Cleaning Up Leaves The Simple Way

[ed2hess]

I see all these post about cleaning up leaves and it seems like most people don't understand how you can mulch them. The first picture shows the leaves when I arrived. To the left I already made one pass. The leaves are well ove a foot deep. The front of the mower was acting like a plow so
I simply backed over some of the deepest.



This is what it looks like after a couple passes. Now you tell me that customer wouldn't accept this. I could take the Walker an pick up the dust if needed. And it wouldn't amont to one bin full.



Our leaf season goes all the away to the last part of February. So I will
post some of situation I encounter. There are no woods to push em into.

[Think Green]

There in Texas........drought conditions? Dry leaves is always easy to make them into powder in one or two light passes. The right mower, gator blades, powerful engine and mulching kit.
Appears to be Zoysia grass........real easy to make it look good. Bermuda that is thinning isn't so nice in presence.

There is the occasional customer that doesn't think that this is considered a cleanup. The kindred spirit of dragging the old raking is the only thing in their comprehension. Leaf mold is beneficial to the soil, and promotes OM. Some people will want you to thatch this stuff out during the Spring to allow for new growth and air circulation. I haven't had a problem with my zoysia's after a fall season of mulching and bagging if needed. During the summer, these grasses couldn't help but benefit from the extra boost from OM.

[New2TheGreenIndustry]

Originally Posted by Think Green

There in Texas........drought conditions? Dry leaves is always easy to make them into powder in one or two light passes. The right mower, gator blades, powerful engine and mulching kit.
Appears to be Zoysia grass........real easy to make it look good. Bermuda that is thinning isn't so nice in presence.

There is the occasional customer that doesn't think that this is considered a cleanup. The kindred spirit of dragging the old raking is the only thing in their comprehension. Leaf mold is beneficial to the soil, and promotes OM. Some people will want you to thatch this stuff out during the Spring to allow for new growth and air circulation. I haven't had a problem with my zoysia's after a fall season of mulching and bagging if needed. During the summer, these grasses couldn't help but benefit from the extra boost from OM.

Forgive my ignorance, but what is OM? Organic material?

[KS_Grasscutter]

I mulched more leaves this year than any year before. That being said, there were only 1 or 2 times per property I could get by with it. Though some low end lawns got mulched exclusively. My typical practice is to mulch first then bag. Maple leaves especially turn into dust and stems, no matter how many there are, if they're dry.

[integrityman]

Grind em til ya cant find em I say...... works fantastic and looks awesome. No hauling just grinding.

[knox gsl]

I wish I could've mulched everything this year, I find it faster to bag and dump onto the trailer. Most of my higher end property owners will pay for it so no problem there. I agree if possible mulch, but oak leaves are tough to deal with.

[SDLandscapes VT]

In certain applications it works, and I know that under those circumstances it is quite beneficial for the turf--I would invite you to New England and tell you, that in the 26 passes it will take you to get them somewhere near invisible I ll have them long hauled off

[Weekend cut easymoney]

Originally Posted by SDLandscapes VT

In certain applications it works, and I know that under those circumstances it is quite beneficial for the turf--I would invite you to New England and tell you, that in the 26 passes it will take you to get them somewhere near invisible I ll have them long hauled off

I've heard this and if you actally tried to mulch them and couldnt after 26 passes I'd say you need to lower the mower a little and try again. I've had leaves 2 ft thick which i mukched with a 21inch lawnboy i n just 3 or 4 passes. Live oaks leaves as well, you gotta have a mulch plate on the mower. Not to say that alarge amount should not be bagged after with a heafty accumilation. You cut in a clockwise pattern.

Spent lots of time in southern indiana so i know about lots of leaves...

[herler]

I wish two passes would do that...

I have leaves it doesn't matter how many times you run over them the best I get is a TON of tiny 1 inch squares, now I do like doing it especially on windy days, for one it makes the end pile a lot smaller and two the wind foils my efforts less but ultimately those little pieces of leaf still present more than enough mess to require a blower.

When I can get away with it I usually have to drive in consistent chasing circles...
It's a lot like doing the racetrack, it happens to be clockwise, start at one end and chase the leaves by looping your way to the other side... Dizziness is a constant risk in this scenario, I literally ride in constant same-direction circles, you are talking 20, 30, 40, 50 or more, all depends on the size of the yard, even then sometimes it just gets too thick.

The mower bogs down, everything is down to these tiny pieces and a pile a foot high...

No, it doesn't reduce them to dust.
But it is nice when it works out that way.

[David C.]

Mulching is the only way for me-----leaves that will mulch to powder are : Red Oak, Pecan, Maple & Sweet Gum

Leaves that won't mulch-----Pin Oak, Post Oak