When fall foliage hits the ground, options for removal abound

Personal preference has a lot to do with how people get leaves picked up.

By TIM YOVICH

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

In his poem “Trees,” Joyce Kilmer wrote:

“I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.”

It’s obvious that he never had a tree in his front yard in 1913. Or, he paid the neighbor kid to rake up the leaves.

Although autumn started unseasonably warm, temperatures and the foliage are beginning to fall.

Timely decisions must be made on how to best pick up the leaves: mulch ’em, rake ’em, blow ’em or suck ’em up.

Alex Phillips sits on the porch of his Genesee Avenue home in Warren and watches his son suck leaves into a vacuum shredder he pushes around the yard.

“I don’t think anybody rakes any more,” said Phillips, a senior citizen.

Phillips likes the shredder because he doesn’t — or at least his son doesn’t — have to haul as many bags to the curb.

Phillips moved onto Genesee in 1995 from Champion where he lived 15 to 20 years. He appreciated the maples trees he had there: When fall came round, they were quick in hitting the ground.

He’s been putting up with slow-falling leaves from the oaks on Genesee. Some oak leaves even stay on the tree during the entire winter.

“I would have never planted those trees there,” Phillips said as he points to the tall oaks along his devil strip.

Bob Iammizzaro, 75, Phillips’ neighbor, takes the industrial approach to getting his leaves picked up.

“I have a tractor that sucks them all up,” Iammizzaro said as he used a power blower to flush them from under his shrubs.

Iammizzaro has been picking up leaves on Genesee for 37 years. “I don’t mind it. It’s something to do,” he said.

Iammizzaro, however, hasn’t raked for years, though he used to rake so his children could play in the leaves. “Raking is too hard,” he said

It is, in fact, difficult to find anybody raking any more. Instead, people prefer power equipment.

Mike McNinch uses a riding mower during the summer on his Arden Boulevard lawn in Youngstown. In fall, the 39-year-old McNinch has to rake the leaves from his flower beds, because rocks surround the beds and he can’t get the tractor in close.

So, he’s forced to rake the backyard, meaning he takes 40 bags to the curb.

McNinch’s alternative to picking up leaves: “Hire someone.”

A small, unscientific poll by The Vindicator suggests than women would rather rake. It seems they don’t like a blower because they lose control of the leaves as they blow around.

A rake, they say, gives them more order and control.

Cost may also be a factor. A 24-inch plastic Bronco rake goes for $5 at Home Depot.

A John Deere 48-inch Z425 riding mower that turns on a dime can be yours for $3,999, or $92 monthly payments for a long time. Still, sitting in the seat and firmly grasping the two upright steering handles provides a sense of power.

From a professional point of view, Sean Linnen believes in using every tool in the book to get the leaves up as quickly as possible.

Linnen, 29, of Howland, has been in the lawn care business 14 years. He works for Pete Newberry, also of Howland.

This time of year, Linnen sits atop a 54-inch Bobcat with three large bags on the back. It cost $8,000. The leaves go into an $11,000 dump truck.

When the leaves are really falling, Linnen uses a rake and a strap-on-back power blower (cost: about $1,000 each) to get the leaves onto a tarp.

The tarp is dragged over to put the leaves through a $4,000 mulcher before they go into the truck.

The backpack gives the appearance of being a superhero with a rocket strapped on.

For the novice, Linnen recommends using a mower with the mulching blade. For best results, mulch them first and then bag them during a second pass.

Linnen agrees with Phillips that the leaves should be picked up when dry. However, those with allergies may prefer them damp to keep the leaf dust to a minimum.

In the final analysis, Linnen is certain of one thing: “Leaves give me a headache.”

yovich@vindy.com