What’s the Best Way to Pick Up Fallen Acorns in My Yard?

Last Updated June 14, 2023

Oak trees are a magnificent addition to any home or property, providing an exceptional canopy for shade and a brilliant display of foliage. Your oak trees may also be home to many creatures who find the acorns scattered on the ground to be little treasures. However, to you, acorns may be little more than a nuisance. If you're looking for the best way to pick up acorns from your lawn, look no further. The team at The Grounds Guys® is happy to share tips on acorn removal that will help keep your landscape looking its best.

When Do Acorns Fall?

Oak trees will start acorn production when the weather warms up in the springtime. Homeowners usually see mature acorns fall from their oak trees from August through October. Once they fall off the tree, ripening acorns are a massive food supply for many creatures during winter. But if you pick up acorns and notice they're green, your oak tree may be suffering from the stress of an extremely hot or wet summer.

If you're concerned about the health of your oak tree, request a free estimate from The Grounds Guys. Our professional landscapers can prune and trim your tree, which is vital to maintaining its health and wellness. Keep reading to learn about the best ways to pick up acorns.

Tips on How to Pick Up Acorns from Lawn and Garden Areas

Fall is the time to gather your acorn removal tools to pick up all those acorns scattered on your lawn. Sure, you can pick up acorns with your hands and save some money. However, if you have a large property, that’s not the most efficient way to go about it. Contact The Grounds Guys to help remove acorns from a sizable yard, and let the professionals do all the work!

Best Acorn Removal Tools

If you want to remove acorns from your yard, having the right nut-gathering tools goes a long way. If you live in an area where acorns are aplenty, investing in the best acorn removal tools can help keep your lawn looking good and clutter-free. These acorn removal tools are some of the best ways to pick up acorns.

Lawn Sweeper

If you already own a riding lawn mower, attaching a lawn sweeper is one of the best ways to pick up acorns. The sweeper can follow any riding mower or small tractor and collects debris such as acorns, twigs, leaves, and more. Depending on which type you buy, the lawn sweeper may use either a suction device or a scooping action to complete the task.

Leaf Vacuum

A lawn or leaf vacuum can either be purchased or rented. While it is typically used to collect leaves, it can also vacuum up your acorns. The unit is powered by a small motor and sucks the debris into the attached bag. Before buying or renting the machine, ensure the motor is powerful enough to retrieve the acorns, as equipment can vary.

Nut Gatherer/Weasel

This manual device consists of a long pole and cage that rolls along the surface of the lawn. As it passes over small objects such as acorns, they are collected inside the basket and emptied once it becomes full.

Rake

Raking is an effective but less efficient option that may be best suited for smaller jobs. The best way to pick up acorns with a rake is by using this tool to gather them into piles and then scooping them up with a shovel. The downside to this method is that the rake will also collect grass and other materials in the process.

Shop Vacuum

A shop vacuum with a wide hose can make short work of fallen acorns, but this method's efficiency relies upon the vacuum's power and the size and volume of acorns on the ground.

Tarps

The best way to pick up acorns using tarps is by laying several around the tree’s base and shaking the limbs to drop the acorns. The tarps can then be emptied, or the acorns may be swept or raked into piles and disposed of inyour green waste or compost bin.

The Benefits of Acorn Removal

A lawn full of acorns can be unsightly and negatively impact your landscape. The benefits of acorn removal include the following:

Healthier Lawn: If acorns are left too long on the lawn, they may hinder grass growth.

Elimination of Unwanted Seedlings: Acorns may eventually sprout and produce seedlings wherever they land.

Safety: Acorns can be painful to walk on and may cause injury if they are ejected from a lawn mower.

Keeping Pests Away: Squirrels aren’t the only creatures that love picking up acorns; mice do too, and some carry diseases. Keeping your lawn free of acorns can help keep mice away and protect your health.

Make sure that picking up acorns is on your fall maintenance checklist. Staying on top of acorn removal will promote a lush, green lawn and keep your landscape looking its best

What to Do With Acorns in Your Yard

Once you’ve used your acorn removal tool to pick up acorns and place them in one spot, you’ll need to decide what to do with them. There are more options than you may think!

Did you know that you can harvest acorns from your oak tree? It’s true. However, if you plan to use them for food, never eat them raw. Acorns are tannin-rich foods that can be toxic if consumed in large amounts. But you can remove the tannins by boiling or soaking the acorns, throwing out the brown water, and repeating the process until the water runs clear.

Once the acorns are free of tannins, you can eat them. They have many health benefits and can be ground up into cornmeal, eaten whole, or made into mush.

Here are more examples of what to do with acorns in your yard:

• Use them for arts and crafts and holiday decorations.
• Use them to grow an oak tree.
• Use them in animal feeders.
• Donate them to zoos and wildlife preserves.

How to Dispose of Acorns

If you don’t plan to use them in any of the ways mentioned above, there are several ways to dispose of acorns. Here are some of our suggestions

Turn Them into Mulch

It’s always wise to have mulch in the garden. Mulch can suppress weeds, reduce soil water loss, and protect plants against extreme temperatures. There are several ways to turn acorns into mulch.

One of the easiest ways is to use a mulcher. If you don’t have one, make sure to rent or buy one that can be used to mulch acorns. Some mulchers only work best with leaves, so acorns can damage a mulcher not designed for acorn mulching.

You can rake up the acorns, place them on a tarp, and drive over them. You’ll probably have to do this several times. And while it’s one of the most affordable ways to turn them into mulch, it may not be too effective if your driveway slopes.

Burn Them

Be sure to research any town ordinance that prohibits open burning of material and with your local fire department before burning a bunch of acorns. If it’s not prohibited and ok with the fire department, go ahead and burn them, but do so carefully.

Toss Them in the Trash

Placing acorns in garbage bags and tossing them in the trash sounds simple enough. However, you’ll want to check with your local sanitation department to ensure they can be picked up.

Donate Them to a Free-Range Farmer

Some farmers may be interested in feeding their chickens or pigs your acorns. If you can find a free-range farmer nearby, contact them. This is another great way to put your acorns to good use.

Why Choose The Grounds Guys for Your Lawn Care Needs?

The Grounds Guys take pride in being part of your community and want to keep your neighborhood looking its best. We show up on time, ready to work with the latest equipment that is maintained daily. You can depend on us to provide award-winning service, with our Neighborly Done Right Promise™ that guarantees your complete satisfaction. We offer free estimates and are happy to answer any questions regarding our lawn care and landscape services.

Contact The Grounds Guys for help with all of your landscaping and lawn care needs!