At some point in life, it is likely that you will need to clean up tree debris in your yard. If you have a tree, you’ll have debris eventually. Sounds a bit like a pain, right? Well, it doesn’t necessarily have to be!
Generally, there are a few best practices to follow when it comes to cleaning up tree debris in your yard. You’ll look to things like a rake, of course, but might also get more creative. You can utilize things like a log splitter and power washer, depending on the amount of debris.
Stick with us to learn more about why debris might end up in your yard, as well as solutions to remove it. We’ll even dive into some preventative measures, but, if you are unsure what to do we recommend contacting a professional for assistance!
Why Is There Tree Debris In Your Yard?
Now, we should probably start at the beginning. Why is there debris in your yard in the first place?
Whether you have had a storm, your tree has been weakened, or there are other factors at play, tree debris is a common occurrence. Even humans and animals can create a mess when they are around a tree!
So, let’s break down some of the reasons you might be seeing this debris in your yard, and also, make sure to check out our article about the messiest trees because it can be simple that you just have one of the messier trees in your yard!
Stormy Weather Can Easily Create Debris
Have you ever had a really strong thunderstorm knock some weak branches off of your tree? Maybe it was a tornado that didn’t cause much destruction, other than the leaves that it left scattered across town. Really any strong, stormy weather is a direct cause of debris, more often than not.
Weather, primarily wind, is a driving force in altering outdoor landscapes. After any particularly windy days, storm-adjacent or not, you are likely to see some debris left over in your space.
The level of debris will vary, but clean-up is a good thing to prepare for after any stormy weather.
Sick Trees Can Create Debris
Weather isn’t the only thing that can create debris, though. In fact, trees that are weakened internally will also drop leaves. Sometimes, even things as large as branches will drop from the tree.
While the weather will cause debris from the outside, diseased trees can also drop leaves from the inside, as they work to fight the illness and survive.
Sometimes, growth such as leaves, flowers, and fruit will be dropped from a sick tree so that it can focus on its most basic needs first.
Animal Activity Creates Debris
Animals can also cause parts of trees to fall down. Their involvement might not be as extreme as weather or disease, but don’t underestimate them.
Creatures like raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks, and more will often climb around trees and can knock off some stray twigs, leaves, and branches. The more animal activity you have in your tree, the higher the chance that you’ll get some leftover debris.
This influence by animals can be seen even more when a tree is weak and/or prone to damage. Often, trees that have been impacted by weather or disease will lose further debris when animals come through, as a sort of second way to knock debris loose from the tree.
Human Activity Can Make Some Debris
Even we as people can cause some debris to end up in our yards. How so? We aren’t animals and we certainly aren’t as strong as the harsh winds of a storm.
Well, the main way that human activity leads to debris is simple. When trees are not properly maintained, debris can fall as a result. While this is directly caused by weather, the tree itself, and animals, we as humans will be partially responsible in certain cases.
So, the lack of maintenance or the improper practice of it, can lead to debris.
How To Clean Tree Debris In Your Yard
The causes of different types of debris will determine how much clean-up is necessary. This means that cleaning up tree debris in your yard is going to vary based on the type of debris and the amount of damage done.
According to the University of Georgia Extension, cleaning up storm debris can be quite dangerous if not done properly.
If you have a large amount of damage and are looking to use power tools or other, large-scale, methods of clean-up, you might consider calling in a professional.
However, if you have experience with these tools and feel confident in your ability to handle the situation, take the right precautions to stay safe.
Lawn Sweepers Can Clean In A Pinch
Say you’ve got lots of leaves and branches on the ground of your yard, and need a way to quickly remove them. Another great way to remove debris is as simple as a lawn sweeper, like this Earthwise 21-Inch Leaf and Grass Push Lawn Sweeper.
We think you’ll find that this acts as an easy way to get lots of debris picked up in a pinch. The sweeper is both maneuverable and lightweight, but the height of the rake can also be adjusted to pick up different types of debris.
You don’t want to rely on lawn sweepers to pick up wet debris, rocks, nuts, or pinecones, though. These could clog up your sweeper and will make the entire cleaning process longer overall.
Use Good Ol’ Fashioned Rakes
Now, when you think of cleaning up leaves and other mild debris, you may immediately lean towards raking. We associate rakes with making piles of fall leaves in areas with deciduous trees, so this one definitely deserves a spot on the list!
The ROOT ASSASSIN RAKE comes highly recommended thanks to its durability and sturdy handle. Most rakes have flimsy teeth, which means that they are flexible but also don’t hold on to as many leaves. While there is certainly a time and a place for that, this rake ensures that you can pick up more in one pass-over.
Sometimes, we don’t need the most innovative, fancy tools. Remembering our roots and going back to things like the standard rake might just be the path to follow.
This is best when there are smaller pieces of debris, including leaves, pinecones, nuts, twigs, and any other smaller pieces of debris.
Push Brooms May Work Well
We’ve talked about raking and sweeping, but what about using a broom to remove debris? No, not any old broom that is thin and meant for indoor spaces, but a push broom meant to be used outdoors.
When you live in certain areas, you may not have the amount of grass needed to rake or sweep up debris with a lawn sweeper. So then, how would you be expected to clean up debris off of pavement, sand, clay, or any other harder surface?
An outdoor tool like the 18 Inches Push Broom Outdoor could be the right one for you in this instance.
Shop Vacs Can Clear Small Debris
What if you have enough debris that sweeping with a broom isn’t ideal, but raking and sweeping with a lawn sweeper isn’t available to you for whatever reason? Another great question. We happen to have the answer.
A shop vac, also known as a wet-dry vacuum, is a great tool for projects that are slightly larger, and might cover more ground.
These are best for debris that is smaller and can fit through a hose, like leaves, nuts, some pinecones, and other objects like rocks and twigs.
The Stanley Wet/Dry Vaccum just so happens to be a best seller and is great for nearly any kind of cleanup.
Hose Things Down if You Need
We’ve gone over lots of tools and you may be sensing by now that there are certain methods that pick up smaller debris, and others that aim to take care of bigger pieces.
If you are looking for a good way to meet in the middle and pick up a mixture of smaller and larger debris, it might be best to take a more offensive approach.
Instead of sweeping or vacuuming, try pushing the debris away using a hose. The water will help to avoid any unnecessary noise, electricity costs, and the need to go over the debris multiple times.
Pick Up Large Pieces Of Debris By Hand
These are all great methods, but what if your debris is larger, like branches or larger rubble from a storm or natural disaster?
Picking up large pieces of debris is done best by hand, as much of a pain as that might unfortunately be.
Powerwash the Place
We would recommend power washing some of the finer debris away so that it doesn’t stay on your property.
The Sun Joe Electric High-Pressure Washer might just be the best product for you. It’s great on cars, fences, patios, house siding, sidewalks, driveways, and more.
In fact, if you need a quick way to get rid of debris in your yard but don’t want the noise of a leafblower, a power washer could be the substitute you’ve been looking for.
You can also rent power washers easily, if you don’t want to make the purchase. Someone in your local area will have one to rent, we would almost guarantee it.
Log Splitters Can Help Remove Fallen Trees
If you have a tree that has fallen, it may be even more cause for concern. This could attract bugs, and animals, or even just block your space in a way that is less than ideal.
If this sounds like your situation, a log splitter is a great tool to help you remove pieces and break the project itself into a manageable size.
Now, you can opt for an electric log splitter like the BILT HARD Log Splitter, which is quite effective, portable, and stable, but a bit more pricey.
There are also manual log splitters such as this Kindling Cracker XL that is still quite efficient, but much cheaper because it avoids using a motorized process.
Leafblowers Can Quickly Clear A Yard
Leafblowers can be a quick and easy way to clear a yard of debris, depending on the size and type of debris.
You may be concerned about finding a tool that is reliable, affordable, and won’t make your neighbors mob to your house with pitchforks to confront the noise levels. Easy enough, right?
It may be an overwhelming task, but the BLACK + DECKER Electric Leaf Blower is a great place to start.
The product is lightweight, inexpensive, highly favored, and will allow you to swiftly and successfully clean up debris.
How To Prevent Debris From Accumulating In Your Yard
Debris prevention really comes down to one thing: maintenance. This is what will help you keep things under control, so you don’t get to a point where your tree and its debris are completely overwhelming.
If you are looking to keep debris from accumulating in your space, and interfering with your other plants, then prevention is better than reaction.
You might do things like monitoring your tree, cleaning up fallen pieces as you find them, and keeping things tidy overall. It’s much easier to do little maintenance tasks consistently than it is to undertake a big clean-up after things have gotten out of hand.
Regularly Monitor The Area
It helps to regularly keep an eye on the area of your tree, in daily life as much as after a storm or some other catastrophic, debris-causing, event.
By keeping your tree under your supervision, you’ll notice any inconsistencies much more quickly.
This could help you to catch any weak branches and limbs as needed. Pruning is one of the best preventative practices, and is often most helpful when done at earlier stages of need.
You’ll also be able to notice if any animals are interfering with your tree, which could help you to avoid further issues with your tree down the road.
Clean Up Large Items When You Spot Them
This one probably seems obvious, but it’s easier than you might expect to say, ‘I’ll just take care of that later.’ Especially when it comes to bigger pieces of debris, you might think that it is not hurting anything if there is just an item or two that have fallen, like branches.
However, it is always easiest to take care of something when it is not causing a large problem yet.
Being able to remove large debris, which is easier to notice, when you are not overwhelmed with a bunch of other debris is always going to be a better idea than waiting until you have more work cut out for you.
Whether your larger debris is a result of animals, weather, or your pruning maintenance, it should be picked up and disposed of quickly.
Regularly Trim Damaged Tree Branches
Pruning, as we’ve discussed a bit, is such a beneficial practice to keep under your belt. Not only can it help support the event, and sustainable growth of your tree, but it can also ensure that you don’t lose any branches that are weakened.
So, by pruning branches that are clearly damaged but also checking those that might not be quite as obvious, you can avoid some of the frustration of fallen branches.
By regularly trimming your tree, you’ll see an improvement in the aesthetics, stability, and strength of your tree. This one is up there with watering and fertilization in our book, so don’t skip over it.
Keep Your Yard Tidy, To Begin With
What’s the best preventative practice of all, you may ask? Well, keeping your yard clean and tidy to begin with is a great place to start.
Things tend to pile up more easily when there is a lot of debris left to sit in the yard. We get used to the idea that there are some stray branches, or leaves, or pinecones, and might very well forget to pick them up.
So, take care of business and keep your yard tidy in the first place to avoid any issues!
Quick Recap
So, it’s obvious that debris in your yard can be quite a pain. Let’s go over some of the reasons it might be there in the first place:
- Stormy Weather Can Easily Create Debris
- Sick Trees Can Create Debris
- Animal Activity Creates Debris
- Human Activity Can Make Some Debris
Remember, there are many ways to clean up tree debris in your yard! In fact, we have 10 different methods for you to use, based on the amount of debris you’re dealing with:
- Lawn Sweepers Can Clean In A Pinch
- Use Good Ol’ Fashioned Rakes
- Push Brooms May Work Well
- Shop Vacs Can Clear Small Debris
- Leafblowers Can Quickly Clear A Yard
- Hose Things Down if You Need
- Pick Up Large Pieces Of Debris By Hand
- Powerwash the Place
- Log Splitters Can Help Remove Fallen Trees
While it is clear that clean-up works, and can be approached in many ways, the real star of the show is prevention! You don’t have to spend hours, or days, removing debris if you’ve been able to prevent it from existing, to begin with.
Of course, we know that you can’t control the weather, and neither can we! There are still some great ways to otherwise keep the debris to a minimum in most situations:
- Regularly Monitor The Area
- Clean Up Large Items When You Spot Them
- Regularly Trim Damaged Tree Branches
- Keep Your Yard Tidy, To Begin With
Like anything else tree-related, care is a mixture of prevention, maintenance, and reactionary measures as needed.
See you soon, friends!
References
Hollander, J., Kirkwood, N., & Gold, J. (2010). Principles of brownfield regeneration: cleanup, design, and reuse of derelict land. Island Press.
Lerner, R. (2019, September 20). Fall leaves are treasure, not trash. Indiana Yard and Garden – Purdue Consumer Horticulture.
May 05, 2020. (2020, May 5). Start your spring landscape clean up. University of Illinois Extension.
