The fall is undoubtedly my favorite time of the year. The temperature is very pleasant (I HATE the extreme heat) and the colors you see outdoors are really something else. It does create one extra job for us lawn owners though – we’ve got to deal with those leaves. Now personally, I typically just mulch these leaves with my lawn mower. It’s a relatively quick solution, I don’t need to go and buy anything additional and there are some benefits to mulching leaves.
But what about if you don’t have a lawn mower or don’t need one as you don’t have a lawn. Can you still mulch leaves without a lawn mower? Yes, of course! One solution is to use an electric leaf mulcher, but you could also use a weed wacker or your own body weight to mulch leaves too.
Mulching Leaves without a Lawn Mower: Your Options
You’ve got a few options when it comes to mulching leaves without a lawn mower. There’s an alternative product you can buy, and then there are some improvisations that can help you get the job done on the cheap with what you already have.
Electric Leaf Mulchers
A lawn mower is not the only outdoor power tool capable of turning your leaves into mulch. You might not have ever heard about this until now, but there’s actually a tool specifically designed to mulch leaves. From far away they look a little bit like a BBQ grill that I used to own. Here’s one of the more popular ones available at the moment:
If you have leaves that pile up around your property during the fall, and don’t have a lawn (and consequently no need for a lawn mower), buying one of these is a great way to mulch leaves. And they’re very, very simple to use too. Most models are electric and run off the mains, so you just plug them in, attach a bag beneath the main body of the tool (to collect the mulched leaves), and then begin feeding your leaves into the top funnel. There’s a blade spinning at high velocity at the bottom of this funnel that chops the leaves into extremely small particles.
The thing I personally like about this tool as an option for mulching leaves without a mower is that you can have it right next to you on the lawn, bagging the mulch as you go, and then it breaks down conveniently to store well. Nobody wants another huge tool to have to find a new spot for in the garage.
Also, they’re specifically designed for mulching leaves…which has got to count for something.
Weed Wacker + Trash Can
This is probably not a combination you’ve thought of too often, but together they can be very effective at mulching leaves.
If you don’t have a lawn mower, you might have a string trimmer, and that trimmer line is perfect for breaking up the leaves into fine mulch. So why do you need the trash can…that’s what you’re thinking, right?
Well let’s just switch track to lawn mowers for a second – you’ll see why. A lawn mower is able to effectively mulch both grass and leaves primarily due to its deck design (well, that and that the blade design). The clippings/leaves are circulated around the cutting deck numerous times before they’re deposited on the lawn, so they come into contact with the mower blade lots of times.
A weed wacker doesn’t have a deck like that. If you try to walk around a lawn with it, attempting to mulch leaves as you go, it’ll be painfully slow. Because while the trimmer line will start to break up the leaves, it’ll also flick them away from the cutting head. You need something like the mower deck, whereby the leaves can go through the cutting cycle multiple times. That’s where the trash can comes in.
Ideally the bigger the trash can, the better. A 5-gallon one would be perfect. You don’t want to ram it full though, as you’re going to need to be able to move the trimmer head up and down to make sure the line comes into contact the as many of the leaves as possible. Maintain the trimmer head fairly central as you don’t want the line coming into contact with the edges, as this can cause it to break.
Now it’s just a case of having a little patience and after a few minutes, you should have your leaves mulched.
Jump on Them
Yes, you read that right. Jumping up and down on leaves is another great alternative to mulching them with a mower. But I’m not talking about outside in your yard. Like with the trimmer option, that’d take forever.
You’re going to need to dig out your rake and gather up your clippings first and then put them in a bag. The bigger the bag, the better. One of those large yard bags made of that tarp-like material would be perfect. Once you’ve gathered up enough leaves and filled the bag 90% full, seal it. Now it’s time to start jumping.
This only really works if the leaves are bone dry. Jump up and down on the bag for several minutes. Make sure you focus your attention on all parts of the bag. Doing this will crush dry leaves and leave you with a fine mulch. All for the price of a yard waste bag and a few calories.
A Few Final Tips When Mulching Leaves
As you can see, you’ve got options when it comes to mulching leaves without a mower. But whichever method you use, keep these two tips in mind at all times, as they’ll greatly improve your results.
- Only mulch when the leaves are bone dry – We’ve all held a leaf at some point that has been out in the sun and has completely dried out. It’s so brittle. You apply a bit of pressure and it crumbles. That’s exactly what you want – this will drastically improve your results, no matter what method you use to mulch your leaves.
- Don’t overwhelm the blade – If you’re using a tool to do the mulching – whether it’s a mower, leaf mulcher or a strimmer, piling too many leaves around the blade/line is a one-way road to mediocre results. Give it space to be able to do its job.
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