RDG Fall Garden Cleanup

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Can the battery-powered WORX AIR blower handle the Fall cleanup duties around the RainyDayGarden? That was the big question we have been waiting all Summer to find out. The short answer to our WORX AIR question is “Yes!”

The WORX Air is lightweight (less than 4lbs), cordless (rechageable Li-Ion battery), and powerful (air speed:120mph, air flow: 80cfm). The WORX Air comes with the following items in the box:

• Blower
• 20V Li-Ion battery pack / charger
• Extension hose
• Dust and detailing brush
• 3 nozzles (dust, inflator, wide)
• 2 tubes (compact, long)

Our FirstUse of the AIR was to clean out the area under a bamboo patch in the RainyDayGarden. This was a task we had been struggling with for years, as it is difficult to get a rake in between the stalks.

As many may know, bamboo stay green all year long and does not drop its leaves in the Fall. They can be invasive, but if kept under control, they make for an excellent natural fencing that requires minimal maintenance. However, the husks from the annual Spring growth  do accumulate underneath. The husks act as ground cover and do not really need to be removed. The main reason why we do it is because we didn’t like a big pile of dried material so close to the main office. As the patch of bamboo got denser, it became more and more troublesome to get at the husks trapped in the interior. When we got the the WORX AIR the hope was that we would be able to blow the dried bits out without making a mess of things.

Our wish was granted. The WORX AIR made quick work of getting all the accumulated husks and other trapped trash out without any fuss. We were also able to blow everything into a nice mound for bagging.

Even though we are in the city and the space we have to keep clean is less than our suburban friends, we do have quite a few large maple and cottonwood trees that favor us with their foliage offerings. When it came time for the interns to tackle their various Fall “leaf corralling” duties this year, they wondered if the cordless blower could help. The leaves would be bigger and the volume would be much larger compared to the bamboo.

Would the WORX AIR be up to the task, especially for the frequent walkway and driveway clearing tasks? We are happy to report that the WORX AIR worked like a champ. It powered through the fallen leaves on the stairs, the walkways, the driveway, and the deck without batting an eye.

The volume of air pushed by the unit was sufficient to move the leaves when on pavement, but it did have some trouble when the pile started to get bit large. We found that it worked best if we kept the leaves moving once they were in motion. When things started to bunch up, we got the pile going again by blowing the leaves off of the top. A back-and-forth sweeping, instead of a straight-on motion, worked better when attempting to clear a large area.

The long nozzle was great for directing the air to exactly where we wanted it: between the plants on the deck, under the car, etc.

Being able to quickly clear the deck is fantastic, especially for those who are slightly to the right of the spectrum when it comes to order and tidiness 🙂 We appreciate its ability to get air underneath things, which keeps us from having to move anything in order to get at the fallen foliage.

After our Fall cleanup FirstUse, we have the following comments and suggestions for those considering the WORX AIR:

• Excellent on dried leaves, even large ones.
• Relatively quiet operation. Acceptible for late-morning weekend use.
• Use a sweeping motion for maximum effectiveness in moving larger volume.
• For non-stop cleaning, have two charged batteries on hand.

If you want to make your Fall leaf-cleanup duties faster and less of a hassle, add a WORX AIR to your tool set. You will likely still need the rake, but you will find that you may reach for it less often. BTW, don’t be surprised if you also find cleaning up a bit more fun.