So, why do YOU think they're called leaves??

OkieG · Nov 13, 2005

So, why do YOU think they\'re called leaves??

That's the question one of my co-workers asks me this time of year. He doesn't believe in raking leaves. Just let's 'em blow to the neighbor's yard.

This Fall I'm trying something different. I'm spreading the leaves across the garden, then tilling them in. Wow, what a brainy idea! There will probably be enough leaves to do it every weekend for a while. Anyway, it gets rid of some leaves and maybe will help the garden, come Spring.

Took this picture this afternoon...about half done tilling. Tilled garden on the left, leaves on the right.

OkieG

sneaky_pete · Nov 13, 2005

Re: So, why do YOU think they\'re called leaves??

Nature's own mulch. Plus, that is one of the reasons I moved out away from town - so that I don't have a manicured yard to maintain and neighbors that worry about leaves blowing into their yard.

RonR · Nov 13, 2005

Re: So, why do YOU think they\'re called leaves??

Man, leaves were my downfall yesterday!

We have two huge Maple trees in our yard, and our neighborhood is overrun with Maples, so we have a LOT of leaves. I noticed my open topped gutters were FULL of leaves......................

Knowing that when the next rain hits, the gutters will plug up and the weight of the water will do more harm by pulling the already weakened screws from the house, making the gutter droop...........

So I got out the ladder, and first tried the garden hose and a nozzle. Not enough pressure to do much. No problemo--got the power washer. Ah................... Now I can blow the leaves out easier---and with the 30MPH breeze of yesterday, those leaves just go right over the house and are GONE.

Well, having the power washer on an extension cord, it kept tripping internal breaker............. DRAT. Up the ladder, spray for 30 seconds, down the ladder, trip the breaker, up the ladder, ad naseuem..................

I did the front and gave it up......... Will wait til T Day when son is here and can jackrabbit up/down for me.

For the lawn, I just use a rake to pull the leaves from the flower beds, and mow 'em with the rest of the lawn's matting of leaves. Four or five times doing that and most are gone. A buddy with huge oak trees uses a gasoline blower and a huge tarp--blows em onto the tarp, and drags the tarp to the compost pile.........

ARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGG
ron

woodchuckie · Nov 13, 2005

Re: So, why do YOU think they\'re called leaves??

Years ago I spread the water oak leaves from my yard on my garden and turned them under. That spring I bet I had 15 million seedlings come up from the seed that was mixed in with the leaves.

pat32rf · Nov 13, 2005

Re: So, why do YOU think they\'re called leaves??

/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gifTried to sell my wife on the idea that they were called leaves cause you were supposed to leave them there. She ain't that dumb /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif. Now we have a bagger for the old Wheel Horse. What the hey, its all seat time..... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

RalphVa · Nov 13, 2005

Re: So, why do YOU think they\'re called leaves??

I tell people that I don't rake leaves because it says in Phillipians 42:12 "Thou shalt not rake leaves." It's the same book that says "Thou shalt not go naked" in chapter 40.

According to Thomas Jefferson's records, the veggie garden at Monticelli always just used leaf mulch and never added lime. Of course, they didn't have much acid rain back then, but this says leaves aren't acidic.

I do collect them from silly people that discard them and put them in nice bags for me to throw in the back of my truck. I then use them then next early summer around plantings to control moisture and weeds. By the next year, this mulch is dirt. Works well whether you shred the leaves or not, think a bit better if they're shredded. Think this is mainly because it more if you shred them for a given amount of mulch to control weeds.

Just running a mower over them and shredding them back into the grass works fine, too. Did this on 5 acres of church property in NJ with a non-mulching mower. A mulching mower works best for this and is what I used for leaves in Baton Rouge. They fall over about a 6 month period there except for a certain oak that dumps them in March.

Ralph

LarryD · Nov 13, 2005

Re: So, why do YOU think they\'re called leaves??

Not to many people rake leaves around here...oh yea, it's mostly fir trees. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

trlong · Nov 14, 2005

Re: So, why do YOU think they\'re called leaves??

In Burlington VT, thousands of folks rake up, bag up, and transport their leaves to a huge composting facility. This leaves (no pun intended) their lawns nicely manicured. The composting facility has large, specialized equipment, compost piles hundreds of feet long, hot composting, etc.. Ofcourse, the next Spring, the same folks who took the leaved there go back and buy bags, or even truckloads, of compost for their gardens and flower beds. Go figure!

With 10 acres of Ash, Elm, hard and soft Maple, Apple, Cherry, .... we have a nearly endless supply or leaves. What I don't get with the 5' grooming mower, my wife rakes up and throws in one of the three composters, or shreds and blows out on the trails here with the rest from the chipper/shredder. By Spring, the shredded leaves and woodchips on the trails do a nice job of keeping down vegetation and the compost piles have produced beautiful soil for augmenting the gardens. We've never had any problem with little seedlings trying to grow in the compost.

Now that the flower gardens are all in (I hope /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif), next Spring we hope to get started on a small "Kitchen" garden and prepare an area for a more extensive vegetable garden. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to convince "the boss" that we really need a 3ph tiller. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Maybe we'll try mulching some of the leaves right into the soil next Fall. Thanks for the tip.

Tom

Iplayfarmer · Nov 14, 2005

Re: So, why do YOU think they\'re called leaves??

I've always been a Leave Leaves kind of guy, but I heard this story on NPR the other day. It's about how leaves are actually chemical warfare against other plants. Now I'm wondering what side effects there might be from leaving my leaves.

I don't know how important it all is, but it's actually kind of interesting to listen to.

NPR story

flwiii · Nov 14, 2005

Re: So, why do YOU think they\'re called leaves??

I thought there were only 4 chapters in Phillipians. I never rake leaves, just leave them as you have stated. It has always puzzled me why people will vacuum clean their yard so that they can go to the Depot for fertilizer and put back what they sucked up. I use mulching mowers and bag nothing.