Trees tend to shed leaves especially during fall and some gardeners prefer to use these leaves as mulch rather than burning them. It’s not a complicated process really and there are various alternative methods to mulch leaves without even using a lawn mower.
There are various steps you need to follow in order for the grass on your lawn to grow in a healthy manner throughout the year. Mulching is definitely one of the key steps that you need to go through in order to have a healthy lawn.
This is because mulching enables the soil on your lawn to maintain all its nutrients and increases its fertility. For sure, this enables the grass on your lawn to grow healthily as they won’t be deprived off any nutrients from the soil. In addition to this, mulching with leaves also maintains the beauty of your lawn.
You can collect the leaves, put them in a compost bag and let them decompose to mulch. However, the best alternative to a lawn mower for mulching leaves is a stand- alone leaf mulcher.
This is because this machine cuts leaves efficiently throughout and allows you to attach a bag where the leaves mulch is stored. Some of the best stand- alone leaf mulchers include the Worx WG430 Electric Mulcher, Patriot CSV- 2515, Black & Decker BV6000 and the Tazz 22752 K33.
Model | Size | Power source | Weight | Availability |
Worx WG430 | 22.6 x 22.6 x 13.2 inches | Electric | 24.3lbs | Check price |
Patriot CSV- 2515 | 35 x 24 x 37 inches | Electric | 126lbs | Check price |
Black & Decker BV6000 | 15.6 x 20.8 x 9.9 inches | Electric | 12.9lbs | Check price |
Tazz 22752 K33 | 29.9 x 24.7 x 51 inches | Gas | 161lbs | Check price |
Steps to follow when mulching leaves without a mower
Using a stand- alone leaf mulcher
- Collect all the leaves that have been shed
Initially, most of us would burn or dispose leaves that have been shed by trees as we considered them a nuisance because they made our lawns untidy. However, this is not the case right now as shed leaves are of major benefit to our lawns right now.
Therefore, you should gather all the shed leaves together either by using a rake or grass sweeper and put them in one spot. However, you can also opt for a push lawn sweeper if you don’t like the idea of using a rake.
Push lawn sweepers are good for use in a medium sized lawn as all you have to do is the push them around your lawn as it collects leaves. They also come with a collection bag where all the collected leaves are stored which helps you save on time.
This is because they collect a significant amount of grass per every sweep. In addition to this, you can easily adjust the height of a push lawn sweeper to your preference in order for it to effectively collect leaves. Once the collection bag is full, you simply remove it and pour the leaves into the leaf mulcher.
You should consider using a pull- behind leaf sweeper if you own a large sized lawn. This is because you can easily attach it to your lawn tractor and pull it behind as it gathers all the leaves.
One of the best pull- behind leaf sweepers in the market is the Agri- Fab 0320 leaf sweeper as it comes with a 42 inch sweeper width. For sure, this width will enable you to cover a wide surface area of your lawn within a short period of time. In addition to this, it also comes with a 12 cubic foot storage bag for the collected leaves which makes your work easier as you don’t have to do double work.
- Assemble the stand- alone leaf mulcher and drop in the collected leaves
One of the major benefits about having a stand- alone mulcher is that they are pretty easy to assemble. Therefore, you should definitely have an easy time setting up when you have purchased it from your local store.
You should also remember to attach a storage bag to the stand- alone leaf mulcher so that the shredded leaves can pile up in the bag. Once you have fully set up this machine, you should switch it on and throw the gathered leaves into the mulcher.
High quality stand- alone leaf mulchers come with a cutting line as compared to cutting blades as it is more efficient and has a longer service life. In addition to this, cutting lines are also safer for use as compared to the sharp blades that come with sub- standard stand- alone leaf mulchers.
The cutting line also cuts the leaves into small pieces which allows the storage bag to accommodate a larger capacity of leaves. After you are done with cutting leaves, you should remove the bag underneath the stand- alone mulcher and then spread the shredded leaves on the area of your lawn that you’d like to mulch.
Letting the leaves to decompose and using them as mulch
Well, this is also another effective method that you can use to turn the shed leaves in your compound into mulch that will be of benefit to your lawn. All you have to do is simply collect all the leaves that have been shed and put them inside a compost trash bag.
Once you have done this, you should place the trash bags with the leaves somewhere in your compound where no one will interfere with them.
For sure, the leaves will decompose and you’ll be able to use them as mulch on your lawn. However, the only downfall with this method is that it takes approximately 3 to 6 months for the leaves to decompose which is a really long time.
Also read
Mulching vs Bagging vs Side Discharge
Conclusion
As you have seen, you shouldn’t think about getting rid of the leaves on your compound simply because you don’t have a mower with a mulching kit. You can still be able to mulch leaves either by using a stand- alone leaf mulcher or letting them decompose to mulch.
FAQs
How long do leaves take to decompose once you put them in a compost trash bag?
This process takes about 5 months for them to fully decompose.
What is the benefit of using mulch leaves on my lawn?
Mulch leaves are important because they enable the soil on your lawn to retain all its nutrients which is essential for healthy grass growth.
Further Reading
5 Fun and Creative Ways to Cut Grass Without A Lawn Mower
Can You Fertilize on Top of Mulch?
How to Keep Mulch from Blowing Away
References
