Trimming my Juniper bushes is the first thing I do in my backyard in early spring and it is the last thing I do before winter. Thanks to my small, yet sharp, Black & Decker Hedge Trimmer, the trimming part is easy. However, the cleanup used to be back-breaking and take hours. I dreaded the job as the work days approached. So many times I had to tell myself just get out there and get it done! Then one year I had an epiphany that made that job so much easier and faster.
I started laying out disposable drop clothes under the bushes. That way, as I trim, all of the debris and clippings fall directly on the drop cloth. When I am finished, I simply roll up the drop cloths and throw them away.
Now, instead of taking 2 or 3 days, wearing myself out and having to take Advil for my back pain, I can finish the entire job in about 4 hours.
Over the last few years, I have found that the lighter weight drop cloths are not a good choice. They tear, which defeats the purpose of using them.
The plastic drop cloths I prefer are heavy duty, 1 MIL, 9" x 12". Since I only use them one time and throw them away, this size and thickness are very easy to handle without being too thin to handle the weight of bush trimming.
I buy them in packages of 2 or 3. I use 3 drop cloths to surround the large bushes I have to trim and I lay them all out before I start trimming. That way, I don't end up trimming in an area of the bush that doesn't have the plastic underneath it to catch the clippings.
When I have finished trimming the entire bush, I fold the length side of each plastic drop cloth over the middle, covering all of the trimmings. Then, starting at one end, roll it up, put it in a big durable Contractor's trash bag, and throw it away.
Buying plastic drop cloths is a very inexpensive way to make a hard job much easier. Plus, I can enjoy my freshly trimmed bushes a lot sooner and call it a job well done.
Frost King P115R/3 Clear Polyethylene Drop Cloths (3 Pack), 9' x 12' x 1MilCheck PriceContractor's Choice 50-Count 42-Gallon Outdoor Construction Trash BagsCheck PriceBLACK+DECKER Electric Hedge Trimmer, 17-Inch (BEHT150)Check PriceSLARMOR Long-Gardening-Gloves Women/Men-Thorn Proof Rose Pruning Heavy Duty Gauntlet-SCheck Price