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Gardening requires a lot of knowledge, skills, hard work, talent, and patience to wait for good weathers. Some would think that gardening is just about planting and watering and digging soil, but there’s actually a whole lot more to do around the garden than just all that. It may seem easy, but gardening is actually a very challenging and demanding thing to do. Even getting rid of dried leaves around the lawn is a big challenge for gardeners.
Luckily, today, there are various technologies that help gardeners in their work around the garden, specifically, in shredding leaves for the lawn. With the best leaf shredder, one can keep the lawn looking clean and well-maintained.
Top 5 Best Leaf Shredder Reviews 2018
#1 Worx Electric Leaf Mulcher
Worx Electric Leaf Mulcher. Via Amazon.com
With its 13 Amp motor, Worx electric leaf mulcher can efficiently mulch up to 53 gallons of leaves/minutes. It has a flex-a-line bladeless system that uses thick trimmer line to reach a mulching ratio of 11:11. It is a very convenient shredding tool as it can be assembled without having to use any kind of tools and can be disassembled to store in a neat, compact storage. It has a comprehensive start-stop system that allows easier control. It also has a clean air motor-cooling system that automatically cools down the system after each use. The package includes a bag support ring, 24 cutting lines, and a 13-Amp leaf mulcher. You could say it’s the best leaf shredder as it has a 3-year warranty.
Pros
- It has a 13-Amp motor
- It can mulch up to 53 gallons of leaves
- It can reach to a mulching ratio of 11:11
- It is easy to assemble and disassemble
- It has an easy start-stop system
- It has a motor-cooling system
- It has a 3-year warranty
Cons
- Its filter is difficult to clean
#2 Flowtron: The Ultimate Electric Leaf Shredder
Flowtron: The Ultimate Electric Leaf Shredder
Via Amazon.com
Flowtron electric leaf shredder weigh 17 pounds with 900 LE. Flowtron electric leaf shredder is easy to set up but not easier than the previous product as you will need to use a few tools to set this shredder up. It is an electric model which means it works with lesser noise than a normal shredder would. This shredder can shred both dry and wet leaves, which is a plus for gardeners. It has a one-year warranty.
Pros
- It works with lesser noise
- It can shred both dry and wet leaves
- It has a one-year warranty
Cons
- It cannot shred twigs
- It tends to overload
#3 Patriot Electric Wood Chipper and Leaf Shredder
Patriot Electric Wood Chipper and Leaf Shredder
Via Amazon.com
This product from Patriot is both designed as an electric wood chipper and a leaf shredder. It easily shreds leaves with its large hopper. It can make chips out of wood branch up to 2 ½ inches. With its electric motors, it shreds smoothly and very quietly. It is low maintenance, and it does not need regular heavy cleaning. This shredder’s large wheels and handles make it easy for gardeners to move the machine from one place to another
Pros
- It is both a wood chipper and a leaf shredder
- It works quietly and smoothly
- It is low maintenance
- It is easy to handle
Cons
- It is heavy
- It draws a lot of power
#4 Sun Joe Electric Leaf Shredder
Sun Joe Electric Leaf Shredder
Via Amazon.com
Sun Joe electric leaf shredder has a power of 13 Amp with 8000 RPM. It can mulch up to 12 gallons of leaves/minute. It has adjustable controls with settings that let you choose shredding options for dry or wet leaves. It has a dust-reducing motor cooling system and weighs less than most brands and is therefore, more portable.
Pros
- It can mulch up to 12 gallons of leaves/minute
- It has shredding options for shredding dry and wet leaves
- It has a dust-reducing cooling system
- It weighs less than most brands
Cons
- Most of its parts are made of plastic
#5 Eco-Shredder Electric Shredder
Eco-Shredder Electric Shredder
Via Amazon.com
This shredder has a motor with 14 Amp. It has a triple-action cutting machine that makes it easy to operate. The package includes extra cutting blades.
Pros
- It has a triple-action cutting machine
- Its package includes extra cutting blades
Cons
- It catches debris
- Its hopper is not big enough
What Is A Leaf Shredder?
They can be shredded and used as fertilizer for plants
A leaf shredder, as what its name suggests, is a gardening device that shreds leaves. Why do people shred leaves, anyway? You might think that those dry leaves on the lawn are nothing but a bunch of useless trash that should just be thrown in a garbage bin. Gardeners know this, but some novice people in gardening might be surprised to know that those dry leaves can still be put to use with the help of the best leaf shredder.
In What Ways Can We Use Shredded Leaves?
Especially during the months of fall, your lawn will be filled with dried leaves. That’s the best time to harvest, shred and put them all together in use. Your garden will benefit big time. Here’s how we can use shredded leaves.
Shredded leaves insulate tender plants.
A 6-inch blanket of dried leaves protects plants from the cold and windy weathers of winter.
Shredded leaves can boost your compost pile.
Leaves rich in carbon can help balance compost ingredients with high level of nitrogen.
Shredded leaves can improve your soil.
With a mix of shredded leaves put into your garden, you can expect to have lots of earthworms and other beneficial organisms in your garden.
Shredded leaves can be used as leaf mold.
Leaf mold is high in magnesium and calcium. It can retain 3-5 times weight in water. Basically, this means that your plants will grow healthier with leaf mold.
What Is Leaf Mold?
After a year, the leaves will turn into leaf mold
In Britain, leaf mold is famous for mulching gardens. It builds a plant’s structure, retains the soil’s water, and ultimately improves the quality of the soil. Leaf mold is actually just a mulch of decomposed leaves. It’s the result of a pile of leaves stuck together for a very long time. In the forest or in the woods, you can see leaf mold on the ground everywhere. These leaf mold formations are not made, but are only naturally formed over time. This means that leaf molds are not necessarily created. However, with the right process, a better formation of leaf mold may be produced.
Leaf molds act like fertilizers to plants and can even give more benefits and better results. In fact, many gardeners make and use leaf mold onto their plants instead of buying organic fertilizers.
Benefits Of Shredded Leaf Molds
For finer leaf mold, shred the leaves with a shredder
You might be wondering how leaf molds differ from leaf compost. While compost gives the same benefits as leaf molds in improving soil texture and plant fertility, leaf mold is way more superior in bringing out more perks Unlike leaf mold, composts do not provide much nutrition to the soil and plants, so there will still be a need for additional organic fertilizers. Leaf mold is a natural soil conditioner. It increases the soil’s water retention and improves the health of the soil, making the plants much healthier as a result. A lot of university researchers have proven the benefits of leaf mold. It increases the water retention of the soil by more than 50%. It was also revealed that leaf mold provides a friendly habitat for soil organisms like earthworms and many beneficial bacteria.
How To Make Leaf Mold From Shredded Leaves
Leaf shredders can quicken the decomposition process of the leaves
There are two common ways to make leaf mold, and both of these methods are very easy and simple. One thing you should understand is that they’re never made overnight.
Leaves are composed of carbon elements, which break down slower than nitrogen. For this reason, leaves take a lot of time to break down. The process of decomposition will most probably take at least six months. The maximum decomposition time is usually twelve months. The good thing about this is that it may take a lot of time to produce, but it will not require you a lot of heavy work to do.
Making Leaf Mold With Leaf Shredder
The truth is leaf mold can be made without having to shred the leaves. Moreover, by shredding leaves, you can make the whole decomposition process faster. Plus, it’s easy to store shredded leaves. Especially when you don’t have much space in your yard, shredding leaves will let you have an easier time in managing the piles of leaves that you are going to keep piling up together for more than a few months.
Shredding leaves quickens the process of decomposition as shredded leaves break down more quickly. it widens the surface area, which allows fungi to easily and more quickly do their work of decomposing the leaves. The best leaf shredder can also prevent the decomposing microorganisms from packing themselves together into stacks that seal the air from the outside layers and prevents the formation of moisture.
A leaf shredder makes it much easier for gardeners to produce leaf mold. You simply have to run-over a fertilizers to plants to gather them all together, put them into you best leaf shredder, and store the shredded leaves into a storage for a couple of months until they become leaf mold. Then, you can make use of the leaf mold in your garden.
How To Use Leaf Mold
Leaf mold has many uses around the garden. You can put them into your garden beds to improve the soil’s structure and the water’s retention. You can also use leaf mold as mulch for your fruit and vegetable garden. Or, you can simply shower a few pinches of leaf mold onto the soil around your garden to improve the overall health of your plants.
How Does A Leaf Shredder Work?
The shredded leaves make a good, healthy fertilizer for plants
A leaf shredder shreds leaves with the help of its fixed arm hammers or hinged flails. These are parts of a regular leaf shredder. They spin at high speeds to grind the materials that are fed into the machine.
A leaf shredder’s hammers are designed with solid arms that are powerful enough to shred leaves. You must be careful in feeding leaves into the machine, tough. You have to make sure that you are not feeding rocks, pebbles, or any hard objects as they may break the shredder’s arms. Nevertheless, if you are using the best leaf shredder, having your machine broken by some sort of a hard object may not be a common thing to happen.
Some shredders come with attachable discharge screens that determine the fineness of the materials being fed into the system. These attachable discharge screens may come with holes in varying sizes. Shredders are really perfect for shredding soft materials like leaves and small twigs.
Making A Choice
Leaf shredders are available in various sizes and each brand may come with a range of unique accessories, so it can be very difficult to identify the best leaf shredder and make a final choice. To help you choose, consider the following factors as you look for the best leaf shredder in the market:
1. Measuring Capacity
A leaf shredder’s capacity is usually measured by the diameter that it can shred. If you want to buy larger models, try to look for shredder walls made of a thick 10-16 gauge steel. It’s also safe to avoid metals made of lightweight sheet as they must be thick. The easiest way to be able to choose the best leaf shredder is to identify your needs. Find out the specific capacity that you would usually need. Compare the height and width of the shredders in the market. That way, you will end up buying a shredder that best fits your needs.
2. Safety Features
One of the most important things that you need to consider when choosing a leaf shredder to buy is its safety features. Safety should be the priority, after all. Always check the shredders’ hoppers and chutes before buying.
3. Warranty
Almost all leaf shredders sold in the market these days come with warranty. Choose a product with at least a 3-year warranty.
Conclusion
Choosing the best leaf shredder is never really easy. Out of those five leaf shredders that I have presented, I would choose Worx Electric Leaf Mulcher because it’s got a lot of pros, and its cons are really not that serious.
How about you? Which of the leaf shredders will you use? Leave your answer at the comments section and share this article. Thank you for reading!
- Also Read:5 Best Chipper Shredder For Your Garden
- Best Leaf Shredder For Compost – Top Features Of Leaf Shredder Brand
- Best Gas Leaf Shredder Reviews (Best Features To Look For)
- Best Leaf Mulcher Shredder For Producing Fine Mulch
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