Leaf Management System

[Frank Pellow]

I rake them up onto a tarp then pile them behind my compost. Then, during the late spring, summer, and early autumn, I add them a bit at a time to our compost bin.

[Per Swenson]

Andy,

This is one of those subjects that I often rant

about to anyone who will listen. It has more to do

with human nature then Mother nature.

Although brain impaired on the subjects of horticulture,

landscaping and lawn maintenance, common sense and my

observations of the natural order of things, leads me

to the conclusion that the leaves should be mulched

where they fall with the mower.

Now try explaining this concept to my conspicuous consumptive

neighbors who keep the fleet of lawn care guys in brand new trucks.

One fellow in the neighborhood can be seen often following up their work

with scissors upon hands and knees. I need to stop now, before I start to

carry on about lawn leaf bags, the roar of leaf blowers, and the concept

of selling fertilizer after the leaves have been removed.

I Fine mulch my leaves's and leave 'em where they lie.

Per

[Steve Evans]

I need to stop now, before I start to

carry on about lawn leaf bags, the roar of leaf blowers, and the concept

of selling fertilizer after the leaves have been removed.

I Fine mulch my leaves's and leave 'em where they lie.

Per

Per

That's right up there with folks who bag up their grass clippings, and then throw down high nitrogen fertilizer to help the lawn grow. Lots of the nitrogen ends up in the ground water system. And leaf blowers. Bloody things throw out as much pollution as driving a decently tuned car for 20 miles, nevermind the noise factor. I haven't raked leaves or bagged grass for 20 years, all just goes back on the lawn.

[Greg Heppeard]

The front yard has a walnut tree growing in it. I rake them up an put them behind the shop in the back yard. The walnuts are a natural flee and tick repellant. I have a maple in the back yard. Those leaves just get mulched back into the soil.

[Lee DeRaud]

We always have strong "Santa Ana" winds off and on this time of year, so the leaves end up across the street, easy-peasy. I'm just glad the guy on the upwind side has a pool...no trees.

[Andy Hoyt]

Thanks guys - my mower is in fact a mulching mower and I usually do just this with that last third of the leaves. One year I mulched all three thirds and it was the end of July before the lawn felt right the following year. I'm not one of those AR fertilizing types. My usual yard maintenance protocol is to mow, rake, enjoy its presence, drink beer and hope the trees fall down before I croak, so I can cut 'em up for turning stock.

The problem is that I have just under an acre of lawn ringed by huge beautiful but prodigious leaf producing maples. In addition, my property is ususally the gathering spot for all leaves from upwind neighbors. It is a lot of leaves.

The second problem is that raking sucks.

The third problem is that the bulk of my "Leaf Raking System" has gone off to college and not around to help. Should have had more spawn!

Maybe I'll just mulch all of it and hope that the last time I did this was an anomoly.

[Rob Russell]

Since this is posted in the Power Tool Forum, I'll give you a picture of the power tool I use for the leaves. I bag them with the mower and take them to our town's leaf compost site. When I need compost later on, it's free.



FYI, this is the only time of year that I bag. We get too many leaves, too quicky to effectively mulch them.

[Andy Hoyt]

Since this is posted in the Power Tool Forum, I'll give you a picture of the power tool I use for the leaves. I bag them with the mower and take them to our town's leaf compost site. When I need compost later on, it's free.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachme...4&d=1067566271

FYI, this is the only time of year that I bag. We get too many leaves, too quicky to effectively mulch them.

Jeez, Bob! No plow, no lumber rack, no scratches. Must be defective, huh?

Amen to the too many leaves. Been raking non stop since my last post in this thread and barely made a dent. Too much on the ground for the mower. Time to recharge my batteries with some brew and try some more.

[John Miliunas]

I'm 110% with Per and the rest of the guys who let the stuff compost back in where it lies. I don't bag leaves or clippings. Besides the fact that I mow over an acre, when we bought this place, we weren't aware that, not only did we get a house and a shop but, the local Hilton for moles! Anything I can do to improve the looks of the lawn is totally eradicated by those useless creatures. Same goes for fertilizing. Too much of the stuff to begin with and, fertilizing makes the stuff grow thicker, faster. That, in turn, means taking more shop time away from me in more frequent mowing. Nope, I let Mother Nature take care of as much as I can!

[Jeff Sudmeier]

I'm 110% with Per and the rest of the guys who let the stuff compost back in where it lies. I don't bag leaves or clippings. Besides the fact that I mow over an acre, when we bought this place, we weren't aware that, not only did we get a house and a shop but, the local Hilton for moles! Anything I can do to improve the looks of the lawn is totally eradicated by those useless creatures. Same goes for fertilizing. Too much of the stuff to begin with and, fertilizing makes the stuff grow thicker, faster. That, in turn, means taking more shop time away from me in more frequent mowing. Nope, I let Mother Nature take care of as much as I can!

John,

We used to get moles too... now you are going to laugh... but seriously....

As gently as you can, make a hole into their trench in about 10 spots and throw in about a cup of used kitty littler, then fill it back in very gently.

If you keep this up in the new tracks for a week, you will have no more moles. Apparently they can't stand the smell either!!! I wouldn't belive it, if I hadn't done it myself!

As far as leaves, I have two trees that have about 20 leaves total they stay where they fall!

[Joe Pelonio]

The local remedy-of-the-day for moles here is this: Take a lot of fresh mint leaves and stems, whiz them in the blender or food processor. Then place them into a pot of water and boil 1/2 hour. Then you put a cup of that into a gallon of water and pour into all the mole holes. The theory is that they hate the smell. I have not tried that yet since I do a similar trick using the sulphery smelling ortho "summer and dormant" spray and it works fine.

After leaf-blower work this weekend getting rid of all the fir needles, last night we had a storm come in with lots of rain and 25mph wind. This morning I had to hose the needles off of the truck to see enough to go to work. Until the streets weepers come thru we're having spinouts and cars in the ditch because the 1/8" layer of wet dead needles make the roads like driving on
ice. Plus some wet alder and big leaf maple leaves thrown in for good measure.

[Joe Pelonio]

The local remedy-of-the-day for moles here is this: Take a lot of fresh mint leaves and stems, whiz them in the blender or food processor. Then place them into a pot of water and boil 1/2 hour. Then you put a cup of that into a gallon of water and pour into all the mole holes. The theory is that they hate the smell. I have not tried that yet since I do a similar trick using the sulphery smelling ortho "summer and dormant" spray and it works fine.

After leaf-blower work this weekend getting rid of all the fir needles, last night we had a storm come in with lots of rain and 25mph wind. This morning I had to hose the needles off of the truck to see enough to go to work. Until the streets weepers come thru we're having spinouts and cars in the ditch because the 1/8" layer of wet dead needles make the roads like driving on ice. Plus some wet alder and big leaf maple leaves thrown in for good measure.

[Jim Becker]

If you have a mole problem...you have a grub problem. Eliminate the grubs...the moles go away since they, like we, like to eat.

[John Miliunas]

If you have a mole problem...you have a grub problem. Eliminate the grubs...the moles go away since they, like we, like to eat.

Thanks for the mole eradication tips but, after doing a whole lot of research, I'm afraid it's probably a lost cause. I tried the grub eradication (lots of $$$ on "Grub-X" this year!!!) and it didn't even appear to slow those useless pests one bit. Of course, I found more in-depth info after spending the bucks on the grub stuff. The common thread between all the sites was (is), "...if you want the moles gone, you have to kill them. One at a time!" Seems that if you "get rid of the grubs", what's really happening is, you're getting rid of the ones closest to the surface. The grubs simply go deeper for their feast of grass roots and the moles follow. Eventually, as the deterrent (Grub-X) wears off, they propagate back toward the surface. Another interesting factoid I found out is, unlike some other creatures, moles are NOT dormant through the Winter months, but simply go deeper (below frost lines) and continue to stay active! I guess maybe I'll have to invest in some of those spikey-type "traps" if I want the situation to improve any. I'm just sick 'o dem tings!!!

[Joe Mioux]

If you have a mole problem...you have a grub problem. Eliminate the grubs...the moles go away since they, like we, like to eat.

JIm not necessarily.

You may just have a healthy yard of grass, with lots and lots of earth worms.

Joe