When the leaves start to fall in Orlando, Its time for Leaf removal season, and you know what… it’s my favorite season. The weather is cooling down, life seems to move a little more slowly, and the Orlando Magic games start to steal my work productivity.
However, leaves can cause quite the dilemma for your lawn. Your soil requires sunlight and nutrients to flourish, so when there are large piles of leaves resting on your lawn, they are, in effect, blocking the sunlight and nutrients. Needless to say, this is detrimental to healthy turf.
Of course, Florida Landscape & Lawn Care offers affordable leaf removal in Orlando and the surrounding area. So, if you don’t want to bother picking up a rake, pick up the phone and call us and we’ll see what we can do for you. If you’re more of a DIYer, continue reading to learn about how and why you should do leaf removal in Orlando, FL.
Why Orlando Leaf Removal Is Important
Leaf removal is important for aesthetic as well as agronomic reasons. Whichever Orlando grass type you have, its growth will slow down in the winter, but photosynthesis will continue through the colder months. The energy that results from photosynthesis is stored to be used when the weather warms up in the spring. When there are piles of leaves sitting on top of your lawn, this process is impeded.
Basically, the leaves block the sunlight and nutrients that would be used in photosynthesis. A good seasonal leaf removal will let your lawn to breathe and to get the right amount of sunlight and energy.
Orlando Leaf Removal Quick Tips
First and foremost, pay attention to the specific needs of your lawn. Some folks will need a regular leaf collection service in the fall and winter, yet some may only need one leaf removal service or none at all. It all depends on the amount and quality of your trees.
Start leaf removal before it becomes a problem. Basically, you don’t want to have to deal with big piles of leaves. It’s bad for your lawn, and it’s a bigger problem to cleanup.
The old school, tried and true method known as raking is pretty strenuous. You can save some energy by getting an extra-wide rake with thing prongs. As always, be careful of injury, and do not twist or jerk your back in unnatural ways.
Leaf blowers are fun and effective, but they are pretty expensive. If you’re planning on buying one, you can proclaim your environmentalism by buying an electric one instead of a gas-powered blower. Even with a leaf blower, you’ll still need to rake the wet leaves at the bottom.
Leaf tarps are recommends. It’s going to much easier for removal. Also, try using a lawn mower to bag the leaves in Eco-friendly bags.
If there aren’t many leaves on the ground, you probably don’t need to remove them. A few of our Central Florida lawn care contractors recommend you mulch your clippings, which can actually be healthy for the lawn.
You can recycle leaves by turning them into compost. Mix in some grass clippings to aid in decomposition, and in a few months, you’ll have compost.
Tools for Leaf Removal
A good old-fashioned rake: $10-$20. Sturdy and always there for you, this classic too for leaf removal is also a lot of hard work. Pro tip: beg, bribe, and cajole your kids to do it!
Leaf tarp: $20-$30. This is just about the most clutch purchase you can make, saving you tons of time on the cleanup and removal for only a nominal price.
Leaf blower: $200-$300. Leaf blowers are super helpful, but a good one will run you up in price. If you choose to go this route, it’s best to go electric (cheaper and better for the earth).
Yard vacuum: $400-$700. Many Central Fl.. lawn care professionals will have a yard vacuum, and there’s no wonder why. A yard vacuum, saves mounds of time and shreds and bags leaves cleanly, resulting in a a great addition to your compost pile.
Should You Hire A Lawn Care Company for Leaf Removal?
Possibly. Many people love the feeling of manual labor and find it rewarding to rake their own leaves. However, many people would rather pay a little fee to save some time and relax during their fall/winter weekends. In addition, lawn care companies have high-powered professional grade equipment that is both expensive and often unavailable to the weekend warrior.
Many people justify the price with this knowledge. In the end, it’s all up to you. Some people enjoy seeing the fruits of their own labor. Some people see value in time saved and in professional quality. However, if you can make your kids do it, that’s the best option!
Need help tending to your lawn? Visit our Orlando lawn care page for more info! In addition to Orlando, we also provide services to all of Central Florida
Additional resources:
The Spruce: https://www.thespruce.com/why-necessary-to-rake-leaves-off-the-lawn-2132361
Consumer Reports: https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2007/10/tip-of-the-day-make-faster-work-of-leaf-removal/index.htm