it’s that time of year when fall is coming to a close, and our lawns and gutters are loaded with leaves. We just know that everyone is looking forward to skipping the football game this Saturday to rake their yard instead. Well, not really. While you know the task has to get done, it’s what to do with that big pile of leaves afterward that can leave you puzzled. Lawn care experts in Kingsport at Promier Landscapes would like to encourage you not to light a match to that pile of leaves, as tempting as that might be. We’ve got three alternative ideas on what to do with your raked leaves.
First, why are burning leaves bad?
Most of us probably grew up with that familiar smell while playing outside this time of year. There’s no denying the scent of burning leaves. But, the problem is that breathing smoke from burning leaves actually is quite bad for your health. Breathing in the smoke can exacerbate respiratory illnesses and transmit toxins and irritating particles into the air.
Plus, burning leaves nowadays is usually against the law in many cities and municipalities. That’s because burning leaves is unpredictable. They are so lightweight and can blow around in an instant that it could lead to a house fire or even start a forest fire, especially if it has been an exceptionally dry, windy day. So, it’s just not worth it!
Try these tips instead
If it’s available where you live, have the city pick up your leaf piles by collecting them at or near the edge of the road. You may want to wait and rake your leaves the day before, if possible, pickup so that your leaf pile doesn’t get disturbed by the wind and end up that all of your work was for not.
If city disposal is not an option, or you don’t want to wait around for the pickup date, then get a mulching blade for your lawnmower. The blade is designed slightly different than a standard grass cutting blade. A mulching blade can cut up the leaves into tiny particles as the mower spreads them back over your lawn. The leaf particles act as a great fertilizer to your grass.
Leaf mulching can be a bit tricky because you should mulch your leaves about once a week. You can’t expect to just go out at the end of the fall season, mulch all of your leaves at once and be done. There would be far too many leaves on your lawn to use this method because you would end up with more mulched leaves than what your lawn needs.
If you are only able to mulch your leaves once but have too many to do this, you can designate a small area of your property where you can rake the unneeded leaves out of the way. Over time, these leaves will compost down to rich, organic soil. Or, you could just bag up the leaves and send them to your local landfill.
Lawn care company in the Tri-Cities
These are just a few tips for taking care of your lawn this winter. Promier Landscapes provides full-service lawn care, as well as building hardscapes such as patios and walkways, and pools. If you would like to learn more about our services, please give us a call at (423) 872-2988 to schedule a consultation.
We provide lawn care services to homes and businesses in the areas of Bristol, Johnson City, and Kingsport, Tennessee.