Just spent the last 5-6 hours gathering dead leaves, nuts, and grass. 9 full bags. Only rake and shovel.
I did considered using a mower to bag them up but with sticks and twig I don’t want to take a chance at the motor locking up.
Inconsideration of my back and knees… what do I need to get to help with the process easier?
by DrDuckling951
10 Comments
Mulching leaves into the lawn is tremendously beneficial for several reasons:
– provides organic matter to the soil (good for nutrient and moisture retention, alleviates compaction, and improves drainage in the long term)
– provides the lawn with many nutrients that are difficult and expensive to supply otherwise… Particularly, but not limited to, all of the micronutrients. (Trees are just way better at taking up nutrients than grasses are)
– is an incredibly effective form of pre-emergent weed control… Extremely effective for preventing broadleaf weeds, and can even prevent/reduce future poa annua and crabgrass.
[According to MSU](https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/mulch_leaves_into_turf_for_a_smart_lawn), up to 6 inches of leaves can be mulched into a lawn at one time. That number partially depends on your mower performance… But even in the worst case scenarios, it might just mean going over the leaves multiple times. (Still quicker than raking or bagging)
Tips for mulching leaves effectively:
– go into fall at a high mowing height… Its too late to change that now, but it helps.
– use an actual mulching blade (most new push mowers come equipped with mulching blades. Mulching blades are the ones with the curved cutting edge and the blade has curved surfaces on top to generate uplift)
– plug the side discharge chute. Push mowers usually have a flap that’s easily closed. Riding mowers often require a seperate accessory to plug the chute.
– don’t let the leaves pile up. Most of the time, weekly will be enough, but if you have windy days, you might need to get out there an extra time or more.
– do it when the leaves are mostly dry. It can actually help if they’re a LITTLE wet… But dry is certainly better than too wet.
– Yes you can safely mulch pine needles and walnut leaves. It’s a myth that pine needles acidify soil. There’s insufficient proof that juglone from walnut trees is actually allelopathic… Regardless, spread out over a lawn, that wouldn’t be a concern.
– if you notice clumps of matted leaves… Knock them loose. I usually just kick them, but a rake or blower works too.
The classic argument against mulching is “they’ll smother the grass”… Simply put, if you smother the grass, you’re doing it wrong (especially that last step)… Unless you’ve got a lot of poa trivialis or poa annua… Mulching leaves can actually smother those… In which case, that’s usually a good thing… But even then, they’ll still fill back in next year.
Note: Don’t mulch leaves if you plan on dormant seeding… The weed prevention thing I mentioned above also PROBABLY applies to ungerminated grass seed… Probably. Inconsistent data on that one.
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Good setup
I have a stretch of woods to one side of my yard… So I just blow everything into it. Makes my life too easy
I found that a snow shovel in Canton GA during peak leaf season is worth its money.
It picks up ground up leaves, whole leaves, and grass. Oh, and snow.
If you are set on collecting, grab some tarp bags from Amazon. They are reusable and have a wider mouth making them easier to fill resulting in fewer scoops. This is not a great application for a spade, you need a flat head shovel or try one of those snow shovels with the double handle. Reduces the back strain and you get a lot of the debris with the wider head. Having a wide head push broom is very handy around the sidewalks or driveway to pile up the debris or get the last bits of dust up before blowing.
Also, use a blower! Pushing light duty debris with a blower into multiple piles will save your back from the rake!
For mowing, twigs will have a minimal impact on the mower. Larger sticks should be picked up since they can get lodged or dull your blade.
All, and I do mean all, of my yard waste gets composted. I have a tow-behind yard vac for debris and leaf cleanup. Our compost goes into the veggie garden. I think I’m up to at least five, maybe seven cubic yards now, and I’m only three or four years in.
I have a menagerie of rakes and blowers and tarps for any job that the yard vac can’t/shouldn’t tackle.
I grind those bad boys up and let them feed my lawn. The wind takes care of the rest. Actually the wind takes care of most of it.
A self propelled mower with sharp blades and the deck at its highest setting should handle the job but expect to go over it a couple of times. Pick up any sticks that end up in your yard before mowing.
The caveat here is that if you have a massive tree that leaves a foot of detritus on your lawn then rake, mash, and bag is the only way to handle it. They also make deals that will suck them up and grind them up but it’s honestly easier to rake.
You may consider something like a battery/electric leaf vacuum. I bought a Ryobi one two years ago and it really helps with cleanup of leaves and other junk. Basically, it bridges a gap between using the mower with a bag and just manual removal. Only trouble, it struggles with twigs that branch off or are twisted, they get stuck in the opening. For around $220, it might be worth it to you.
I vacuum this shit up with the riding mower and dump it behind the house…probably not useful advice, but I have acres of woods behind me
What do you do with the bags?