Get matched with top brush chipping pros in Sonora, CA

Yes, you can conduct your own leaf removal, but consider that keeping up with leaf removal is time-consuming and requires regular yard work throughout the fall. The process can take a few hours a week. Professionals have lawn equipment that can speed up the process and save you time. Additionally, consider how you’ll dispose of the leaves. If your sanitation company won’t pick them up—especially if you have many bags from a once-annual cleanup— you’ll have to drive the bags to the dump. It’s usually easier to leave the work and disposal to a professional leaf removal service.

The most common alternative is burning the stump first, then dealing with the cinders and ashes. As you can imagine, this option creates fire hazards, especially since roots can burn underground, hidden, for long afterward. That’s why many states and cities have outlawed the use of stump burning entirely. We do not recommend this option as a viable alternative unless you get a permit from the local fire department and practice all safe burning procedures.

Others prefer a more long-term DIY approach of degrading the stump with home mixtures like Epsom salt and vinegar injected directly into it. This may help the stump decay faster, allowing homeowners to dig it out themselves, but it’s still a lengthy process. It usually takes months for a stump to start falling apart with such treatments, and in the meantime, it can be vulnerable to rot, insects, and other problems.

Trees that provide a habitat to bats and an abundance of bugs—their main food source—will attract bats to your yard. Because the North American landscape has changed so much in recent years, bats have a harder time finding trees with cavities to shelter in. If your yard has a dead or dying tree with a lot of sun exposure, bats will likely be drawn to it because trees with those features are less common.

It typically takes six to 12 months for leaves to decompose entirely. The process involves the mulch composting into your lawn to deliver nutrients that facilitate grass growth. The recommended process is to spread a thick layer of leaf mulch over your garden and let it marinate for a few seasons for best long-term results.