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Raking Leaves
Helpful Tips on How to Rake Leaves
By Mark J. Donovan
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Fall foliage in certain areas of the
country, such as in New England, is absolutely spectacular. The colors are
vibrant and varied including shades of red, orange, yellow and brown. The colors
are even more enhanced with low angle sunshine. This all said, fall foliage also
means raking leaves, and for many of us, lots of them. Raking leaves can be both
enjoyable and painful, particularly for those who have lower back issues. Raking
leaves is a chance to commune with nature, if you will. It is also a time to
enjoy the outdoors and get some fresh air. |
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For those, however, who find
raking leaves more of a chore or a back breaking task, there are a few tips
you can employ to make the job go a little faster and that will also minimize
the pain.
First, you can always buy a large
leaf blower, the type that you wheel around. These types of leaf blowers can
tackle even the heaviest layer of leaves. With a large leaf blower you can
create wind rows of leaves, so that you can quickly rake them into large
piles or into plastic bags.
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Photo by Mark Donovan |
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After raking the leaves into large
piles, I find it best to use a large vinyl tarp to rake the leaves into. Using a
wheel barrow is simply too small and using a large barrel is just too heavy to
lift when it is full of leaves. By using a large vinyl tarp you can simply pull
up the four corners and drag the tarp to your designated leaf pile, or compost
pile.
When using a tarp, I find it best to
lay the tarp out fully just in front of the leaf pile. I then take a wide stance
on the tarp edge so that I keep it stretched and flat to the ground.
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I then use the rake to pull the
leaves onto the tarp. Once I get the bulk of the leaf pile onto the tarp, I
can then step off of it, and rake up the remains of the leaf pile onto the
tarp. After raking all of the leaves onto the tarp, I then pick up two
opposite corners, followed by the remaining two. This approach seems to work
best for preventing any leaves from falling out of the tarp.
When it comes to actually picking
the day for raking leaves, select a day where there is little wind and no
rain. In addition, it is best that the weather a couple of days prior to your
leaf raking day have also been free of rain. This way the leaves will be
lighter and easier to rake into piles. Nothing is more frustrating than
raking leaves on a windy day or raking leaves that are saturated with water.
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When it comes to the physical
mechanics of raking leaves, make sure you use your entire body and not just
your arms and back. Move your feet in the direction you are raking the
leaves. Using your entire body’s momentum will help to ease the stress on
your back and arms. Also switch the rake from side to side occasionally and
take some periodic breaks. Also, pace yourself. There is no first place in
this yard project. Finally, don’t make large piles. It takes a lot of effort
to rake leaves into fewer large piles. By creating smaller piles you can more
easily sweep them up and carry/drag them away with the tarp.
Photos by Mark Donovan
As an alternative to raking
leaves, you can use a mulching mower on them. A mulching mower does not have
a vent, and as a result the leaves get cut to a thousand bits before
dissolving into the grass. However, if you want to use a mulching mower to
eliminate your leaves, it is best to use the mower regularly so that there is
not an over abundance of leaves to mulch up.
If there is an over abundance of
leaves in a particular area, you may want to first use a rake to spread them
out over the lawn before using the mulching mower.
With these simple raking tips you
should now be able to hopefully enjoy your fall days a little more while
raking leaves in your yard.
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Leaf Rakes and Leaf Blowers from Amazon.com
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