tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post5909593569963895574..comments2023-11-03T08:59:11.561-04:00Comments on May Dreams Gardens: The Art and Science of Raking LeavesCarol Michelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796344366326535406noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-549278287362527612007-10-27T05:16:00.000-04:002007-10-27T05:16:00.000-04:00I just leave the leaves where they fall.. I mow ov...I just leave the leaves where they fall.. I mow over them if the grass happens to get a bit long. But I do rake over my stepping stones, so as not to slip when the leaves turn wet and mushy.Silvia Hoefnagels . Salix Treehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11143805751885131535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-65666210799327349272007-10-24T22:29:00.000-04:002007-10-24T22:29:00.000-04:00Let's see ... my actual grass yard is so small tha...Let's see ... my actual grass yard is so small that raking the leaves is not a huge deal. Basically the last 2 years we've raked the leaves right into the garden beds. Task done.<BR/><BR/>This year, however, I am going to suck up the leaves into my new blower and mulch them and then throw them on the beds. That way I'm not lifting up carpets of congealed leaves in the spring. I'll just leave themRosemariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18286254322888159442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-40723075945999210492007-10-23T18:39:00.000-04:002007-10-23T18:39:00.000-04:00All... thanks for all the comments and more helpfu...All... thanks for all the comments and more helpful information on the "art and science of raking leaves". <BR/><BR/>Let the raking begin!<BR/>Carol at May Dreams GardensCarol Michelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07796344366326535406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-11582490075685091542007-10-23T07:42:00.000-04:002007-10-23T07:42:00.000-04:00My DB usually deals with the bulk of the leaves. ...My DB usually deals with the bulk of the leaves. He usually mows and mows until they are mulch. They get raked or blown into beds to disappear into the ground.<BR/><BR/>My neighbor cut down all her trees so she didn't have to deal with "those leaves". I cried.Lisa at Greenbowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07743973292900758183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-6272349078779282432007-10-22T19:46:00.000-04:002007-10-22T19:46:00.000-04:00I attach the bag to my mulching mower and then emp...I attach the bag to my mulching mower and then empty the shredded leaves and lawn clippings directly on to my flower beds. It's a great mulch/compost combo.OldRoseshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10307114475443602351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-65662678590965244362007-10-22T16:43:00.000-04:002007-10-22T16:43:00.000-04:00I mow. My husband vacuums (he has a vacuum that su...I mow. My husband vacuums (he has a vacuum that sucks them up and shreds them into a bag - it is awesome for mulching with.Melissahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-85142653804259745122007-10-21T12:12:00.000-04:002007-10-21T12:12:00.000-04:00This year I have hardly any leaves, but before I h...This year I have hardly any leaves, but before I had 1 cottonwood cut down, I had to start picking up the cottonwood leaves in August, a little bit at a time, with the leaf vac, as the leaves are so thick & large. For the other leaves, I have a plastic rake with a cushion on the handle -the only way to avoid blisters!Mr. McGregor's Daughterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05911409327006498766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-68855807553320418662007-10-21T11:09:00.000-04:002007-10-21T11:09:00.000-04:00We have LOTS of leaves and we rake some, then mow ...We have LOTS of leaves and we rake some, then mow over them to chop them and use them for soil enrichment. This year, since we have a compost pile, that's where most of them will go. I think some will also go into the bare areas of the garden and be tilled up with the soil.Kylee Baumlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04288354709094515651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-65108542044852455782007-10-21T03:03:00.000-04:002007-10-21T03:03:00.000-04:00I don't like raking leaves. If it were up to me th...I don't like raking leaves. If it were up to me they wouldn't get raked until spring. My better half rakes them but leaves a pile of them for me to put on my beds. In the spring I rake off the top layer carefully and work in the rest with a short claw like instrument that I can't remember the name of. <BR/><BR/>This year I'm mowing as much as possible before that happens because I'm digging up Wrenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06405623450827880219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-89785340851596975232007-10-20T23:21:00.000-04:002007-10-20T23:21:00.000-04:00When I was young we lived in the mountains in Colo...When I was young we lived in the mountains in Colorado, and we left the leaves to do what leaves do. There weren't that many of them, they were mostly aspen leaves. The ponderosa and lodgepole pines just had big beds of needles under them.<BR/><BR/>When I lived in Bremerton, I raked up all the leaves I could with a nice metal rake, and composted them. I didn't have enough, but we were healingmagichandshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03785882461027155830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-38869736138032185312007-10-20T22:04:00.000-04:002007-10-20T22:04:00.000-04:00Well, we only raked leaves when our daughter was l...Well, we only raked leaves when our daughter was little so she could jump on a pile of them. <BR/><BR/>Years back, my husband blew them into piles and used them in the vegetable garden, turning the soil each time. <BR/><BR/>Now we mow them with the grass and net them out of the pond. We don't have a huge amount of leaves and never use a rake anymore.Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02040099513110890878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-32973183565284138342007-10-20T21:56:00.000-04:002007-10-20T21:56:00.000-04:00My method is to (gulp) avoid it at all possible co...My method is to (gulp) avoid it at all possible costs. Honestly, most of our trees are live oaks so we get an onslaught in like February but very little right now.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01029244567686979589noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-32720030189467186482007-10-20T19:20:00.000-04:002007-10-20T19:20:00.000-04:00Carol,Ontario Master Gardeners advise gardeners to...Carol,<BR/><BR/>Ontario Master Gardeners advise gardeners to do just what you do. ;-) Mow the leaves and leave them where they are to enrich the soil. No, I'm not an MG but I have a couple of friends who are.<BR/><BR/>About the person ripping off blogs:<BR/>I just googled “maxblog gardening” and this web page came up<BR/>http://gardening "dot" maxblog "dot" eu/?p=3634<BR/><BR/>Look under Silly Goosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16860742127753632649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-48818292618285563362007-10-20T16:34:00.000-04:002007-10-20T16:34:00.000-04:00We have an adjustable rake and a plastic rake, not...We have an adjustable rake and a plastic rake, not that we've used them very much here. Like you, we don't have any mature trees in our yard. It is so windy here that the leaves we do have usually blow away before I can rake them up.Robin's Nesting Placehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05894844125547373328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-61785875538333804792007-10-20T11:32:00.000-04:002007-10-20T11:32:00.000-04:00I pretty much only rake leaves that are used for t...I pretty much only rake leaves that are used for the gardens. This year that I have raised beds I will be pilling them into the beds. <BR/><BR/>I may also be using my Mom in-law's Mantis tiller to work them in, and then pile some more on.Whyitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12243528765489096681noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-84459585581286142532007-10-20T10:57:00.000-04:002007-10-20T10:57:00.000-04:00" It takes the poets to write about the glory of a..." It takes the poets to write about the glory of autumn and the rest of us to rake it, " a famous writer once said. Living in the city I rake as many as I can out to the curb and let the street cleaners vacuum and dispose of them. I also shred enough to add to the compost pile. <BR/><BR/>My weapon of choice is the bamboo rake too. It has a very organic and natural feel to it.<BR/><BR/>Our Sweet Home and Garden Carolinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08026451200405491815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-2116704454866845372007-10-20T09:47:00.000-04:002007-10-20T09:47:00.000-04:00I love to rake leaves and wish I had more time, en...I love to rake leaves and wish I had more time, energy and time again to get it done! Better than a gym workout! I prefer a bamboo rake. I've tried those plastic rakes and they just feel, well, like plastic. They don't bend and give like a bamboo rake. This being said, the Equipment Manager can rake about twenty times faster than I can and then the leaves go into the compost heap. Will postAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-85839426190823846592007-10-20T08:54:00.000-04:002007-10-20T08:54:00.000-04:00I have metal and plastic and bamboo leaf rakes. B...I have metal <EM>and</EM> plastic <EM>and</EM> bamboo leaf rakes. But we just mow over the leaves until there's too many to ignore. Then I generally rake them into piles and pick them up with the vacuum/shredder thing; from there I either spread them around in the woodland plantings in back or put them on the compost pile.<BR/><BR/>But I kind of miss jumping in the piles of leaves and then Entangledhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07261805004615133289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-47343322981559400822007-10-20T08:25:00.000-04:002007-10-20T08:25:00.000-04:00The men in my household are not so good at yard wo...The men in my household are not so good at yard work. So my favorite technique for raking leaves is to invite my parents to visit for the weekend and get my dad to help. He is awesome. <BR/><BR/>Unfortunately, my parents seem to have active senior lives these days, so it's not always possible to employ this time-proven technique. So for now, I'm also mowing the leaves. Pretty soon, however, I'll Robin (Bumblebee)https://www.blogger.com/profile/04516571306617946865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-76029836241262400602007-10-20T08:10:00.000-04:002007-10-20T08:10:00.000-04:00Thankfully I am no longer required to help rake le...Thankfully I am no longer required to help rake leaves. I just watch. That's one of the benefits of old age.(lol)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-56622203068359978532007-10-20T06:55:00.000-04:002007-10-20T06:55:00.000-04:00We have very few deciduous trees, our comparable t...We have very few deciduous trees, our comparable task is spring raking of the pine needles, which go on our garden paths. We collect other people's bags of leaves for the compost pile.Muumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06181825725581583635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-32935487980817582272007-10-20T05:42:00.000-04:002007-10-20T05:42:00.000-04:00As the receipiant of all those sugar maples and th...As the receipiant of all those sugar maples and the beloved scarlet oak, we have many, many leaves to rake. When they first start to fall, they are mowed over with a mulching lawnmower. When there are too many for the lawnmower, the front yard leaves are raked to the street where the city comes and sucks them up with a big vacuum and takes them who knows where. (I know, Carol, Dad is rolling Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-89776660260912194092007-10-20T01:49:00.000-04:002007-10-20T01:49:00.000-04:00Back when we had a front and back lawn, we used a ...Back when we had a front and back lawn, we used a mulching mower to grind up the leaves. The bits were left in place to enrich the soil. Less work and better for the garden to boot. Why truck off all that great organic material?<BR/><BR/>That said, I do have fond memories of burning leaves with my dad when I was a kid.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488599.post-15902630686525858882007-10-20T00:30:00.000-04:002007-10-20T00:30:00.000-04:00Carol, back when the Dubious Gardener was ruling t...Carol, back when the Dubious Gardener was ruling the roost, we were out there every fall weekend raking leaves. I never saw the point since there were still so many on the trees! Nowadays I wait for them to ALL come down and then I get to work. <BR/><BR/>Depending on how my back feels, I use a combination of raking and/or the leaf blower. Using the blower on leaves is rather like herding cats, LostRoseshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06586462466899344347noreply@blogger.com