It’s an annual autumn burden: cleaning up the blanket of leaves that have suddenly taken over the
backyard.With these time-saving fall leaf cleanup tips from the Family Handyman, get the yard work in the
bag and rake in more time to enjoy the season.The advice:• Go for Your Mower – Instead of the same old rake,
bag the leaves with your mower.It does a nice job of shredding the leaves so they’re ready to become compost
or mulch.• First-Rate Rakes – A big rake makes the job smaller.Most home centers carry rakes up to 30 inches
wide."No-clog" rakes, on the other hand, are also great – the tines don’t skewer leaves so you
don’t have to stop and unclog the rake.Several manufacturers make them, also in widths up to 30 inches.•
Leaves to Lawn Fertilizer – A mulching mower shreds leaves into tiny flakes that settle into the turf and
decompose into natural fertilizer.You might have to go over some areas two or three times to completely chop
up the leaves.Still, it’s fast and easy and it makes the grass happy.• Say Yes to Yard Vacuums – A leaf
blower/vacuum sucks up leaves fast, especially around shrubs, in flower beds and in other hard-to-rake
areas.You might think that the bag would need to be emptied every five minutes, but the vac minces the
leaves and packs a mountain of them into just a few bags.• A Tarp Beats a Trailer – Instead of bagging and
haling leaves, save time by raking them onto a tarp and dragging it into the woods.It’s even easier if you
get the kids to do it!Visit www.familyhandyman.com for more details on fall leaf cleaning.