Leaf Removal in the Columbia, South Carolina area can be a very labor intensive endeavor. Many folks decide to wait until the last leaf has fallen off of their trees before they do something about the removal of those leaves.
There is no good way to go about doing the removal but there are some critical pieces of information that I wanted to share with you.
First of all, decide whether or not you do indeed want to remove the leaves. The alternative is to leave them on your grounds and perhaps grind them up with a mower with a mulching blade to aid in the decomposition process. Often times, this is a good solution for the homeowner who has an overload of leaves.
If you decide to go ahead and remove the leaves, the #1 tool that you'll need is a gas powered leaf blower. The best leaf blowers on the market that I have found are the Redmax 8001, the Stihl BR 600, and the Echo pb 651t - all of which have the throttle mounted on the nozzle (avoid the hip mounted throttle!).
The next most important thing to decide is the strategy for pushing the leaves. Take a good look at the grounds and get a clear idea of what direction you want to push the leaves. WIND is a very important factor. On a particularly windy day, make sure the wind is at your back - nature can be very helpful in this way.
Try to do your leaf removal on a dry day - that is, wait at least 2 days after rainfall. This way, you won't be dealing with heavy debris and the risk of soiling your shutters, windows, etc.
And lastly, remember to do leaf cleanup on the day before the debris pick-up crew for your city makes their rounds. This way, your neighbors don't have to look at the trash and you have less of a risk of the debris getting blown around the neighborhood.
