Raking Leaves – Yes, There ARE Benefits!

 

Raking Leaves – Six Benefits AND The Best Ways!

 

The arrival of Fall or Autumn means wonderful displays of autumn leaves turning russet and gold.  It also means – if you live near deciduous trees – a lot of leaves on the ground.

autumn fall raking leavesCan you just leave them there? Or what can you do with them?

What do you do with all of those leaves?

If there are only a few leaves on your lawn, no problem.

But if you have a lot of leaves, you do need to get rid of them. Why? They can turn into a slimy mush after rain, and then your lawn is deprived of oxygen and could die.

You can certainly leave the leaves on your lawn some years – they can act as a protective cover and provide some nutrients. But not every year – your lawn needs fresh air and sunlight.

In this article I look at:

  • How best to remove the leaves
  • What to do with the leaves (and what NOT to do!)

How to remove the leaves from your garden or yard

You have choices – and naturally, some choices are greener and more ecofriendly than others.

  1. Sweep or rake them up yourself
  2. Get the kids or grandkids or neighbourhood kids to earn some pocket-money by raking them up.
  3. If these aren’t feasible, then use a leaf blower or vacuum.


The Benefits of Raking Leaves

raking leavesIt may seem like a chore, but actually there are several benefits of raking leaves.

  1. You give yourself a good workout – in the fresh air
  2. You keep warm without artificial (and expensive) heating
  3. You get a huge sense of satisfaction once you’ve finished raking the garden
  4. And for the garden, there is another big benefit. Lawns get lawn thatch – a layer of dead grass tissue just above the soil. When you rake deeply you remove not only leaves but also lawn thatch – and that helps your lawn to breathe.
  5. Raking leaves causes no pollution (unlike leaf blowers)
  6. Raking leaves creates little or no noise (unlike leaf blowers).

The Best Rakes To Choose

I used to think that a rake was a rake – but in fact there is a surprising choice of designs. Here are some things to look out for, to help you make the right choice for YOU.

  • Ergonomic rakes (with a bent handle) are much easier on your back – once you’ve learnt to let the rake do the work instead of you.
  • Foam-cushioned handles help to prevent blisters.
  • Wider rakes speed up the process – you collect more leaves per sweep.
  • Expanding rakes let you rake the lawn quickly in wide sweeps and then slip in between plants or walls with it narrowed down.
  • Clog-free” rakes are designed not to get clogged up with leaves as often as regular rakes.

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As well as “normal” rakes, you can also choose leaf scoops. They’re good because you can often collect more leaves in one scoop than you can with one rake. But you need to bend over all the time so they’re not good if you have a bad back.

[popazon id=”5a15564034bf7″ title=”Leaf Scoops” show_price=”true” cols=”4″]

What NOT to do with your Leaves

Once you’ve collected them, please don’t burn your leaves! Find out why not – and see the many smart things you can do with your leaves here.

Conclusion

Raking leaves has several benefits over using a leaf blower, including exercise, no air pollution or noise, and removing lawn thatch. And of course, leaf rakes or scoops can also be used throughout the rest of the year for cleaning up lawn debris and clippings, as well as trash or rubbish.

However, sometimes you need a leaf blower –  and so my next post tells you how to choose the best leaf blower.

Next:  Leaf blowers / leaf vacuums – what they’re good for, and the best ones.

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Warm regards

signature Clare

 

 

 


Tags

autumn leaves, collect fall leaves, fall leaves, lawn, lawn thatch, leaf blower, leaf rakes, leaf vacuum, rake, rakes, raking, raking leaves, use fall leaves


  • […] Leaf raking is necessary to keep your yard looking neat and to prevent the leaves from causing any damage. If they’re not removed, the leaves can have several consequences, so it’s important to rake them up regularly. […]

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