Lawns and Gardens
How to Make Yard Cleanup Quick and Easy
By Bob Vila
Oct 2, 2005, 00:52

(NUI) - Hours of yard cleanup can bring blisters and backaches to homeowners with large lawns and mature trees - not to mention the time taken away from other fall activities. Fortunately, outdoor power tools such as yard vacuums and hand-held blowers reduce the time and labor of fall cleanup chores.

Keeping your yard clear throughout the fall contributes to a healthier lawn next year. Remove leaves and debris when they cover more than one-third of the lawn, or when you can't see the top half of the grass blades.

Burning yard waste is banned in most areas, and many landfills refuse to accept leaves, twigs and other yard debris. Private disposal companies or community pickup programs may be available.

Another option is to use shredded leaves, wood chips and pine cones as mulch for trees, shrubbery and flower beds. Leaves and yard debris also can be added to a compost pile along with grass clippings and other organic material. Reducing yard debris into mulch speeds up composting.

Power tools can help with this task. For example, the Craftsman 6.0-horsepower 4-in-1 Plus Yard Vacuum works as a vacuum, shredder, chipper and blower. It clears a 24-inch wide path using powerful suction to pick up pine cones, acorns and other materials. The machine vacuums yard debris from both grass and hard surfaces, such as drives and walkways. Debris is pulverized down to an 8 to 1 ratio and blown into a rear bag that holds two bushels of fine mulch. An on-board 8-foot vacuum hose makes it easy to clean flower beds, window wells and other hard-to-reach places. The vacuum's chipper chute makes quick work of twigs and branches. A blower attachment also saves time and energy in collecting leaves and debris.

Leaves and debris also can be herded into piles for pickup with an electric or gas blower or blower/vacuum, such as those made by Craftsman. Electric models are lightweight, relatively quiet and easy to maintain. They are ideal for small yards and cleanup tasks within 100 feet of an electric outlet. A gas blower is the right choice if you have a half-acre or more lawn with six or more mature trees. Air speed, which indicates a blower's power, varies from 185 mph to more than 200 mph.

Blower/vacuums also can shred yard material into fine mulch, which is deposited into an attached utility bag carried on the operator's shoulder. Variable speed control makes it easier to direct and control the movement of leaves and debris.

Bob Vila, who is celebrating 22 years in television, is the producer and host of "Bob Vila's Home Again," sponsored by Sears. He also is a spokesman for Craftsman tools.

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