Leaf removal is a huge issue for homeowners and cities alike. Here is why it’s important for municipalities to invest in leaf removal and pickup services and how The Parke Company can help.
What to Know About Fallen Leaves and Leaf Removal Services
What Fallen Leaves Do to a Lawn
In the United States, people have begun to question the necessity of leaf pickup services, claiming that the natural decomposition of fallen leaves benefits the ecosystem. While this is true in a forest, odds are your home isn’t directly in the middle of the woods. Gardens and lawns do indeed benefit from some leaf coverage, but chances are leaving it unchecked will do more harm than good. If mulched, fallen leaves can act as fertilizer for garden beds and lawns, helping promote growth once spring comes.
The reality is that there are far too many fallen leaves to simply let nature run its course. Think of a forest floor; it’s in an eternal state of decay and regrowth, and leaves, while biodegradable, don’t conveniently disappear every season. In fact, leaves can last for years. Leaf removal is important for both rural and urban properties because of the emphasis we place on gardens and lawns. Thick layers of leaves can cause a variety of issues for your lawn, garden, and even your trees. While the grass in your lawn, plants in your garden, and trees nearby go dormant in the winter, they don’t become invulnerable. They still need some sunlight, moisture, and air to properly rest.
When covered by leaves, grass and garden plants are deprived of necessary nutrients. Leaf piles are also incredibly good at trapping moisture, keeping water out of the soil and causing fungal growth at the surface. Trapped under leaves, grass roots can die, leaving bald spots in your lawn come spring that take time to regrow once the leaves are cleared. Decaying leaves also act as a good hiding place for garden pests and can spread diseases to trees. Clearing a lawn of leaves each fall is incredibly important to ensure its health in the spring.
How to Collect Fallen Leaves Yourself
There are many methods for conducting leaf pickup in your yard, and each has its pros and cons. The simplest and most timeless method for leaf removal is a good old-fashioned rake. It’s rare to find a person who enjoys raking, but it’s necessary, and with the right tools, it can be an effective way to remove leaves from your lawn. One indispensable tool for moving a great deal of leaves all at once is a large tarp. Prepare to get your hands dirty and spend a day (or more, depending on the size of your property) moving leaf piles with a tarp. Start by raking leaves into large but manageable piles that will fit on your tarp, then transfer them to the tarp. Drag the tarp laden with leaves to one location where you’ll pile or bag leaves for collection. Bagging tools can be useful if your town requires leaves to be bagged prior to collection. Leaf chutes and other devices can help to stabilize the bag as you fill it and can make this job more bearable.
If you’re looking to get more high-tech, leaf blowers and lawnmowers are both effective ways to remove leaves. For an even easier time, they make lawn vacuums for collecting leaves, though they do come with a higher cost. Bagging systems for riding lawnmowers are slightly more affordable if you already have a riding mower. If you can’t quite afford that, investing in a powerful leaf blower is going to make a huge difference from raking alone. Battery-powered leaf blowers are usually the weakest fare, with the electric plug-in option being the next most powerful. Gas-powered blowers are the strongest but also the most expensive and noisiest option. It’s all about knowing your own needs and experimenting with different devices that are available. Borrow a neighbor’s blower to see if it really makes a difference for your yard, and you might just decide that a rake is enough.
Why Municipalities Must Invest in Leaf Removal
Hopefully now you have a better understanding of why you need to get out there and rake the lawn or hire a landscaping company to clear the leaves for you. But without a city’s intervention, no amount of work on the part of a homeowner is going to be enough. Once their leaves are cleaned up, where are they going to go? This is where the municipality and city government must invest taxpayer money into leaf removal services.
Smaller cities simply cannot afford expensive leaf removal machinery, which can be very hard to acquire. That’s where landscaping companies come in. Contracting with a landscaping company for city leaf removal is a cost-effective way for cities to deal with leaves without breaking the bank. Leaves, much like trash or recycling, can be collected on a schedule, enabling homeowners to plan the removal for a time and date that suits their needs. Landscape services take the collected leaves and can use them to create fertilizer and mulch, which can then be used by the city to maintain garden beds and public parks. Another major reason to remove leaves from the city is to prevent damage to infrastructure. Leaves getting into the drainage system can cause problems because they quickly cause blockages. These blockages make surface roads flood and back up sewers. Additionally, roadways and sidewalks that are buried under leaves become dangerous, resulting in accidents and potential injuries. There are plenty of reasons to want leaves out of your city, and landscaping companies can help.
Getting Some Help
If you’re in or near Nashville, TN, The Parke Company offers leaf removal service near you. If doing it yourself just won’t work due to time constraints, physical limitations, or the size of your lawn, we can help. Leaf removal provided by The Parke Company is a comprehensive service that includes the removal of leaves from the property if municipal services aren’t available. We can also provide mulch created from leaves for an additional charge to help give your garden a boost when spring arrives.
It’s not just homeowners who can benefit from fall leaf cleanup provided by a landscaping company. Don’t get caught in winter with the leaves still piling up on your lawn. Give us a call for a free consultation and estimate on leaf removal services.