Leaf Your Cares Behind: The Danger of Leaves

Just the mention of autumn evokes imagery of trees brimming with colorful foliage and plenty of leaf piles on the ground. While this may be comforting to some, homeowners contending with a dead leaf cemetery forming in their yard feel otherwise. Leaves can be a huge hassle, but knowing a few handy tricks will put you ahead of the game in dealing with the fallout of fall weather.

Clogged Gutters and Compromised Foundations

Clogged drains can cause significant damage to your home; a blocked gutter negates the entire purpose of having gutters in the first place, which is to direct water away from the walls and foundation of your home. Anyone who has ever seen a picture of the Grand Canyon can respect the erosive qualities of a continuous stream of water against a solid object, so redirecting the flow away from your home begins with a proper gutter cleaning.

To keep you from precariously perching on top of a ladder, you can call the experts at your local Ned Stevens to clean your gutters. They’ll be sure to remove all fallen leaves and other problematic materials so your gutters can work the way they’re supposed to.

Using Leaves to Make Your Garden Shine

For the emerald green lawn that you worked on all spring and summer to have any hope of surviving the ravages of winter, you need to regain control of your leaves before they have a chance to mat. A covering of dead leaves blocks light from hitting your grass, inhibits the evaporation of water and promotes the formation of fungus and mold that will kill your lawn.

Luckily, you can put all those leaves to work for your garden beds because dead leaves make an ideal compost material if handled properly. Packed with rich minerals drawn via the tree’s root system, leaves help add moisture to sandy soil while diluting the effects of dense dirt packs. Additionally, as a source of carbon, mulched leaves balance the nitrogen in your compost pile and are an excellent insulator for young seedlings. Since the material needs to be shredded before gracing your flower beds, simply run over the fallen leaves with your lawn mower prior to bagging them for use as an outstanding mulch in the spring.