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The trees are stretched along on both sides at equal intervals like they were set down to measure the distance, the leaves are shedding from the trees and the area in covered in different shades of browns and greens. Everyone loves walking through the cave made by nature from trees. But this same scenario turns into nightmare when your yard is layering up with heap of leaves and garden waste. We are here to save you from this make things simpler one simple option which is leaf mulcher.
Leaf mulcher is a powered machine that is useful to grind organic waste like dried up leaves, small branches, twigs, flowers, etc. And the created mulch can be used in your garden to your advantage.
But to do so we need to understand how and what exactly this machine does.
How does a leaf mulcher work?
In the simplest way explained there is a vessel which holds the leaves which are passed through the blades of the Best leaf mulcher. The shredded and grinded leaves and other solids are transferred into the bin or basket below. The most important factor is the type and amount of debris produced in your yard.
Here are some questions that you need to ask before purchasing the machine:
- Size of your yard?
- Are you an environmental activist?
- The amount of weight you can handle?
- How much power and noise can you bear?
- Do you prefer leaf blower or leaf vacuum, or both?
The above Questions will help you figure out the specifics of the machine you need and make a thoughtful decision:
- If you have debris at larger scale or have huge area to clear than you should pay attention to your engine capacity, higher the horsepower higher is the capacity to handle more amount.
- For efficiency of machine you should check reduction ratio. E.g. 1:10 ration means 10 bags of yard waste is reduced to 1 bag of processed material.
- In the waste if you have too many branches of larger diameter than you should see for good grinder capacity.
- The maintenance of the machine is also significant aspect like self-sharpening blades and knives.
- The accessibility of heavier machine should also be taken care. The option like tow bar or trailer hitch can be useful in such cases.
Types of leaf mulcher:
These are different types of models available in market you can select according to your needs. They also differ in accessibility, size, weight, capacity. So, it is better to go into specification before buying.
- Handheld Mulcher
- Operate Mulcher
- Stand Leaf mulcher
- Lawn mower leaf mulcher
How to make Mulch and How to apply?
Tips on creating and applying the mulch for your yard;
- Firstly, the leaves and other organic waste should not be containing any moisture. And then chop this waste with a leaf mulcher. Dried up waste is easier to grind into finer particles which is more useful.
- Then use them spread them around the trees and shrubs in following way:
– 3 to 4 inches (8 to 10 cm) around tree trunks.
– 2 to 3 inches (5 to 8 cm) around perennial beds.
- It is also used to increase porosity and add nutrients.
- The finer the particles of the processed material the quicker the compost is ready. It also promises healthier garden.
- The leaves should be kept moderately moist and keep refreshing the air by turning the pile once every week.
- Adding chipped grass is useful to maintain nitrogen level. The proportion of nitrogen in grass is 25 to 30 carbon (leaves) to 1 carbon (grass leaf).
- Sometimes nitrogen insufficiency can occur especially while using saw dust or bagasse. To resolve this issue, you can add some chicken manure or manure tea. If the problem still exists you should use nitrogen fertilizer.
- For good results in the upcoming future the pile must be kept warm, moist and aerated.
- The layer of the mulch should be thick in a way that growth of weeds can be avoided. Also care should be taken while applying the mulch that it does get mixed up with soil.
When and How to apply mulch for newer saplings and transplants?
- While chipping the leaves and other material attention should be gives to the size of particles. It should be finely frayed, especially for new seedlings or transplants. Materials like, hay should be avoided near fresh seedlings as they can hamper them. The option for making fine mulch are bagasse, rice trash, peanut hulls, chopped grass, leaves and cow manure.
- While mulching recently sowed seed bed, the mulch should be well spread and thin over the row of seeds and layered and compacted for the space between the rows.
- You should see that new seedling is well properly sowed and ready before starting to mulch. If the timing is wrong fungus disease can be caused. Rotting the surrounding seedling and plants as well.
Few tips to keep your yard fertilizer free:
The tips are to keep your garden organic and safe from unwanted parasites. They are easy tricks with home available things making it affordable compared to unnecessary equipments.
- Reuse newspaper or cardboard to get rid of garden weeds. Place it underneath the mulch. They are natural material so they will decompose soon and not harm any plants.
- To keep bugs and other insects away from your plants use neem oil. Spray it on the plants you think are affected.
- Using coffee for plants is one more trick. Sprinkling it on the soil and mixing it a little will give nutrients for blooming plants. This tip is especially for flowering plans like roses and blueberries.
- Cinnamon is easily available home item; it has anti-fungal quality that can be used by sprinkling some around the affected seedling to stop the fungus.
Using a leaf mulcher is a step forward in the right direction in saving the world. You are consuming the natural and organic waste from your yard to your advantage. Understanding that our world is our responsibility.