Earlier this month we discussed the importance of removing leaves from your Northern Virginia lawn. This week we’ll give you leaf removal tips for Oakton and Fairfax, VA, but these tips also apply across Northern Virginia and beyond!
While we all enjoy the beauty of a Northern Virginia fall – the brilliant oranges and reds of maples, dogwoods, and oaks – those once-beautiful fall leaves completely cover our lawns when the season ends. It’s important to clean-up those falls leaves to allow your lawn to breathe and prepare for the dormant season.
Sunrise has a number of fall leaf clean-up tips for Oakton, Fairfax, and across Northern Virginia:
Mowing
The use of a mulching lawn mower is very effective in returning nutrients to the soil and providing weed protection. Make sure to insert the mulch plug into the mower and drop the mower to the lowest setting (just above the grass). Then mow as you normally would, with a second pass at an opposite angle to mulch the leaf clippings into the grass.
Leaf Blower
This leaf removal tip is great if you have a large yard. Leaves can be blown into garden beds, providing a natural cover for the winter season or into manageable piles for removal. Make sure to wear ear protection when using a blower – the majority of blowers can be very loud.
Tarps
Tarps can be used in conjunction with a blower or rake. If you live in a community that picks up leaves with vacuum trucks, a tarp is an easy way to transport large piles of leaves to the curb for pick up.
Bagging
Shredded leaves make great mulch or compost. Leaves are naturally rich in trace minerals that are beneficial to your garden and lawn. They are also a great source of carbon which helps to balance the nitrogen in your compost pile. Use the bagging option on your lawn mower to shred the leaves and then simply add to your garden beds for mulch or to your compost pile.
One final leaf removal tip
Make sure to remove leaves when the weather is good. Rain will make the leaves heavy and more difficult to manage.
If your Oakton or Fairfax, VA fall leaf clean-up tasks are too large or you simply don’t have the time, contact Sunrise and we’d be more than happy to help!
Have more to tackle than leaves this fall? Check out our full fall landscaping service offerings in Northern Virginia.