How do you get rid of leaves.

[EldoNixon]

As I salivate over the purchase of my new tractor--debating snowblwer, FEL, mulching deck. rototiller, etc. I just realized that my oak trees are going to be a real pain soon.
Other than using a bagging system (which I don't want to buy) is there an easy way to take care of my 4 acres of leaves with my (hopefully soon) BX2200.
I'm sorry if this is a stupid question, but I'm a city boy in the country.
Thanks, Eldo.

 

[huckflynn]

There sure is -- mow them into mulch. If the leaves are not so abundant as to smother the lawn with mulch you can just mow them and leave them as lawn food. Otherwise, mow in a pattern to move the leaves into a heap and then rake them into your loader and spread them on your garden.

Huck

 

[NYTrainer]

You'd be surprised how many mulched leaves a lawn can "digest". The problem is you need to "mulch" it and not just side discharge it and leave it on the lawn. (Bigger wet leaves left on the lawn can promote fungus, rot and smother grasses) The other thing is that oak leaves are not the best leaves to mulch into a lawn. You might need to add lime to the lawn to adjust for the higher acidity of the oak leaves when your done.
David

 

[cowboydoc]

Basically you've got four choices. You can pick them up with a bagger unit, you can mulch them, you can use a vacuum attachment for them, or you can rake them.

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

Cowboydoc - You left out that all-important choice number 5 -- leaving them where they fall. I've had great success over the years with that one. Some blow away, some form piles and patterns of free-form mulch. Those on the lawn eventually get mowed when I (or a family member) have the time and energy.

Charlie Iliff

 

[cowboydoc]

/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Very true!!!

 

[RPM]

You should let some leaves be so that the earthworms can mulch them for you.

'tis a little known fact that earthworms come out at night and will pull leaves underground with them to chow on. This accounts for those leaves you occasionally see sticking vertically up out of the ground as if they had managed to impale the lawn.

Strange, but true ... so leave some leaves alone for them!

Patrick

 

[frank_f15]

i mostly blow them into piles, pick them up and take them down to the burn pit and burn them, those i don't get , nature takes care of some of them tnen the rest i clean up in spring.

 

[Boondox]

Or number six. I blow them into the tree line and toss cracked corn on top. The chickens stir it all up and add fertilizer. I generate huge amounts of mulch that way!

Pete

www.GatewayToVermont.com

 

[theboman]

Leaves are great for gardens, till them in the garden (or lay them on the garden and till them in the spring). Leaves are great for the yard. Leaves sure are messy, but it's the a natural way to give something back to mother earth.
Compost bins are great places to start a leave collection. I am currently working on a bin for leaves/grass etc.


Bluegrass, Pick It Up!