Herding Leaves, raking leaves, blowing leaves. Can't I leave them alone?
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
Eugene, Oregon
November 18, 2016 6:27pm CST
We had several days of windy rain and the cottonwood leaves flew and a few hundred thousand fell in my yard. It is a rule where we live that the lawn be kept neat, mowed and raked when needed. So, I went out this morning with my rake and my noisy electric leaf blower and surveyed the scene. The leaves fell on both sides of the house and in the front yard and flower garden.
To complicate things, Anne wants to use them as mulch in the raised bed garden, so that is where I need to take them. I attached a 120 foot cord to my blower and started chasing leaves around the yard. There must be an art to that, but I am no artist, so I do mean "chase". It took a while, but I got them all back there in a big pile from one side, then had lunch and Anne left for a meeting.
I was going to leave them and do the other side 'some other time,'' then I heard the forecast: Rain and wind for tomorrow. So, using the rake this time, I got all of them from the other side, added them to the pile and got them all into two large canvas barrels.
At least they won't blow all over again. I told Anne that blowing leaves was like herding cats or a pack of Chihuahuas.
I'm hoping that is all the leaves, but this may have to be repeated. What do you do?
Rake or blow or you are lucky and do neither.
8 people like this
11 responses
@Shellyann36 (11383)
• United States
19 Nov 16
Fortunately, we don't live in a community with restrictions but we do have lots of trees. We are in the same boat. Hubby has gotten pretty good at wrangling the leaves though. We do put some in our compost pile but we have so many that putting them all in the pile would seriously distort the nutrients.
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
19 Nov 16
Yes and no one likes distorted nutrients!
1 person likes this
@Shellyann36 (11383)
• United States
19 Nov 16
@JamesHxstatic LOL nope especially the garden!
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (502846)
• Italy
19 Nov 16
@JamesHxstatic I found it was easier and took less time to use the rake.
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
19 Nov 16
The blower is an unwieldy tool most of the time. My big rake worked well really.
1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (17244)
• China
19 Nov 16
It does take some doing to clear those leaves and it is not too much to say "like herding cats ".Anne is right,the leaves are good fertilizer,here some burn them before apply fertilizer.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
19 Nov 16
Yes the leaves do hold many nutrients I have read.
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
19 Nov 16
I have a friend with a leaf vacuum. He says he is will let me use it when he gets it back to working order. It's a big one that you roll around the yard like a lawnmower. It sucks up the leaves and chops them up before blowing them into a bag. The only problem is my friend likes to drag his feet. He was going to let me use it last year but it never got fixed. And it's still not fixed. The other day I was walking down to my mailbox when the neighbor was out working in his yard. I stopped to talk to him and found he had a handheld leaf vacuum. He told me it chopped up the leaves as well. I guess you can pick one up for around $200.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
20 Nov 16
The one I bought is supposed to do that, but it never really worked that well.
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
19 Nov 16
If there are not too many, I do too, but this was a pile.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
19 Nov 16
@JamesHxstatic it is surprising how well the mower takes care of mountains of leaves. We had twelve inches of leaves beside the house a week ago.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
19 Nov 16
That is a good service. Do they use mechanical sweepers?
1 person likes this
@Shellyann36 (11383)
• United States
19 Nov 16
Fortunately, we don't live in a community with restrictions but we do have lots of trees. We are in the same boat. Hubby has gotten pretty good at wrangling the leaves though. We do put some in our compost pile but we have so many that putting them all in the pile would seriously distort the nutrients.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
19 Nov 16
My husband runs the lawnmower over them to mulch them where they land. The first year we lived here we raked and carted and raked and carted, for weeks. It was an endless task. Now he mulches once a week. We always hope that most of them will blow to the neighbours.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
19 Nov 16
My neighbors on both sides got plenty too, but I seemed to get the most.
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
19 Nov 16
Oh, that is a real advantage then.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43668)
• Denver, Colorado
19 Nov 16
I often sweep the leaves in front of our apartment, but other that, we have guys to do that. I do shovel snow, however. Takes those guys too long to come do it, and I don't like slipping and falling in it.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
19 Nov 16
That is a good way to avoid falling. Ice and snow is a bad combination.
1 person likes this
