How to tackle fall cleanup

I’m not sure which has depressed me more: The early playoff exit by the Yankees or the increasing number of leaves cascading from trees in the neighborhood. (Wasn't it in the 90s just the other day?)

I relish the crisp, cool days of fall and enjoy working in my yard, but I am averse to the relentless leaf cleanup the season brings. Plus, the many Norway maples on my property hold on to their leaves until the bitter end, which means I’m raking and blowing in the December cold.

Power blowers can make faster work of leaf clearing. Use our leaf blower Ratings and recommendations (available to subscribers), which feature both gas and electric models, to find the right model for your yard.

Don’t leave too many leaves on your yard, especially those that build up around your house foundation. Wait until spring to tackle this chore and you might as well send an open invitation to mice and other vermin attracted to this warm winter home. More than just a nuisance, mice can also be a health hazard to your family as they are also carriers of Lyme disease (transmitted to humans through tick bites) and hantavirus.

Before you head out into the yard to tackle your outdoor chores, read our expert advice below. We can’t guarantee these tips will make the work any easier, but your efforts now will ensure a healthy lawn that looks its best next spring.—Steven H. Saltzman

• Lawn care
• Trees & shrubs
• Flowers & gardens
• Safely applying herbicides
• Using a drop spreader
• Equipment care

JANUARY 2009 UPDATE: We will be testing gutter systems for a report that we expect to publish in the October 2009 issue of Consumer Reports.

Comments

[Russ]

Any reviews on good quality gloves to use with doing all this yard work? I have a few chestnut trees in my backyard and when the chestnuts fall with the leaves they are in a spiny cocoon. Headache to pickup every year, in between lawn mowing's.

[beverly]

Do you have info/comments re: gutter guards?

[cheryl]

Power blowers... how come this article is not pointing the other methods of leaf removal? There are several blogs even on this site about leaf removal tips without using power blowers.

SO WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?
Before you fire up your power blowers know you are effecting not just my health but yours! Study after study has found that community noise is interrupting our sleep, interfering with our children’s learning, suppressing our immune systems and even increasing our chances of having a heart attack. It is also tarnishing the Golden Rule, reducing people’s inclination to help one another. http://peoplepoweredmachines.wordpress.com/2008/12/10/stop-the-noise-how-leaf-blowers-gas-mowers-and-snow-blowers-are-effecting-your-health/

So go find a great push leaf sweeper, or some of the other new yard tools. Or employ your neighborhood kids to rake. Stop with the assumption that leaf blowers are the answer to the great american lawn.

[Jeremy Quirk]

Cheryl is correct about leaf blowers or power blowers as a whole. I employ and endorse the use of manual push lawn sweepers. They are extremely easy to use, save time, and most of all are quiet and good for your lawn. Leaf blowers are obnoxiously loud, electric or gas. Gas blowers of course pollute our world.

Power blowers also rip up your top soil and kick allergens into the air much more than a rake or manual push sweeper.

With a good manual push sweeper, you save time, and you get a little workout. The best lawn sweepers, in my opinion, are no longer made, but can be found on e-bay or Craigslist sometimes. They are the old Parker brand. Agri-fab and Lambert Products and some other companies also sell new manual push lawn sweepers, but they are not quite as good as the old Parker brand.

Save your planet, your ears, improve your lawn and save some time. Most of all, reduce noise and be respectful to your neighbors as well.

[mari]

what do you think of the cyclone rake? we have very large pine needles that clog our gutters and clutter our lawn. we would very much appreciate your thoughts on how to clean up our yard. neither of us can do strenuous work. thanks for any help you can give us! m-

[Jeremy Quirk]

Mari
I have no tried the cyclone rake but have seen it in action. It looks awfully clumsy and slow. But to give it fairness, I'd try to find someone who uses one by calling the company and seeing if you can get a reference.