Real Estate

Real Estate: A lazy homeowner’s guide to raking leaves

Ten-year-old Cassandra Stevens rakes leaves in Cutchogue last weekend. (Credit: Katharine Schroeder)
Ten-year-old Cassandra Stevens rakes leaves in Cutchogue last weekend. (Credit: Katharine Schroeder)

1. Hire someone. I know I said I don’t want to spend money having someone clear my yard, but I understand if you do. Check out the News-Review service directory and give a local landscaper a call. Or scan the neighborhood for a kid helping his dad out and see if he wants to make a few bucks. Then again, if he’s anything like I was as a youngster, he might just say no.

2. Mulch your leaves. The one thing I do love about fall more than Thanksgiving dinner and pumpkin beverages is that it means I no longer have to cut my grass each week. I pray for colder weather and minimal rain in September and October so I don’t have to spend two hours every Saturday mowing and edging. But come November, I can usually be spotted mowing one last time, mulching the leaves into the lawn. If you have pine trees, which I do, this won’t help clean them up, but it can still reduce your efforts while raking. I also hear the mulched leaves make good fertilizer.

3. Make the front yard a priority. One key to getting away with being a lazy homeowner is making sure your front yard is kept looking tidy at the expense of your backyard. It helps with the perception your neighbors have and can save you time. When I rake, I’m always certain to finish bagging and cleaning the gutters in the front before ever setting foot in the backyard. If I end up having the time to rake the back, I’ll do it, but most of the time I just end up mulching.

4. Minimize use of the leaf blower. Most people use a leaf blower because it’s less taxing, but I find they cause me to waste time. I’ll blow the leaves in one direction and then watch them travel an unintended path. Why spend so much time blowing leaves in circles, when raking is much more accurate? I generally just use the leaf blower to tidy up after I’ve already raked and bagged.

5. Rake just once a year. This one is debatable, but I’ve found nothing more annoying than raking my lawn one day and finding it covered with leaves again the next. While I see many of my neighbors out there every weekend, I’ve always targeted one day in late November, after almost all the leaves have fallen. I block out five or six hours and I get it done in one shot. If you love the outdoors in autumn, it might make more sense to chip away at it all season long.

Me, I’m an indoorsman.

6. Make your kids rake. Everyone tells me to be careful what I wish for when I say I can’t wait until my 10-month-old son, who started crawling about a month ago, learns to walk. And while I understand I’ll be doing a lot of chasing around once he can, I smile knowing he’ll be one step closer to helping out with the chores. Some parents will be giving their kids video games, stuffed animals and clothes this Christmas. My son is getting his first rake.

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Six real tips from Chris Mohr Lawncare and Landscaping

• On the issue of how often you should rake, I recommend once a week or wait for one big fall cleanup.

• Using a leaf blower is the best way to prevent overexertion.

• Don’t mulch. You don’t want a buildup of leaf mulch on the lawn, because it will kill your grass.

• For best results use a 24-inch plastic rake.

• If you’re bagging, put your leaf bag in a garbage can, lay the can on its side and rake the leaves right into the bag.

• The best thing to do would be to hire Chris Mohr Lawncare and Landscaping at 631-765-4617 for your fall cleanup needs.