How to Rake Leaves

Choose a windless day to rake leaves so they won’t fly away. Some lawn care experts recommend first mowing over leaves on the ground to chop them into smaller pieces. This is an added step to a raking plan that will help cut down on leaves flying away, should wind gust up. It is also helpful if you want to compost old leaves or use them as mulch.

Aim for raking leaves before the first frost or snow of the winter season.
You can rake whenever leaves have fallen on the ground, but waiting until later in autumn, when most leaves are off trees, is the best time to make your raking chore one and done. The drier the leaves the easier it will be to rake them up.

You can choose a plastic or a metal rake. The type that will work best for you depends on which rake feels most comfortable in your hands and according to your height. The rake’s handle is also important. If you’re tall, you will want to choose a rake with a longer handle to prevent your back from constantly bending over.

• A wide, plastic rake makes a strong, easy sweep through drier leaves.
• A metal rake with a spring joint at the head allows for a firmer dig into damper leaves with more precision.

Decide which is best based on the area you need to rake and the outdoor conditions. Wear gloves when you rake and consider a rake with a cushioned handle to best protect hands from repetitive stress.

Tip: If you have a small garden with lots of shrubs and plants, it is best to choose a rake with a small head.

• Use frequent and small reaching movements when you position your rake at the leaves.
• Avoid overreaching your arms in large, sweeping rakes at the leaves. Making those kinds of repetitive movements will quickly strain your arms, hands and back.
• As you begin to rake, create small piles of leaves around a larger yard so one huge pile of unruly leaves won’t become unmanageable.
• Once the leaves are raked into mounds, you can rake them onto a tarp. Using a tarp allows you to easily drag the piled leaves to wherever you want them to go for removal.
• If you are raking only a small area, you can rake the leaves from the ground into a pile. Place the leaves in a leaf bag by using the rake as a scoop with one hand and your other hand as the guide.
• If you have a municipal service to remove yard debris, set the leaf bags where they are visible for pickup.
• Attach a funnel at the top of a standing leaf bag to make the bagging step easier.
• Chop up gathered leaves with a bagging mower to use as mulch in a garden or yard, and leaves are a great addition for any compost pile when they decompose.