let's talk, getting rid of leaves.....

[sweatboard]

I use a blower, and blow them into a pile in front of my house and then this truck comes around and sucks them all up.  Well, that's for the front yard.  I'm getting nervous about having to do the back yard (it's fenced in),  what do you think about just waiting for the leaves to blow away on their own or decompose?

Anyone have a better suggestion?


Also, what records are good for listening to while getting rid of leaves.  

[ycartrob]

Rule number 1: let ALL the leaves fall. When it comes down to the last 3 or 4, I suggest celebrating with a frosty beverage while you wait.

Rule number 2: Blow them into the middle of the yard, or, towards the middle of the yard (I suggest a leaf blower unless you want to experience the unique high of hypervenilation). I would enjoy a frosty beverage while you're blowing the leaves.

Rule number 3: Get the lawn mower out and mow over the leaves until they represent the likeness of corn flakes, all the while enjoying a frosty beverage.

then nature takes care of the rest!

I'd listen to Pink Floyd-Animals.

[.Walt]

i say give the job to the neighbor kids. 5 bucks a piece. then you have all the time to think about what record sounds good when not doing housework.

other than that, i've got nothing. good luck!

[sweatboard]

Thank you wise one!!!  I knew you would come through for me.

Should I run this by the wife first or just go ahead and do it?  I keep telling her it's not time to get rid of the leaves yet, but our damn neighbors keep clearing their yards.


Hey, do you ever just blow your leaves into that stream in your backyard?

Also, do you have any rules about cleaning out the gutters?

[Taterbug]

You could always rake or blow them onto a tarp and drag the tarp to the street.
For the gutters, It's easy for me, I get on my roof and use my leaf blower to clean them out.  

[sweatboard]

You could always rake or blow them onto a tarp and drag the tarp to the street.
For the gutters, It's easy for me, I get on my roof and use my leaf blower to clean them out.  

My wife brought up the tarp theory to me and I didn't like it AT ALL!  That just sounds like way to much fucking work for me.  What I'm going for is the process with the absolute least amount of labor involved.  

I've used the leaf blower on the gutters before but then all that shit from the gutters ended up all around the house thus making it a two step process.  1. Blow gutters 2. Clean up shit around house that came flying out of the gutters.  Also, for any novice gutter cleaners out there make sure you move your cars out of the driveway BEFORE using the leaf blower on the gutters.

[ycartrob]

Thank you wise one!!!  I knew you would come through for me.

Should I run this by the wife first or just go ahead and do it?  I keep telling her it's not time to get rid of the leaves yet, but our damn neighbors keep clearing their yards.

Hey, do you ever just blow your leaves into that stream in your backyard?

Also, do you have any rules about cleaning out the gutters?

I got these nifty gutter screens at Home Depot for cheap and they work


I never blow the leaves into my creek, just because...

As far as the wife goes, if she's anything like my wife, use logic. Why should you clear the yard 3 or 4 times when you can just wait and do it once? However, sometimes wives think different than husbands.

[mjkoehler]

Follow Tracy's advice. MULCH. I have 8 trees between my front and back yard. I mulch every weekend as to not have mountains of leaves in my yard. Mulching is best for your grass as it gives it some nice, natural fertilzer.

Also, if you have a garden, mulch but catch some it and add to your garden and till it in. Provides nice organic material for the soil.

Also, just go with the cheap gutter guards. they will not stop 100% of the crap but they will stop most.

[Taterbug]

I hear ya, I've got it pretty easy, my house is sarrounded by evergreen hedges  so its only a one step process for me.  I thought about getting the gutter guard screen with gutter heaters to avoid ice damning in them, a little to much cash for me right now, maybe next year.  It's starting to snow right now.  The drive home from work should be interesting.

[sweatboard]

"However, sometimes wives think different than husbands."

When it comes to yardwork I have found this to be both true and unfortunate.


Gutter Guards!!!  Why didn't I come here earlier?

[corey]

what do you think about just waiting for the leaves to blow away on their own or decompose?

I've utilized that strategy for the last several years. I think I'm gonna break down and at least rake the front yard this year. I'm putting up Christmas decorations in a few days and it will be a pain in the ass if there's lots of leaves. It sure was a pain last year.

I also used Tracy's strategy of waiting until they are all done falling. The last one fell about 2 days ago. Just in time for the Christmas decorations to go up.  :)

[BH]

I get home from work after it's already dark so I don't know what your talking about.  Leaves?  They don't just dissappear sometime between now and daylight savings time?  Wow.

[TEO]

I have some strong westerlies that blow the majority of my leaves into my neighbor's yard.  ;) The others are raked onto a tarp or put into my garden cart behind my yard tractor and dragged out into one of the adjoining cornfields to decompose over the winter. What they get of my leaves, I get the majority of the drifting snow.

[aMD]

Usually I rake up the bulk of them as soon as they fall for two reasons. 1)when the rest of them fall I can just mulch them up with the mower which is good for the yard but not overkill and 2) because if you wait too long you may get a hard rain which make the leaves MUCH more difficult to rake (and nearly impossible to blow).  This year, however I was sick when I should have raked the leaves and they've already been rained on, oh well.  

We also have a truck that comes by and stucks them up and I apply that tarp method to the backyard.

I'm into yard work.  :)