Picking Green Tools for Leaf Cleanup

Fall brings beautiful colors to the trees and lots of leaves to your lawn. And even though the colors are changing, it's still possible to think green as you are cleaning up. Here's the rundown on the environmental impact of different methods for collecting fallen leaves. 

Leave Them

You might be tempted to leave the leaves over the winter — and you can, if you have only a light layer.

Pros

• Leaves add some nutrients as they break down.
  


• No sore muscles!

Cons

• A thick layer of leaves can suffocate your lawn.
  


• Thick leaves can become soggy and matted, encouraging the growth of turf mold.

Tips

• To prevent matting and help the leaves break down faster, run over them with a mulching mower. You can have a layer of mulch up to half an inch thick, provided that the grass is still can poke up through it.
  


• If you want to get rid of lawn where you want a garden bed next spring, pile leaves there. Shred a deep layer in place; leave a medium layer (less than 6 inches) as is.

Rakes

The leaf rake is the cleanest and greenest when it comes to clearing leaves from your yard.

Pros

• They're inexpensive, quiet, and environmentally friendly.
  


• They store easily.
  


• You get exercise.

Cons

• Raking is be too strenuous for some people.
  


• Raking takes more time than many other methods, especially if you have a large yard.
  


• Unlike the competition, they don't come with attachments for bagging or mulching.

Tip

Switch sides and hand positions often to reduce muscle fatigue. Raking all leaves onto a tarp makes it easier to haul them.

Lawn Sweepers

Lawn sweepers are next when it comes to green leaf cleaning.  These manual devices have rotating brushes that sweep leaves into a bag mounted on the frame. Push models and tractor-pulled models are available.

Pros

• They are quiet and environmentally friendly.
  


• Sweeping is faster than raking.
  


• You can use it to clean a driveway after a light snow.

Cons

• Hand-pushed models have a small bag that you might have to empty several times.
  


• They don’t pick up larger yard debris, such as branches.
  


• You can’t use them on flower beds.

Tip

You must adjust the height of lawn sweeper to match the height of the grass to get best results.

Leaf Blowers

Leaf blowers generate a powerful wind — up to 250 mph — that blows leaves where you want them.  They aren't the greenest way to clear your lawn, but new gas models with four-stroke engines promise to be quieter and less polluting than conventional two-stroke models. Electric blowers are not as powerful as gas models, but pollute less and tend to be quieter.

Pros

• They move leaves quickly and thoroughly.
  


• They require no bending or reaching.
  


• They remove leaves from tight spaces.
  


• Four-stroke models reduce emissions by up to 40% and have lower noise levels, making you more popular with your neighbors.

Cons

• They’re loud. Everyone within 50 feet of a leaf blower should wear ear protection.
  


• They pollute the air. Gas leaf blowers emit carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and hydrocarbons. All blowers throw dust, debris, and allergens into the air.
  


• Some municipalities have banned leaf blowers because of the noise and pollution they generate.
  


• The vibrations can be uncomfortable and with long-term use can cause stress damage to hands and arms.

Tip

Buy a model with a vacuum kit so you can bag the leaves as soon as you’ve collected a pile.

Lawn Vacuums

Lawn vacuums suck up leaves and other lawn debris, mulch it and bag it all in one turn about the yard. They often come with a hose attachment to let you suck leaves out of small areas such as container pots or corners of the garden. They come in both push-models — either manually-propelled or self-propelled — and tractor-pulled models.

Pros

• They can do all the lawn clearing chores (except hauling to the curb or composter) in one step.
  


• They mulch small branches.
  


• You can use them to clear off driveways and sidewalks.
  


• They creates mulch for use on your garden.

Cons

• They're not as loud as a leaf blower, but you'll still need hearing protection.
  


• They pollute the air.
  


• They are heavy and difficult to move around, and take up a lot of storage space.
  


• They jam if you try to mulch items that are too large — check the user's manual.

Tip

Be sure you can control the vacuum physically before you purchase it. For larger spaces, consider a tractor-mounted model.

Final Pointers

• Dry leaves are easiest to move.
  


• You don’t have to bag your leaves. Leaves make a great year-round mulch, especially if you shred them with a lawn mower so they don’t mat and decompose quickly. Shredding also greatly reduced the size of the leaf pile, because the smaller pieces pack more densely. If you do shred, wait until the leaves are dry, and protect your lungs and eyes from the dust shredding generates.
  


• Waiting for leaves to blow into the neighbor's yard is, in most social circles, considered tacky. On the other hand, if a leaf falls in the forest and there's no one there to hear it, well....

2007 Sears Brands, L.L.C.