Located on the eastern edge of the Texas Hill Country, Austin has a stunningly beautiful landscape. The western portion of the city has rolling hills and gorgeous limestone cliffs as well as a wide range of smaller and larger trees, waterways and more. As you travel eastward to the other side of the city and beyond, you will come to flatter lands with towering trees that add character to the landscape. These trees range from bothersome cedar trees that give many Austinites "cedar fever" between November and February to the beautiful maples at Lost Maples State Park. The city is also well-known for the historic Treaty Oak, a 500-year-old live oak tree that has played a critical role in many aspects of local history.
Of course, these are not the only types of trees found throughout the area. In many yards, residents take advantage of much-needed shade on hot summer days from Texas ash, Southern red oaks, Monterey oaks, Mexican plum and others. In addition to these native species, many local yards also feature exotic species that add to the beauty of the landscape. While many of these trees are deciduous and lose their leaves during the fall, live oaks and a few other species shed their leaves in the spring.
Because of this, it may seem as though the task of raking leaves extends for several long months for Austinites. In fact, Austin often has relatively mild fall months that transition into a brief winter, and this is followed by a lengthy spring season. In other climates, leaves may drop quickly, but this is not usually the case in Austin. In fact, while leaves may change color relatively quickly, they may only drop quickly if a strong storm with gusty winds blows them free.
The Importance of Raking Leaves
As you cruise around your neighborhood in the spring or fall months, you may notice that some yards are buried under inches of leaves for weeks on end. While this thick covering may seem to be nothing more than an aesthetic issue at first glance, the reality is that unraked leaves can cause serious harm to your yard if they are not removed promptly. If you return to these yards a few months later, you may notice that the lawn looks unhealthy and thin. The unraked leaves are to blame.
When leaves are not raked off of the lawn as needed, the grass has trouble getting all of the water, nutrients, and air that it needs for optimal health. In addition, pests may be more likely to find a home under the leaves, and this can lead to further issues. Diseases, such as brown patch, may also be attributed to leaves that are not removed promptly.
Over the course of a few months, these leaves may become heavily matted into the soil. Even when the leaves are no longer highly visible on top of the grass, they continue to block air, moisture, and nutrients from reaching the grass. New blades of grass that may otherwise penetrate upward once growing season begins may be smothered and unable to grow.
What to Do with Piles of Raked Leaves
In Austin, fall and spring weather conditions can vary dramatically. In fact, weather conditions can range from summer-like conditions one day to below-freezing conditions the next day. Vegetation can get confused when this happens. Therefore, you may find yourself needing to rake and mow at the same time. Raking generally should be completed before you mow unless your lawnmower has a bagging feature. Some homeowners may just use their lawnmower as a mulcher for grinding up the leaves. This may be reasonable if you have a thin layer of leaves, but it can result in yard damage if you spread a thick layer of mulched leaves across your yard without raking them up.
Some people may blow the leaves off of their lawn. This may produce relatively fast results, but it is not a long-term solution. The leaves may blow back onto your yard, or your neighbors may not appreciate you blowing your leaves onto their property. The best options for raked leaves are to compost them or to bag them up for removal. These two tasks can add to your raking chore.
How We Can Help You in the Fall and Spring
The spring and fall months in Austin are generally the most wonderful time of the year. These are times when you may want to meet up with friends for a hike at Bull Creek or head to South Congress for lunch and drinks on a restaurant patio. These are also the months when Austin is hopping with festivals like South by Southwest, ACL, the Old Pecan Street Festival and more. The last thing that you may want is to miss out on all that Austin offers because you have to stay home raking leaves and working on your yard.
A better idea is to hire a professional lawn care crew for leaf removal service. This service can be completed as needed throughout the fall and spring months. In addition, it can be combined with numerous other lawn services that may be needed throughout the year. For example, gardening, mowing, aeration, and other tasks may also be required to keep your yard looking healthy and well-manicured.
You may currently spend several hours each week working on your yard. If you are like many Austinites, you still may not be thrilled with the results despite your hard work. There is no need to waste your valuable time working on your yard, instead hire Lawn Love. Regardless of whether you need a one-time leaf removal service or you are looking for year-round assistance from a team of professionals, rest assured that we can help. Contact us today to learn more about how Lawn Love can help you.
