Rake It Off: Why You Need to Rake Regularly

When autumn is upon us, that means it’s time for beautiful leaves to fall and decorate the ground. The bright yellows, reds, and oranges are fun to look at, but they are less fun to rake up if they’re littering your yard.

You may be tempted to stop and think through whether or not you need to actually rake up the leaves. The leaves are so pretty to look at, so how much harm could it possibly do to leave the leaves where they fall?

As it turns out, plenty of damage. Keep reading below to learn from the experts at Premier Tree Solutions about why you need to rake regularly during the fall.

Fallen Leaves Can Harm Your Grass

 

Not taking care of fallen leaves can and will harm your yard. Though they may be pretty, leaving leaves long enough on your yard without scooping them up will create a layer of decomposing leaves over your grass.

This layer will be thick and heavy, causing your grass to be unable to breathe and grow properly. The leaves will block the necessary nutrients that keep your grass alive during the winter. In addition, they will prevent new grass from growing during the springtime. They can even encourage pests and diseases to run amuck.

Of course, raking your leaves overall makes your grass and yard look nice and tidy. This is a requirement for some neighbors and organizations, depending on where you live.

Best Raking Techniques

If you’re wondering what the best way to rake leaves off of your yard is, here are some tips to consider:

  • Use the best technology you can! Whether it be a leaf blower or a nice rake, grab what you like the best and clean up your yard with it. You don’t want to make the process harder by using something that doesn’t work well enough, like an old rusted rake you forgot about in your garage.
  • Done raking? Make sure to use a tarp so you can officially get all of those leaves out of there. Otherwise, they’ll just sit in piles in your yard.
  • Don’t worry so much about getting rid of every single leaf. That can be near impossible during the height of the fall season. A few leaves won’t cause damage, unlike a whole layer leaves.
  • It’s a good idea to plan two mows during this season. One at the start of the season, when the leaves are just beginning to fall. Second at the end of the fall season, when you’ve finished a majority of your raking. This will get rid of any leaves that are hanging out without making you go through the painstaking process of raking them all up. Plus, the mulch they create will help to fertilize your yard.
  • Make sure to rake when the leaves aren’t wet. Raking up wet leaves is both harder to rake and also harder to transport away.
  • Raking on a windy day isn’t the best idea either unless you want to watch your hard work blow away.
  • Wear closed-toed shoes, long-sleeved shirts, jeans, gloves, and a mask if you are allergic to leaves when raking. These items will protect you from any possible injuries.

If you have any more questions about caring for your yard, feel free to reach out to the experts at Premier Tree either by clicking here or calling us at 404.252.6448.

What’s a Tree Ordinance?

Tree ordinances are used to protect and manage the trees in a local community. First created by William Penn during the colonial era to defend trees being cut down, the number of tree ordinances have grown exceptionally in the passing years. These laws, or exceptions to the laws, are created to handle issues such as trimming public trees, cutting down trees to build a new location, disputes between neighbors dealing with trees, and more.

While not many people may have to deal with a tree ordinance, it’s still important to learn what they are, why they exist, and what they help with. To learn more about tree ordinances, keep reading below.

The Major Types of Tree Ordinances

There are two major types of tree ordinances. Read what those are below.

Arboriculture-Focused Ordinances

These ordinances involve aesthetic and environmental issues. Examples include regulating the planting, removal, and general maintenance of trees in parks and other public areas, trees blocking views in the city, and protection of certain trees. But there are countless other ways an arboriculture-focused ordinance could be created.

Timber Harvest Ordinances

These ordinances are created to regulate tree harvesting from companies that want to take trees down for profits. There are so many of these and so many regulations to look out for that this kind of ordinance has its own subgroup.

Other Types of Ordinances

Aside from the two main types described above, there are multiple kinds of other tree ordinances that cover a wide range of specific topics. Examples of these include ordinances that help to replace trees that are cut down for construction and development and helping to solve issues with trees blocking sunlight from certain locations.

Georgia’s Tree Ordinances

The Georgia Forestry Commission, whose mission is to protect and conserve Georgia’s forest, created a tree ordinance development guidebook for those in our communities that wanted to learn more about tree ordinances. You can use this resource to uncover additional information about the environmental, social, and economic benefits of tree ordinances, specifically in Georgia. It is important to note that there are multiple counties that have varying tree ordinances. Respective county website should be reviewed to determine requirements for applying for tree removal permits to avoid fines.

Click here to read the guidebook.

If you have any more questions about tree ordinances, feel free to contact the experts at Premier Tree either by clicking here or by calling us at 404.252.6448.

BE A GEORGIA TREE KNOW-IT-ALL: PERSIMMON

Get to know Georgia’s beautiful array of trees and how you can take care of your own! Each month, we feature some of the most popular trees in the state. This month, we are showcasing the Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana L.). Learn all about the Persimmon below!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources:

https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_divi5.pdf

https://www.hgtv.com/design/outdoor-design/landscaping-and-hardscaping/how-to-plant-and-grow-persimmons

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/persimmon/growing-persimmon-trees.htm

http://www.gatrees.org/resources/education/native-trees/NativeTreesGeorgia.pdf


Premier Tree is your local source for professional tree services in the metro Atlanta area. We provide tree removal, trimming, pruning, stump grinding, and more. Check out all of the services we offer, and contact us today for a free consultation!