Leaf Disposal

[TC in Indy]

The thing I hate most about leaf removal is the bagging. I know some neighborhoods and towns let you rake them to the curb and the city removes them for you. I was just wondering if any of my fellow posters had it any better than I do.

Also, let us know if you do the work yourself or hire it out.

[indyracefan]

I fortunately don't have to worry about it at my residence, it's taken care of for me. However I do take care of my Mother's yard and it's bagged by her request.

[Doyouloveit?]

Luckily, my neighborhood we can rake them (I use a blower) to the curb and they suck them up for us. Pretty nice, but if it rains and then people drive through them it becomes a pile of mush. With the backyard, I rake the leafs onto a tarp and then carry it to the curb.

If you have the money and you want to cut down on the bagging of the leaves, I would recommend getting a chipper vac. My father gave me his old one and it is excellent not only in the yard but in the flower beds with the hose. With the chipper vac, it obviously shreds the leafs and cuts down on the bagging process a ton. But, mind you that they don't work best with wet leaves because the it can become clogged and if your yard is absolutely covered (i.e., no grass can be seen) then it isn't the best tool.

For me, (unlike my neighbors ), I like to keep on the leaf maintenance, so the chipper vac works great when you do it every weekend during leaf season.

[midtown]

Rake to the curb. West Allis comes by and picks up the leaves, brush, dead plants from September to November.

[crispy]

Really?

Why is mulching them up with the mower not an option?

Why would you rake up good fertilizer for next year?

[TC in Indy]

Really?

Why is mulching them up with the mower not an option?

Why would you rake up good fertilizer for next year?

Because my yard has more than 100 leaves. Seriously, if I mulched my leaves, my yard would look like it is covered with mulched leaves. I would have more mulch than grass.

[Indy-hp]

Our only option is bagging. We do it ourselves.

If a few more come down after we've done the big rake-and-bag, I'll mulch them with the mower.

[Lemming51]

All of the above, Except for hire to have it done.

I take care of my mother's very rural lake cottage: much gets blown away by the wind, for the rest it's burn baby burn!
Her house in town has rake-to-the-curb-we'll-suck-'em-up service.
My town requires bagging. I also set aside several bags to use as mulch and compost.

[midtown]

Because my yard has more than 100 leaves. Seriously, if I mulched my leaves, my yard would look like it is covered with mulched leaves. I would have more mulch than grass.

Yep.

[window]

Other. I blow them across the street into the forest of the bazillion acres that that guy owns. I just hope he outlives me (well, sorta) since he said this method is fine with him. Lotta people with fancy cars sure get gunshy driving through a pile (small) of leaves.

[fivehundred2go]

Really?

Why is mulching them up with the mower not an option?

Why would you rake up good fertilizer for next year?

That is my other and the same reason.

Remember a proposal a few years ago to have all the forested lands raked and "cleaned up" by some who were clueless to the damage that would cause and the vast areas involved?

[3-wide]

If we were to sell our house (we're not) one of the main selling points would be that at the far back end of our yard is a very steep drop-off. We have many trees and massive amounts of leaves every fall. Raking them on a tarp and dragging them down to and shaking them down that embankment is about as easy and economical as it gets.

[Truth Detector]

Really?

Why is mulching them up with the mower not an option?

Why would you rake up good fertilizer for next year?

+1

[PDC]

My option isn't on here. Mow the lawn several times and let 'em fly. (There's only one section of our yard that gets a fair amount of leaves).

[Lis]

Really only brush up the leaves that fall on the garden paths & patio, to avoid anyone slipping. These then go in the 'garden' wheelie bin along with other garden clippings & twigs, which is collected fortnightly throughout the year by the council who mulch everything, down then it's recycled/reused as compost in local public green spaces such as roadside flowerbeds & parks.

The leaves on the lawn pretty much stay leaves on the lawn, although I do rake a pile to the border at the back as I have a resident hedgehog that appreciates it come winter Come spring most of the leaves have disappeared naturally revealing a lush green lawn ready to mow.