The Morning is so Dark

[ninnymary]

You can use a mower without a bag.

Rake your pile up alongside a barrier of some kind. A sheet of plywood works if you don't have a handy fence, then run your mower over the pile with the discharge chute directed at the barrier.

Obviously a side discharge mower is the best, but if it's a rear discharge it should have a gate thingy that keeps the clippings from blowing backward if the bag isn't attached.

You will probably want to rerake into a pile and go over the leaves a few times.

I have done this and it works fine.

Now I know that when I ask my husband to do this, he’s really gonna think I’m crazy!

Mary

 

[ninnymary]

Just thought of it but our mower may have a bag for all I know.

Mary

 

[ducks4you]

Darwin studied leaves that were not raked and piled up. The bottom leaves aren't exposed to the elements, hence they take longer to break down. If you have them they way they drop off of the trees the layer is thin enough to be mowed down to smaller pieces, which fall into the lawn and decompose and fertilize it.

 

[Zeedman]

How do you shred them?

Mary

I drive the riding mower in a circle, shredding the leaves (and grass) as they are thrown toward the center... then collect them with the bagger. Most of the leaves have been chopped at least twice by then, and there is enough green grass mixed in to speed decomposition.

 

[Beekissed]

I'm loving the fall weather and also the time changes! I'm getting up earlier so as to take advantage of every little bit of light, trying to get out of the house just as it's light enough to see well.

I find I'm so much more productive if I get an early start on the day and also seem to have more energy to finish the day.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm loving the fall weather and also the time changes! I'm getting up earlier so as to take advantage of every little bit of light, trying to get out of the house just as it's light enough to see well.

I find I'm so much more productive if I get an early start on the day and also seem to have more energy to finish the day.

Totally agree. The hardest part is usually getting started. Once you get started it's amazing how much you can get accomplished.

 

[ninnymary]

Darwin studied leaves that were not raked and piled up. The bottom leaves aren't exposed to the elements, hence they take longer to break down. If you have them they way they drop off of the trees the layer is thin enough to be mowed down to smaller pieces, which fall into the lawn and decompose and fertilize it.

Perhaps I wasn't clear but I would like to shred the leaves before they go into the compost bin. Not leave on the lawn.

Mary

 

[flowerbug]

Perhaps I wasn't clear but I would like to shred the leaves before they go into the compost bin. Not leave on the lawn.

Mary

it really doesn't hurt anything at all to have those leaves in the ground, eventually the worms will get them taken care of or you'll stir them up enough that they break down.

the only thing i am leery of is if the soil is too shallow and the leaves are layered thickly enough to prevent plant roots from getting through them easily. so when i bury them i do layers of leaves, then dirt, then leaves, dirt, leaves... sometimes i have wood ashes to mix in there too. next time i dig that area it gets mixed up better, after five years it's nice garden soil. the more humus i can get in this clay the better the plants do. i never have enough organic materials/mulches (too big of gardens) to cover everything i'd like or to amend all of the gardens so i have to pick each year which ones are going to get what i have available.

that and i rarely dig up a whole garden so it may take five or more years before i've cycled through the whole space.

 

[flowerbug]

i forgot to add that those bits of long term humus down deeper in the soil are places where worms can hide out during the winter and also during the hot and dry spells in the summer so it's not a bad thing to have bits of them down there.

 

[ducks4you]

You can still rake the leaves after they are shredded and use a shovel to put them in a muck bucket or wheelbarrow or leaf bag and then move to your compost bin.
I have seen pine shavings that have lasted over 5 years bc they were buried, so a little bit of work is needed to help them break down for next year.