The Ultimate Guide to Leaf-Blowing

It’s that time of year again: the season of carving pumpkins, drinking hot apple cider and… blowing your leaves. 

While the changing colors of the trees can be beautiful, it’s also a sign that you need to tidy your lawn from falling leaves. To help you effectively do this, we’ve put together the ultimate guide to leaf-blowing. With these tips, you’ll be back inside for pie-making in no time!

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An Overview of Leaf-Blowing

Leaf-blowing is by far the quickest way to clear leaves and debris from your yard. In addition to giving your lawn a tidy look, you may also be interested in collecting your leaves in order to compost or mulch them. 

When Should You Start Blowing Leaves?

You can blow leaves anytime they’ve piled up on your lawn. Just be sure to avoid doing this too early in the morning or late at night. In fact, your local municipality may have regulations about when you can blow your leaves due to noise pollution. Between 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. is a good rule of thumb, but check your local laws before you begin. 

How Often Should You Blow Your Leaves?

Fall is the busiest season for leaf-blowing, but the exact timing will depend on the tree coverage of your lawn. During this time of year, you may blow your leaves every two weeks, give or take. Usually, you won’t need to do it any more frequently unless your yard gets a lot of leaf pile-up.

What You’ll Need to Blow Your Leaves

Time: 2 hours or less (depending on the size of your yard)

Materials:

• A leaf blower
• Protective eyewear
• Protective earmuffs or earplugs
• Mask to protect from harmful debris
• Work gloves
• Close-toed shoes and protective clothing

Steps for Effective Leaf-Blowing

1. Select the Right Leaf Blower for Your Needs

To get started, be sure you have the right leaf blower on hand. For a small- or medium-sized yard, you don’t need a huge, powerful blower. There are some excellent electric models that are lightweight and still have enough oomph to get the job done.

For a larger yard or one with lots of leaf pile-up, you may need a heftier model. Typically, the most powerful leaf blowers are gas-run, though electric models have really caught up in recent years.

Pro tip: If you have hard-to-reach leaves (such as around rocks or under a fence), you may want to buy a leaf blower with a vacuum mode that can suck them up. 

2. Consider the Weather Conditions

Look out the window before you get geared up for leaf-blowing. Ideally, you should blow leaves on a calm, dry day. 

At a minimum, be sure that leaves in your yard aren’t wet, as this will make it difficult to blow them effectively. You’ll also want to check the wind, as a windy day can blow leaves in all directions. If you’re lucky and the wind is blowing steadily in the direction you require, go ahead. Otherwise, wait for another day. 

3. Check the Time Before Starting Up Your Leaf Blower

Leaf blowers can be quite loud and disruptive, reaching up to 70-75 decibels. For this reason, it’s important to respect your neighbors and avoid blowing your leaves too early or too late. Anytime before 9 a.m. is a big no-no. 

And remember: local regulations may also limit when you can blow your leaves, so check your municipal ordinances. 

4. Wear Eye and Ear Protection

You should always wear eye and ear protection when blowing leaves. Debris can kick up into your eyes, and the noise of the blower can cause hearing damage. Invest in a high-quality pair of noise-canceling earmuffs to be on the safe side. 

In addition, you should also protect yourself by wearing a mask, gloves, close-toed shoes, and sturdy clothing so that you can’t be harmed while leaf-blowing.

5. Walk Through Your Yard First

Get the lay of the land before you start blowing leaves in your yard. In addition to removing large debris (such as fallen branches or yard ornaments), you should also visualize how you will blow the leaves. This will ensure that you don’t double back and perform more leaf-blowing work than necessary. 

Pro tip: If you have any dusty or sandy areas of your yard, consider wetting them down with a hose before leaf-blowing. This way, you won’t kick up dust or dirt in the process.

6. Set Down a Tarp to Haul Your Leaves Later

Next, decide where to set up your tarp for collecting the leaves. Or, pick a spot if you’re planning on blowing leaves into a compost pile or somewhere near the woods. 

Once you’ve chosen your designated destination for the leaves, you can break up the job into different sections and get started!

7. Hold the Blower at a Shallow Angle

The angle of the leaf blower can make a huge difference to your effectiveness. You’ll want to choose a shallow angle so that you don’t blow the leaves too high or chaotically. (This will also prevent dust and dirt kick-up.)

Walk slowly and move the blower in a low “U” shape as you go, so you can easily move the leaves in the right direction. 

8. Don’t Try to Blow Every Last Leaf

Leaf blowers are highly effective, but they won’t catch every last leaf. Set aside your perfectionism and try to get the bulk of the leaves with the blower. If needed, you can follow up with a rake to get any of the leaves that were left behind.

Remember that if you have a vacuum mode, you can also use this for particularly difficult leaves that are trapped under rocks or fences. For example, you can utilize this mode when you’re doing a final walk-through of your yard.

9. Reuse Your Leaves!

As they say, leaves are “nature’s mulch.” The most eco-friendly thing to do is to reuse your leaves. You can blow them into garden beds to get them out of the way and use them as mulch. Otherwise, you can mow over them to mulch them, spreading them over the yard or around trees. Don’t forget that you can also compost them, turning them into valuable fertile soil for next years planting. Try to find creative ways to recycle your leaves instead of just dumping them into landfils. 

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What Is Leaf-Blowing Etiquette?

Keep in mind that leaf blowers may be obnoxious to your neighbors or community. For this reason, it’s essential that you follow leaf-blowing etiquette: 

• Understand your local ordinances. Find out when you can use leaf blowers in your community so that you don’t accidentally blow your leaves during off-hours. 
• Be considerate of any nearby people or pets. If anybody walks by close to your blower, stop what you’re doing and wait for them to clear the area. 
• Respect your neighbors’ properties. Don’t blow leaves on your neighbor’s yard, or blow debris toward open windows or doors. You shouldn’t use a leaf blower to spray chemicals or fertilizers, either.
• Keep your leaf blower in good working condition. This way, you can use it safely without risk to others.

How to Purchase the Right Leaf Blower

Not sure which leaf blower is best for you? Here are a few key considerations as you research and purchase a leaf blower: 

• Leaf blowers come in three general styles: handheld, backpack, and walk-behind. Handheld blowers are typically the most cost-effective, especially if you have a smaller yard. Backpack blowers are also convenient, but can get heavy if you have a lot of leaves to blow. Finally, walk-behind blowers are easy-to-use, but may be more expensive and require more maintenance in the long run. 
• Leaf blowers may be electrical or gas-run. Electrical models have the convenience of being less noisy and come with cordless options. However, gas-run blowers may have greater power for larger yards.
• Leaf blowers may come with certain extra features, such as a vacuum mode or a built-in mulcher. Check different models to see which types of features you may want to take advantage of.
• The right leaf blower will depend on your yard size and needs. No need to buy a heavy-duty gas-run blower if your yard is on the smaller size. Consider your top priorities as you weigh the leaf blower options.

Maintain Your Leaf Blower With AppliancePartsPros.com

Nice work, your yard is now nice and tidy! Not to mention that you’ve collected leaves to feed your compost and/or mulching efforts. 

As you blow leaves this season, it’s important to keep your leaf blower in prime condition. While blowers require little maintenance, there are a few tasks to perform regularly, such as wiping it down and cleaning out any dirt build-up. For a gas-run blower, you may also need to do a yearly tune-up. 

Remember that if you have to fix your leaf blower at any point, you can get the leaf blower parts you require on AppliancePartsPros.com!

Leaf-Blowing FAQs

Is There a Technique to Leaf-Blowing?

Yes, leaf-blowing is most effective when you follow a technique. Start by choosing a designated spot to collect the leaves and then divide the yard into several sections. Always point the blower in the same direction and keep it at a shallow angle, so that you don’t kick up leaves and debris too high. 

Do Leaf Blowers Work on Wet Leaves?

A standard leaf blower will struggle to move wet leaves, as they’re significantly heavier than dry leaves. If it recently rained, you should wait to blow your leaves until the lawn has dried out and the leaves move easily. 

Can You Use a Leaf Blower on a Windy Day?

Avoid blowing leaves on a windy day, as the wind can pick up and disorganize your leaves. However, if there’s a steady breeze in the direction you need, you can use the wind in your favor to blow leaves more easily. 

How Do You Pick Up Leaves After Blowing?

After you blow your leaves and gather them on a tarp, you should reuse or dispose of them. Ideally, you can recycle leaves by composting or mulching them. In this case, simply drag the tarp to your compost or feed the leaves into your mulcher or mow over the pile with your lawn mower. 

Otherwise, you’ll want to coordinate your leaf-blowing efforts with a local yard waste collection day. Most cities host these days in the fall so you can get rid of yard waste such as leaves. For this, bag up your leaves and leave them by the curb on the designated day. 

Check Also:

• Leaf Blower Parts
• A Beginner’s Guide to Composting
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• How to Remove and Replace a Push Lawn Mower Blade
• How to Replace a Lawn Mower Pull Cord
• 4 Steps to Clean a Lawnmower Carburetor
• How to Start a Lawn Mower