LEAVES!!!

[MossRoad]

. Would burning piles of leaves be a bad idea?

Well, that depends. I used to burn leaves all the time when I was a kid. It was a family tradition. Then my mom developed asthma. Every fall she'd hack and cough. So, my dad switched to just dumping the leaves over the side of the hill and never burned again. However, most of the neighbors continued to burn leaves. One particularly smoky November day in 1987, she hacked and coughed so hard she popped an aneurysm in her brain stem and died 4 hours later. Haven't burned leaves since. I see no need for it. I just blow them into a corner of my yard or rake them up with my Brinley sweeper and dump them in that corner. The pile is quite large and impressive, but it rots down quickly. I turn it over a few times a year with my FEL, use it for soil amendment in my garden and feed the worms in the woods. I planted a row of giant reed grass in front of the pile so no one even knows its there. It also saves me time because I don't have to spend an afternoon tending a fire.

Leaves contain carbon. Burning them releases that carbon into the atmosphere. However, letting them rot also releases the carbon into the atmosphere. One is just a slow release and the other a fast release. However, by burning them, you also burn up the nutrients that are in them rather than letting those nutrients be used in the soil.

You also take the risk of starting a fire that you cannot control. I have told a story here about my father setting his yard on fire burning leaves, almost losing his house, getting the fire put out by the fire department, my mother complaining loudly about the fire pull box (remember those?) being too far at the end of the block and the fire chief having a pull box installed at the end of our driveway just to humiliate my mom. :laughing:

So, take it for what its worth. If you can use the leaves to your advantage and do less work, why not? :thumbsup:

 

[QRTRHRS]

Save for the oak leaves which will hang on all winter, most of the leaves are down at our place. Unfortunately, some of our pastures get pretty loaded up, so much so that I need to get them off the grass.

The wind has been helping me but I still need to get cracking as soon as things dry out again.

Time to get out the Stihl BR600. I usually go through at least five gallons of gas until I get them all cleaned up. Beats the old hand rake.

 

[turnkey4099]

This is our first fall season at the new house... Wow the leaves! We have 12 acres. About 4 of those acres I would like to get rid of the leaves... Or at least 75% of them. Lots of trees and hilly. I briefly tried blowing some of them into the woods, but soon realized that was not the solution... just too many. I could mow them, but there is so many, I'd just end up with little bits everywhere. Any suggestions? Is there an attachment for my 2520, that can help me rake them into piles for burning? Here is a pic of one area. Thanks!

Of course. MOW THEM. If they are dry enough you will wind up with small bits everywhere and those will be gone with the first rain. May take you 2 or 3 or more passes but still wayi less effort and time than any other method. It also is good for the land. Of course there is always the big vacuum systems...which also take time.

Never ceases to amaze me that such a simple solution evades people. Even had a big story on the local news the other day on how to get rid of leaves for free. The solution? Rake, bag and put on curb for people who want them for their gardens. Not one mention of the simple and best way - MOW THEM.

Two hours after finighsing you will have more leaves down anyhow even if you had raked them.

No apologies for the rant.

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

I used to vacuum all mine (2 acres worth). This year I made a mulching plate and have been running over the yard about once a week. Works great and no more hauling, dumping and should amend the soil.

Ah buot if you listen to the "old wives tales" chopped up leaves are baaadddd for the lawn. Odd that mother nature never learned that lesson. I have had leaves higher than the mower deck that after mulching in place the lawn looked like pepper/salt and two days later not a sign of the leavings...of course more leaves scattered here and there but youw ill have that no matter what you do with those nasty, nasty leaves .

Harry K

 

[JB4310]

Of course. MOW THEM. If they are dry enough you will wind up with small bits everywhere and those will be gone with the first rain. May take you 2 or 3 or more passes but still wayi less effort and time than any other method. It also is good for the land. Of course there is always the big vacuum systems...which also take time.

Never ceases to amaze me that such a simple solution evades people. Even had a big story on the local news the other day on how to get rid of leaves for free. The solution? Rake, bag and put on curb for people who want them for their gardens. Not one mention of the simple and best way - MOW THEM.

Two hours after finighsing you will have more leaves down anyhow even if you had raked them.

No apologies for the rant.

Harry K

Some people have to many to mow, If I mowed mine I would have so much mulch that the grass would never see the sun for who know how long, definitely would not help the grass grow better, if it survived at all.

I don't bag my grass but end up raking up the heavy windrows, or they will choke the grass as well.

I made a big 8'x4' leave box to handle all my leaves, normally bring them to the curb for town pick up but this year I'm gonna try mulching them like moss road mentioned. Made a big pile in the wooded part of my yard.
JB

 

[CompactTractorFan]

One particularly smoky November day in 1987, she hacked and coughed so hard she popped an aneurysm in her brain stem and died 4 hours later.

Wow, I'm sorry to hear that...

 

[JB4310]

Wow, I'm sorry to hear that...

Yeah that didn't go unnoticed by me either moss, just don't know what to say, besides it's a pretty lousy way to go. though it is fairly quick and painless.

Happened to my Grand Father, just sitting in a chair, no one in the room even knew. But he was 85, hope she was not to young

JB

 

[MossRoad]

Yeah that didn't go unnoticed by me either moss, just don't know what to say, besides it's a pretty lousy way to go. though it is fairly quick and painless.

Happened to my Grand Father, just sitting in a chair, no one in the room even knew. But he was 85, hope she was not to young

JB

Thanks. Didn't mean to make it a sob story. Mom had a pretty good sense of humor. :laughing: I just wanted to relate my thoughts on why I choose not to burn leaves anymore.

Where I live now, the leaf burning is just out of control. You are allowed to burn, but by law you have to do it in a covered container with a mesh lid. And you are not supposed to do it on windy days, have a hose nearby, etc.. common sense stuff but no one does. They burn them in the street. The woods behind my house has been set on fire several times by leaf burning half a block away. There are ashes on our cars every day. Our pool cover, our patio furniture, etc...

All in all, fall is a bad time for those with respiratory problems around here.

 

[Tompet]

A JD 2520...hear you go!

 

[RBLapham]

Think my yard is a lot like yours, but mow 1 acre which has 70 trees. I seeded with Dense Shade grass seed, mow long 4", water and fertilize less. For the leaves I have a Cyclone Rake (4 years now)- great machine - do the yard in less than 1 1/2 hours. Mulching is not an option with that huge amount of leaves. Just fill up the Cyclone Rake - back up to the edge of the woods and dump - make great compost. If you are thinking of getting a Cyclone - don't opt for the long vaccume hoses - just use a leaf blower to blow the leaves onto lawn from gardens etc and then suck em.