Most REALLYPOOR people do not have lawns. They have apartments, RV’s , 15 year old cars they live in, and so on, but you can have a house and still be REALLYPOOR. Things happen. We’re ReallyPoor but we have a lawn, and we are very grateful for the lawn, more than most, becau se we could be ReallyPoor without a lawn. The only times we are not as grateful as we should be is when we have to rake up thousands of beautiful leaves, at least twice because of the big old oaks and maples and other leaf trees in our older neighborhood. Still, price a lawncare service and you’ll know why you are just going to have to do it yourself!
I’ve learned a few things though over the years from real lawn care experts that make the job easier. Leaf blowers are great if you inherited one in a Will, but REALLY POOR people who have lawns and are grateful, usually do not have leaf blowers. Give me a break: $150.00 buys food and rent not Black and Decker if you are REALLYPOOR. So, a hearty rake and muscle power are all one can rely on if top of the line equipment or even bottom of the line equipment is outside one’s price range.
RAKING BY HAND
If you are raking by hand, get as many hands as possible to help: it makes the job possible and short-lived: comraderie helps also, and hot cocoa or tea at the end makes it in to a partially social event. A helpful hint I learned after years of doing it the old fashioned way of raking leaves into piles and then bagging them, was to get large plastic tarps, used for covering floors in painting, and spread them on the lawn and rake the leaves directly on them. In this way you can work faster and easier and take care of large portions of the lawn at one time. The tarps are as cheap as 50 cents but the sturdier ones are better so that the weight of many leaves do not break the tarp. They can then be pulled down to the curb or bagged more easily.
RAKING DOWN TO THE CURB
Some cities a few times a year allow all leaves to be raked loosely down to the curb or city owned berm: they do not have to be bagged. A leaf vacuuming truck comes along and then vacuums the leaves off the berm. Check to see if your city has this possibility as it also may save hours of time and extra labor.
MULCHING WITH A MOWER
If you have a choice to buy a lawn mower with or without mulching capability, buy one WITH. My mower buzzes over leaves, mulching them easily, although occasionally I have to go over them once or twice extra. Still, this is as easy as mowing your yard. Side attachments are a luxury, but if you have them , you can bag the mulch easily and do as you please with the leaf mulch. A tip: wait till later in the morning or afternoon because of dew and frost: make sure the leaves are dry or you may gunk up your lawnmower.
BURNING LEAVES
Burning leaves is not the safest thing to do, but if your community allows burning leaves, get a tin barrel or other burning container, make sure leaves are dry and that the container is out in wide open spaces where sparks will not light on any dry material and start a fire. This takes longer than other options because you can only burn so many leaves at a time in a normal yard, and it may be illegal. Its not the safest thing if children are around, as well.
These are just a few modest tips which may make the process go easier this year: Just remember, better to have a lawn to rake than no lawn at all! ekbest
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I’ve learned a few things though over the years from real lawn care experts that make the job easier. Leaf blowers are great if you inherited one in a Will, but REALLY POOR people who have lawns and are grateful, usually do not have leaf blowers. Give me a break: $150.00 buys food and rent not Black and Decker if you are REALLYPOOR. So, a hearty rake and muscle power are all one can rely on if top of the line equipment or even bottom of the line equipment is outside one’s price range.
RAKING BY HAND
If you are raking by hand, get as many hands as possible to help: it makes the job possible and short-lived: comraderie helps also, and hot cocoa or tea at the end makes it in to a partially social event. A helpful hint I learned after years of doing it the old fashioned way of raking leaves into piles and then bagging them, was to get large plastic tarps, used for covering floors in painting, and spread them on the lawn and rake the leaves directly on them. In this way you can work faster and easier and take care of large portions of the lawn at one time. The tarps are as cheap as 50 cents but the sturdier ones are better so that the weight of many leaves do not break the tarp. They can then be pulled down to the curb or bagged more easily.
RAKING DOWN TO THE CURB
Some cities a few times a year allow all leaves to be raked loosely down to the curb or city owned berm: they do not have to be bagged. A leaf vacuuming truck comes along and then vacuums the leaves off the berm. Check to see if your city has this possibility as it also may save hours of time and extra labor.
MULCHING WITH A MOWER
If you have a choice to buy a lawn mower with or without mulching capability, buy one WITH. My mower buzzes over leaves, mulching them easily, although occasionally I have to go over them once or twice extra. Still, this is as easy as mowing your yard. Side attachments are a luxury, but if you have them , you can bag the mulch easily and do as you please with the leaf mulch. A tip: wait till later in the morning or afternoon because of dew and frost: make sure the leaves are dry or you may gunk up your lawnmower.
BURNING LEAVES
Burning leaves is not the safest thing to do, but if your community allows burning leaves, get a tin barrel or other burning container, make sure leaves are dry and that the container is out in wide open spaces where sparks will not light on any dry material and start a fire. This takes longer than other options because you can only burn so many leaves at a time in a normal yard, and it may be illegal. Its not the safest thing if children are around, as well.
These are just a few modest tips which may make the process go easier this year: Just remember, better to have a lawn to rake than no lawn at all! ekbest
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