Preparing Your Yard For Fall-Part 1: Leaves, Leaves... EVERYWHERE!

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

06 Oct 2006 09:46 AM

Autumn gets it's nickname for a good reason-falling leaves are EVERYWHERE. Currently, in my region of the country, we are about two weeks away from the leaves reaching their peak color potential. Then, it's all down hill from there. By this time next month we'll be lucky if we can even see our trees from under the snow (I'm exaggerating--well, slightly, but such is life in Wisconsin). I recently, provided tips for getting various rooms in your home ready for autumn, so now I am moving outdoors. Yards and gardens need to be prepped for the change in season as well.

RAKING AND MULCHING

My 2-year-old daughter loves jumping into gigantic leaf piles--that's one good use for falling leaves-but fall leaves really should be used in a wiser manner. If leaves are left to accumulate they will smother grass, ivy or other ground covers. It's a good idea to clean them up often, because it only takes about a week's worth of leaves to kill patches of your lawn. Also, raking is beneficial to turf... and to your health.

Raking is great exercise, which means it's a good idea to do some stretches to warm up your muscles prior to tackling the yard. After all, it's a lot easier to suffer a painful injury in cooler weather. Stretching is also important after you are finished. While you're raking keep these tips in mind (they will help in preventing straining):

· Don't overstuff your leaf bags.

· Lift bags by bringing them in close to the body and using your arms and legs to lift, not your back.

· Use a rake with a bent handle or build up the handle with plastic tubing (we also use heavy tape) so you won't have to grip so hard.

· Take frequent breaks.

· Don't overstretch or twist your body.

· Carry leaves in a wagon or wheelbarrow to avoid as much of the lifting and carrying as you can.

· Avoid raking wet leaves.

If you don't want to bag your leaves or you live in an area where burning is prohibited, shredding is a great option to reduce the volume of leaves on your lawn -- a 2-inch layer of dry leaves can be reduced to a dusting of shredded leaves by a good mulching mower system. Leaves can often be shredded right where they fall to a dust that will not be thick enough to bury grass.

My sister-in-law has a compost pile in her back yard and uses the shredded leaves to help speed up decomposition. Leaves contain valuable nutrients and organic matter that fertilize gardens. Shredded leaves can also be used as mulch around trees, shrubs or in garden beds.

Look for more tips in future blogs.

Related Articles:

Seasonal Decorating-Getting Your Home Ready For Fall-Part 1

Seasonal Decorating-Getting Your Home Ready For Fall-Part 2

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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