To some, the leaf blower has turned arm-tiring raking into an easy autumn task, while to others the insistent drone of its engine is unwelcome. This common garden tool has has become so controversial in certain locations that communities have enacted laws regarding it. But whether you use a leaf blower or a rake, the constraints imposed on where you are able to ship the leaves would be exactly the same.
Assess the Law
Before blowing leaves to the road, check with your city clerk’s office or sound control board to discover whether leaf blowers are permitted in your area. Some towns, mainly in California, have banned the use of leaf blowers because the degree of noise they make and pollutants they emit into the air. Some communities permit electric blowers within the city limits, while others permit electric and gas blowers only at certain times of the day.
Don’t Clog Storm Drains
Blowing leaves to the road gets them out of your yard, but they finally end up someplace. For municipal streets, it is normally in the stormwater drain where they clog pipes and cause road flooding. In extreme cases, water may back up into houses. Instead of blowing leaves to the road, many cities recommend composting or recycling leaves to prevent obstructing stormwater drains.
Make a fantastic Neighbor
Two of the most common complaints regarding the use of leaf blowers are blowing the leaves on a neighbor’s yard, and utilizing deafening blowers for long periods of time. If you use a leaf blower, keep leaves in your premises and use the leaf blower for only short periods from the middle of the afternoon. It is tempting to blow leaves to streets on the afternoon of road cleaning, but some city officials ask homeowners not do this. It slows down crews. Instead they recommend bagging leaves for removal.
Make Leaf Mold
If your town doesn’t permit using a leaf blower, you don’t have to permit soggy leaves smother your grass. Instead put them to use by raking leaves to flower beds. A 4- to 6-inch layer of mulch protects plants in winter cold. Some flowers that normally don’t overwinter well can be held from the ground with heavy mulching. You may also make leaf mold. Rake leaves into a pile 3 feet wide and three or more feet tall, water thoroughly and then let the pile sit for six months to a year, watering the pile occasionally when it dries out. Some leaves break down more rapidly than others, so be patient. In the summertime, work the finished leaf mold to garden beds to permit soil to retain moisture better.