If your fall cleanup consists of raking up the leaves in your backyard, stuffing them into plastic bags, and waiting for the garbage man to pick them up - stop! Shredding them is an alternative that has many benefits.
First, you help free up valuable landfill space when you shred those leaves blowing around in your backyard. Secondly, shredded leaves make an excellent mulch for your vegetable garden, shrubs and flower beds. You don't have to drive to your local gardening store and pay for the stuff!
Shredded leaves can also help stop the growth of weeds and add valuable nutrients to the soil. Whole leaves, on the other hand, keep water and light from reaching the soil.
Shredding leaves might seem like a daunting task when you're looking at that big backyard, but a good electric or gas leave shredder can help you turn this chore into an easy job. A small, inexpensive one can easily turn 8 to 10 bags of leaves into one bag!
Many homeowners will tell you that the lawn mover sitting in their garage does a good job of turning those leaves into mulch. While this is true, the bags attached to a lawn mower are usually too small for this kind of job and it will take you longer to complete.
An electric or gas leaf shredder is designed specifically for this task and does it well. Before you rush to the hardware store and buy one, look online for leaf shredder reviews and do some research. Ask your neighbour about the one causing all that racket in his front yard. Is his leaf shredder large enough to handle the volume of leaves blowing around? Can it handle small twigs and similar debris? Does it break down frequently?
Using a leaf shredder is not difficult, but there are a few things you should consider before you plug it in. Make sure the leaves are dry before stuffing them into the bin. This will help to prevent clogging in your machine.
Safety is another important consideration. Read the instruction manual and learn about the shredder's danger zones. Keep your hands and feet away from parts like the hopper, chute and any moving parts. Only shred material approved by the manufacturer. And don't forget to wear goggles and even ear plugs.
Finally, remember that a leaf shredder can be used all year round and not just for fall cleanup. In early spring it can be used to clean up a mess left by a storm or the pruning of trees and small shrubs. In the summer a leaf shredder makes quick work of cleaning up weeds and debris from your garden like old tomato plants and corn husks.
Fire up your new leaf shredder and get to work!
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