Your yard is your sanctuary, but sometimes it can feel more like a wasteland when you’ve got leaves blowing in from the neighbor’s property. Worse is when you don’t even have any trees on your lot!
No matter how many times you rake them up, they keep coming back! Unfortunately, you can’t control the weather, but you can take a stand against your neighbor’s leaves in your yard. It’s a common problem, but we have some easy solutions.
Read on for some professional tips on how to stop neighbors leaves from blowing in your yard.
Contents
- How to Stop Neighbors Leaves from Blowing in My Yard
- 1. Talk to Your Neighbor about Trimming the Tree Branches
- 2. Leaf Barrier Screen
- 3. Consider Having a Silt Fence
- 4. Construct a Wooden Fence
- 5. Leaf Catching Fence
- How to Stop Leaves Blowing Through Gate
- 1. Replace Your Gate
- 2. Prune down Trees, Branches, and Shrubs around the Gate
- 3. Make Use of Mulch and Gravel
- 4. Rehang the Gate to a Lower Position
- How to Keep Leaves off the Patio
- Neighbor blowing leaves onto my property (FAQ)
- How do I get rid of large amounts of leaves?
- How long does it take for leaves to decompose?
- How do you keep leaves from blowing away?
- Author
How to Stop Neighbors Leaves from Blowing in My Yard
1. Talk to Your Neighbor about Trimming the Tree Branches
If you’re feeling friendly, try reaching out to your neighbor and ask them to trim their tree. That’s the polite thing to do in this situation.
You might be surprised at how approachable your neighbors are. They may not even realize that they’re blowing leaves into your yard, so take a step back and explain what’s going on.
Be friendly! There’s a good chance that these people will be more than willing to help out.
We always recommend talking things through before you start hacking away at something like this; otherwise, it could end in disaster! Just because the trees’ branches are overhanging into your yard doesn’t mean you have a right to cut them down without permission.
The important thing here is taking action responsibly and respectfully. This way, you won’t have to worry about how to stop your neighbor’s leaves from blowing into your yard anymore.
You’ll be able to enjoy all of the benefits of a clean lawn without any of the work!
2. Leaf Barrier Screen
When leaves from your neighbor’s property blow into your yard, they can create a mess if not addressed. But leaf barrier screens are an easy way to prevent this problem. They use artificial leaves to give you the privacy you need while keeping your yard clean and free of leaves.
This is done by anchoring the screens around your yard so that they create a fence-like enclosure to keep errant leaves where they belong – on the other side.
The screens are also aesthetically appealing and durable, resisting wind damage, bird droppings, and vandalism.
Check out this artificial leaf fence screen:
3. Consider Having a Silt Fence
A silt fence is designed to keep dirt and debris from blowing into a ditch or waterway. However, you can use them in your yard to prevent leaves from entering the property.
Leaves are no match against a silt fence! You’ll be able to enjoy all of your outdoor space without worrying about the leaves ruining it for you. And don’t forget that this will also help reduce how much fertilizer and chemicals flow onto your lawn.
The silt fence is easy to install and doesn’t require any heavy equipment. Just set up the poles around the yard, unroll the silt fence and hammer it on the poles.
Caveat: A silt fence is a temporary solution and may weaken in case of strong winds.
Ideas to separate front yard from your neighbors
4. Construct a Wooden Fence
This option takes a little more work and time than the others on our list. But it’s worth it to create a strong wooden fence that won’t break easily from wind or other weather conditions.
A wooden fence is great for your yard because you can customize it however you want! It doesn’t have to be plain like silt fencing, either.
You can load up your wood fence with paint and decorations. You’ll be able to match your style by combining different types of woods into one sturdy barrier.
And most important of all, no leaves blowing from your neighbors’ property will be able to sneak past this fence. You can keep your yard cleaned up all year round without having to worry about a leafy mess ruining your green space.
5. Leaf Catching Fence
This option is a little different than the others on our list. A leaf-catching fence is made out of thin, woven mesh that allows air to pass through while still protecting your yard from leaves blowing in.
Unlike the other options, this type of netting only needs to be installed on your property side. You can easily attach it to an existing wooden privacy fence or install it all on its own.
You might have seen this same concept used in commercial settings, too, like at construction fences and parking lots, so they’re sturdy and tough enough for residential purposes.
How to Stop Leaves Blowing Through Gate
Leaves are a common sight in the fall. When they start to change color and fall from trees, it’s not unusual for them to blow through your gate. This can be frustrating because you have to clean up constantly.
Luckily, there are some ways you can prevent this problem without spending a lot of time or money.
1. Replace Your Gate
The first thing you can do is purchase a type of gate that will close more quickly. In most cases, this simply means purchasing one with a tighter fitting frame.
By making sure the frame doesn’t blow open, it’ll be easier to stop leaves from blowing through the gate.
2. Prune down Trees, Branches, and Shrubs around the Gate
Another option is trimming branches back near the gate more regularly. If you have branches that hang too close to the gate, it gives leaves a place to collect and build up.
By trimming back these excess branches, not only will your home look better, but you’ll also make it easy for wind gusts to blow through without catching on anything.
3. Make Use of Mulch and Gravel
Place mulch or gravel on top of the ground around the gate to keep leaves from blowing through. Instead of having the leaves blow up against the gate, the mulch and gravel create a barrier that will keep them from moving too far.
Be sure to put the material in front of the gate so it’s more likely to catch leaves that blow through.
4. Rehang the Gate to a Lower Position
Another option is to rehang the gate to a lower position. If your gate is high up on a frame, it gives leaves a place to accumulate. You can prevent this by hanging the gate lower.
Just make sure you still have a secure fit with the frame and that it’s not too low to hinder people from walking through.
Best way to clean up leaves in large yard
How to Keep Leaves off the Patio
You want your patio to always look clean and inviting, but it’s not easy when leaves start blowing out of the trees.
Fortunately, there are several things you can do to keep them from accumulating on your patio.
1. Invest in a leaf blower-A leaf blower is a staple for any homeowner that likes to keep their property clean and free of clutter. Leaf blowers are an excellent way to remove leaves from your patio and other outdoor spaces quickly.
Proper storage of leaf blower in garage
2. Put up a tarp over your patio-If you are having a hard time getting your deck or patio clean after all of the leaves fall. It may be worthwhile to install an inexpensive tarp. Make sure that you get a tarp large enough to cover the whole surface area for optimal effect.
3. Make use of a good rake-Rakes work best for larger piles of leaves. Raking not only saves time because you don’t have to spend time bagging them up but also allows you to move large quantities of leaves quickly and easily from your patio or deck into a large pile.
4. Add a screen around your patio– The screen will help keep leaves from encroaching your living space, but it also lets light shine through so that you can enjoy the outside without those annoying bugs buzzing in your ear.
Neighbor blowing leaves onto my property (FAQ)
How do I get rid of large amounts of leaves?
I would recommend burning them! Controlled burning is one of the best ways to get rid of leaves, especially in urban environments where leaf piles can become a huge problem. It requires some amount of caution and attention, but if you’re fired up about getting rid of your leaves, this will be far from your worst experience.
Also read: Burning leaves in a smokeless barrel?
How long does it take for leaves to decompose?
It takes about six to 12 months to decompose leaves. Soon after that, the compost will be ready for use in gardens or as fertilizer.
How do you keep leaves from blowing away?
To keep leaves from blowing away, you must cut them up into small pieces using a reverse blower. Leaves are less likely to get blown away when cut into smaller pieces.
The leaves that blow onto your yard can be a real pain, and they are incredibly frustrating when you have to spend time sweeping them up.
Learning how to stop your neighbor’s leaves from blowing into your yard can help you evade these frustrations.
To prevent these leaves from ending up in your yard, talk with the neighbor about trimming their trees more regularly or using leaf barrier screens (or both).