Didn't bag a single leaf this year!
So I did it again this year. We raked all the leaves into a long strip in the driveway and started mowing (chopping). Some of the leaves had been in piles and were wet and took a bit of work to chop and keep the mower from clogging. This was the only weekend we've had to get this done, sometimes you just can't choose your weather or timing. Ideally, dryer leaves would have been better.
This year we filled the composter, and another large garbage can - which will go in the composter once what is in there settles. And then there was a lot left over that just went back into the garden beds as a nice winter mulch.
Happy plants, healthy garden, no bagging, no bending to pick up leaves. Cheap and easy. That's me.
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| Half chopped. |
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| All chopped up. Took about an hour. |
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| front bed was raked of leaves, then the leaves were chopped and blown right back into the beds. No bagging, didn't even have to bend over once to pick up a leaf. My back is happy with me. |
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| Even had a crowd watch us work. |
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| The composter was filled to brimming, this was mid fill, when I was still mixing new stuff with what's already in there. |
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| Filled another garbage can that'll sit in the garage all winter and be added to beds or the composter in spring. |
That is great. Wish I had that many leaves.
ReplyDeleteLove the pumpkins especially the middle one with the big eyes.
Would it work to use a mower with a bag attached, and then just dump the bag where you want the leaves? I don't have a blower and I don't want to start using one.
ReplyDeleteThis is why I need a mower! We have tons of leaves.
ReplyDeleteSherlock Street Gardener,
ReplyDeleteI'm sure my neighbors would love to send leaves to you in Kansas. C.O.D., of course.
Erin,
I wish our city government made compost and gave it away for free. Some of our outlying suburbs do, and I've been able to get some in the past.
Kathy,
A bag mower would be even easier (except for the wet leaves). I only have a small electric mower that I share with a neighbor, sine the areas we both have to mow are just our hellstrips. Once I plant my hellstrip, I'll have no need for the mower, other than chopping leaves.
Roxanne,
You have a yard now. A mower is a necessity! I haven't seen your yard yet - is it riding mower size?
I do this every year too. Half goes in the compost and half back to the garden. Like Kathy asked, I bag the mulched leaves right in the mower bag,then dump. Why half? The huge Norway maples on our street makes too many leaves.
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ReplyDeleteI do the same, in fact some years I steal the neighbors leaves as well. Stopped doing that because I don't have a good place to store them, but I'm thinking of getting an electric leaf shredder which would reduce the volume tremendously.
ReplyDeleteJAson,
ReplyDeleteI considered stealing some of the neighbor's leaves, I don't think any would have complained. There's just bags and bags of them sitting on the curb up and down the street! Leaf shredder - putting it on my Christmas list!
Thanks for the mention! We have about a dozen bags of chopped leaves sitting by the side of the house which I will use as mulch in the spring.
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