“Bagging autumn leaves can be a chore but there are some ways to make it easier. Herman Bresser/Getty Images
Bagging autumn leaves can seem like an unending chore. Here are some tips to make the task a little bit easier. First, collect (or neglect) the leaves:
- Mow right over the fallen leaves. As long as you’re still mowing your lawn, mow the leaves as well, and then bag them together with the cut grass. If you have a mulching mower, the leaves can be turned into next spring’s mulch.
- Knock leaves from hard-to-reach places, like the top of your roof, with a leaf blower.
- Save effort and money by neglecting some fallen leaves under trees and shrubs, where they’ll turn into compost over the winter. That way, your plants won’t need as much mulch in the spring.
- Rake your leaves into piles to be bagged. Most of your leaves will have to be hand-gathered with a rake. When buying a rake, try to get one with wave-shaped teeth, which prevent leaves and dirt from getting stuck in the rake.
Once you’ve gathered the leaves into piles, it’s time to bag them:
- An efficient way to bag leaves is to put some plastic sheeting on the lawn and rake the piles of leaves onto it. Then use the plastic like a funnel to pour the leaves into a garbage or lawn bag.
- You can also use a leaf scoop, which is a lightweight plastic scoop that lets you easily pick up a large batch of leaves in a single swipe. Simply empty the scoop into your lawn or garbage bag.
- Trash funnels also make leaf bagging easy. Trash funnels are lightweight aluminum frames designed to hold your garbage bag open for you. They can even be laid down on their side, enabling you to rake leaves directly into your trash or lawn bag.
Originally Published: Jun 14, 2011
