Leaf/Apple Pickup

[DuckSlayer1017]

I say let them lay. Our old house had the same issue and they were always gone by spring.

 

[Tig]

This question has come up before, so search the archives to see what others have done.

 

[California]

Its better to return the nutrients into the orchard.

We wait until after pruning then make a pass with the flail mower to shred the pruning debris. Downed limbs are hollow, punky, rotten, so they get shredded along with leaves and overlooked apples. Any wood too solid to shred is collected with brush forks and burned.

In the case originally cited it seems to me hired hand labor would make more sense than buying a multi-$1,000 specialty tool to use once a year.

View attachment 485731

 

[4570Man]

I only have a few apple trees, but I just leave the apples on the ground. I leaf bagger would be useless. If you had a longer hose on the impeller instead of hooking it to deck you could vacuum the ground with it. It would still take a long time. Not to mention how bad it's going to suck emptying shredded rotten apples out of the hopper. I'd use a lawn roller to crush them and speed up the decaying process.

 

[Code54]

Check this thing out...
Apple picker - YouTube

 

[iptman]

I'll second the Cyclone Rake. Get the largest HP model then stick behind the smallest deck riding mower. I bought hoses for both my 61 inch Scag and 42 inch Craftsman and the smaller deck on the Craftsman works significantly better than the Scag. It's amazing how well it works.