Fallen leaves: clearing them and making use of them in your garden

Why do I need to clear fallen leaves in my garden?

Colourful autumn leaves are a seasonal joy in gardens and on the streets, and they don’t actually cause any problems on their own. However, once you add in the weather that also comes with the time of year, cold and wet leaves on the ground become a significant slip hazard. In your garden, leaving a layer of leaves can be detrimental to some plants too.

Clearing leaves: where you need to do it

Because of the risk of slipping, clearing leaves is particularly important on pavements and driveways. To keep your lawn healthy, we also recommend regularly clearing leaves from the grass.

Leaves on your lawn

Don’t let fallen leaves lie on your lawn for too long before clearing them, as they block your grass plants from getting enough light and air. What’s more, moisture often collects under the layer of leaves causing them to rot, which can eventually lead to light or dark stains on the lawn, bare patches or increased moss formation. So clearing leaves from your lawn should be a regular task during the cooler months – a leaf blower can help make removal easy.

Leaves under trees and shrubs and elsewhere in your garden

Fallen leaves under trees and shrubs are actually very beneficial for the soil, so you can go without clearing here and allow formation of a leaf layer up to 15 cm thick – this will break down to become valuable, fertile humus. Similarly, having leaves on your vegetable beds can protect the delicate soil from frost and regulate the moisture balance during the cold season. However, remember that plants with soft shoots, grasses and evergreens cannot tolerate being covered by leaves.

If leaves from your trees blow onto a neighbour’s plot

In principle, any leaves that fall and stay on your plot are your responsibility and so you’re the one who needs to take care of sweeping and disposal. If an excessive number of leaves are coming from your neighbour’s plot, try to come to an amicable arrangement. There is generally no prospect of legal recourse, unless there is clear damage caused by the leaves – and even then legal cases are rarely straightforward.

Slip hazard from leaves

Always keep paths clear of fallen leaves as they will quickly become slippery when wet, and may present a serious hazard for pedestrians and cyclists. It is likely that your local council is ultimately responsible for the pavement, so contact them if you need to find out about their clearing schedule.

How to clear leaves

Clearing leaves: using a rake

A rake is the simplest and most affordable way of dealing with fallen leaves. The work is quickly done, though not without effort – depending on the amount of leaves and size of your garden, you may find you quickly reach your limits.

H3 Clearing and collecting leaves with your lawn mower 

A simple way to clean up and collect leaves on your lawn is with your lawn mower – in terms of effort required, it’s a good compromise between a rake and a leaf vacuum. Simply run your lawn mower over the leaves and it will collect them in its collection basket. 

Clearing leaves: leaf blowers make light work

Blowers are a quick and reliable way of clearing spaces by collecting large quantities of leaves into a neat pile. These powerful assistants are ergonomically designed and ideal for larger plots.

Clearing leaves: using a vacuum shredder

A vacuum shredder is less effort and more comfortable to use than a rake. It also chops the leaves into small pieces as it picks them up and gathers them in a bag. This is a very efficient option, whether you need to dispose of the leaves or use them later, for mulch for example.

When can I use a vacuum shredder?

Like most power tools, vacuum shredders can be noisy. Take care not to use them at times they may disturb your neighbours. The National Society for Clean Air and Environmental Protection defines sociable hours for noisy working as between 8am and 7pm Monday to Saturday, and from 10am to 5pm on Sundays – though local regulations may apply in your area.

Tool expertise: blowers and vacuum shredders

Make clearing of garden and outdoor spaces quick and efficient with powerful STIHL leaf blowers and vacuum shredders. Fierce autumn winds may blow leaves everywhere, but you can get them under control in no time with just a bit of raking, vacuuming and shredding.

Clearing leaves: advantages of blowers and vacuum shredders

Clearing leaves: how not to dispose of them

In the woods: Do not dump leaves in woodland under any circumstances, as this could disturb the sensitive ecosystem of the forest. Such disposal is counted as fly tipping and can be prosecuted as such.

On the street: Leaving your collected leaves at the roadside is also illegal fly tipping.

Burning: Although garden bonfires are not prohibited in themselves, they can be considered a nuisance. If leaves are at all damp, burning them will generate a huge amount of smoke which can be hazardous in various ways. We do not recommend burning leaves after clearing them.

Making use of collected leaves

In some places clearing is not necessary, as fallen leaves can actually be beneficial to the nature around them and should be left in some parts of the garden. For example, you can use them to nourish the soil directly, as frost protection mulch or as a habitat for small creatures. And even if you are clearing leaves from your paths and lawn, you can also make use of the same advantages and harness the goodness from the waste elsewhere in your garden

Summary: clearing leaves

• Clearing leaves from gangways is important to prevent accidents. What’s more, it will keep your lawn healthy and your garden looking great
• You can use a rake, vacuum shredder, lawn mower or blower
• You can dispose of small amounts of leaves in a garden waste bin, if you have one
• For larger amounts, find out about local composting and waste disposal provision
• Use leaves as compost, fertiliser or a winter home for wildlife