Removing leaves from long Gravel Driveway

orangebruce · Dec 1, 2013

I have a hilly gravel driveway about 1/2 mile long in the woods. The ditches fill up with leaves each fall and also spill over into the driveway.

If I don't remove over time my driveway would suffer (Spring melt/rain washing over the road). Currently I rake. I wonder what others would recommend?

uphill · Dec 1, 2013

I wait until the leaves/pine straw is dry and I rake the sides into the center of the ditch then burn from one end to the other. I always have my backpack sprayer and extra water supply ready just in case.

ENC · Dec 1, 2013

Yep. kill em with fire

zzvyb6 · Dec 1, 2013

PTO driven super blower with side thrust.

Code54 · Dec 1, 2013

I do use a PTO blower to clear our ½ mile drive. Takes me about 20 minutes to clear the whole thing including the ditches. Works GREAT! Mostly one trip up and one trip back will do it. I run it at 540 on a 50hp tractor and it clears about 8' to the gravel in one pass. If you set it too low it will actually blow the gravel off the road so it takes a little practice but once you get it down it is the best system going!

TerryR · Dec 1, 2013

Ours is on a hillside so a PTO blower would only work on one side. I use a backpack blower and blow them into the woods on the downhill side. Where there is a deep ditch with a high bank covered with brush, I use a PTO leaf vac to vacuum them up.

Terry

john_bud · Dec 1, 2013

If one season of leaves fills the ditches, you probably should deepen and widen them.

Great excuse to get a backhoe. ..

Dozernut · Dec 2, 2013

If you can mow the ditch put a set of Gator Blades on your mower. Raise the mower about an inch above your normal mowing height. Then go mow your leaves, the Gators create extra lift plus they will mulch your leaves into a good compost for your lawn. Hit the leaves 2-3 times and you will wonder why you ever bought a rake.

jimainiac · Dec 2, 2013

I also would recommend a good strong backpack blower, although the tractor-mounted blower sounds like it might be faster and easier. We used to have a business in a beautiful location, surrounded by large maples and oaks, and the backpack blower was a valuable tool for moving leaves around. If you go that route, make sure to get a good heavy duty one. We had excellent service from a Tenaka brand blower.