To rake or not to rake
Yes, you should still try and get those leaves off your lawn
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - To rake or not to rake, that may be the question you are asking yourself if you have fallen behind on yard work this year.
“We got our cold snap a little early,” says Wayne Bollinger of Green Oasis.
Even after an early snowfall blanketed the Chippewa Valley, Bollinger says it is important to get those leaves off the ground.
“You’re not going to get off that easy and not have to rake up,” he says. “It’s pretty detrimental if that cover is left on especially if we start getting some warmer weather and some sun. That turf grass still needs some photosynthesis and needs to store some energy for winter.”
Another reason to rake those leaves up, is to make sure they don’t get into the streets.
City of Eau Claire Street and Fleet Maintenance Manager Steven Thompson says, this can cause major problems throughout the winter.
“With this kind of weather, the leaves tend to block the catch drains and prevent the drainage so it is important that we get back out there and start cleaning up the leaves that are out in the streets,” he says.
The early snowfall sidelined street sweepers last week, but Thompson says they are looking to catch up this week to prevent any storm drains from clogging up this winter.
“No later than Wednesday we should be back out sweeping at least 16 hours a day,” he says.
Although yard work may not be the most fun thing in the world, getting those leaves up will help your yard, and the streets, in the long run.
“It’s good outside work, social distance,” Bollinger says. “It is just you and your rake, have fun.”
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