Sweep your lawn leaves
Well, if you have a large garden and are constantly removing leaves, You could benefit from a lawn sweeper. As the name suggests, a lawn sweeper is pushed across the yard while the broom-like bristles sweep all your leaves into a collection bag. You can find a lawn sweeper like this Earthwise LSW70021 21-Inch Foliage and Grass Push Lawn Sweeper ($103). (opens in new tab), Amazon (opens in new tab)) to tend your garden, or there are even towable lawn sweepers that can be attached to a riding mower.
If you want to learn more about these mowers, check out what happened as our Homes Editor’s Dad treated himself to a ride-on lawn mower.
7. Use claws to pick up the sheets
If you don’t want to constantly bend down to scoop leaves into a bag or wheelbarrow, you can use tongs or a grapple to do the trick. “A pair of grippers can make the picking process easier and faster,” suggests Bonnett. “The easiest way is to rake the leaves in a grid pattern at first, and then at the end go from end to end and rake them together in rows.” Grabbers like this Amazing Rake Back Saving Garden Rake ($44 (opens in new tab), Amazon (opens in new tab)), are great for all kinds of outdoor tasks.
How often should you rake your garden?
The general rule of thumb is to rake every three to four days or about once a week. By raking leaves frequently, you don’t have to deal with a huge pile of leaves all the time and are letting air into your lawn.
Be sure to stop by 7 Lawnmower Mistakes You’re Probably Making Right Nowhow to scarify a lawn and how much to water your lawn to keep it green, according to experts.