Electric landscaping is competitive in almost every way with its gasoline counterparts. However, inherent in electric equipment is a slight drawback in power and an increase in cost. To help mitigate this, we, EcoQuiet Lawn Care, have come up with a list of six things that homeowners can do to optimize their outdoor spaces for efficient and cost-effective electric landscaping. In other words, these are seven things that you can do to save money on quiet, sustainable lawn care!
 

1. Proper bush trimming. Bushes trap detritus and are difficult and time-consuming to clean leaves out of. To mitigate this, trim dead wood from your bushes, especially at the bottom, which will make the bush less dense and difficult to blow out without doing any damage to the organism. If you don’t have time to trim your bushes, or aren’t confident that you can do it without hurting them, we are more than happy to help!

2. Plant the right stuff. Dense or thorny plants like spiraea, japanese barberry, cotoneaster, and raspberries are difficult and frustrating to blow out. When planting, consider the effect that your plants will have on your landscaper’s ability to efficiently take care of your lawn. One efficient way to solve this issue is to plant perennials - they’re less expensive and they’re out of our way when it comes to leaf blowing season.

3. Create a leaf corral. A leaf corral is a wire structure that landscapers can erect on your property as a place to store fallen leaves. Rather than blowing leaves all the way to the street, we can store them in an inconspicuous area, which saves us time and often produces a better result. There, the leaves decompose and turn into compost, so you get a free compost pile and your landscaping costs less. The decreased distance that your landscapers have to blow your leaves also means that your leaves are not as likely to transmit tree diseases, making for a more healthy landscape all around.

4. Accepting a little imperfection when it comes to blowing out groundcover can go a long way. Popular plants like pachysandra suffer when subjected to the intense winds that come from leaf blowers. Since blowing leaves out of ground cover requires more force, the plants can be seriously damaged by blowing if the landscapers are striving to clear absolutely all of the debris from your groundcover. In addition, intense blowing can strip the bed of its rich topsoil, which makes the plants less healthy in the long run.

5. The same applies to leaf beds. Especially if we plan on mulching the bed later, intense blowing can hurt your plants and contributes little to the overall aesthetic well-being of your outdoor space. Blowing out some leaves is great for a look, but blowing to perfection is harmful to plants and the great look only lasts for a few weeks until we lay down the mulch. Leaving some leaves can save you money and it’s all the same in the end!

6. Use your leaves as mulch. Obviously, we’ll blow any leaves you ask, but many garden beds actually benefit from having a carpet of leaves down. These leaves decompose and provide nutrients to the soil, negating the need for fertilizer. The raking-and-mulching process takes time and costs money, when you already have free mulch lying all over your garden in the form of leaves! This logic obviously does not apply to grass, which is a prairie plant and cannot survive being covered in leaves, but your trees, shrubs, and much of your groundcover evolved to rely on a layer of leaves to provide them with nutrients. Consider letting nature do the work for you!

These tips are intended for the eco-friendly homeowner who wants to lower the overall cost of their electric landscaping services. We’ve had potential clients who were passionate about our mission but were deterred by the higher cost of electric landscaping (see “Electric Landscaping 101” for why electric costs more). We want to make this option accessible to everyone, so know that if you follow the steps above, you will end up with a service that is cost-competitive with gasoline companies. That said, feel free to disregard any or all of the tips on this list if you have a specific vision and don’t mind paying extra for it to come to life. Most electric companies are flexible and happy to work with you!

To learn more about electric lawn and garden equipment:

Electric Landscaping 101

Exploring the Environmental, Health and Community Benefits of Electric Lawn and Garden Equipment with EcoQuiet's George Carrette (Video)

Why Landscaping Companies Should Consider Going Electric, by George Carrette, EcoQuiet Lawncare

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