Leaf raking thoughts

Not much leaf raking here. I raked up some yesterday, they were wind blown onto the walkway between the garage and the house, and on the cement driveway, if left they will clog up the snow blower when that time comes. UGH! I put the leaves in a black plastic bag and following Gita's instructions, added lime and H2O and tossed behind the garage.
I checked out some bags from last year (without lime & water) just poked some holes in the bags. I found some nice composted leaves that I spread in some garden beds that needed an extra boost.
Today it rained all day, so that might be all the leaf raking I'll do this year. I'll let nature take care of the rest.

Stormy.....

PLEASE do not waste your time and energy raking/sucking up wet leaves. It just doesNOT work! It will clog up your Toro! Letr them dry--and then you can do it much easier.....

Now---if I rake/suck/shred up my dry leaves (MUCH easier!), I still water them in once I have them in the bags--plus I add a hand full of Lime to help them decompose. In the past--I have also added other organic matters...just getting too expensive.
It all helps......

Hmmm......I would think twice about sucking anything out of the beds.....
WHY? Because--by now--most of us have pulled up/dug up stuff in our beds and disturbed the soil. If you vacuum in the beds--you will also be sucking up a lot of the loose soil. NOT great! That is why I say it is better to rake the leaves into piles first--and then suck it up....even if you rake it out of your beds. You can always return the chopped up leaves to the bed....I would recommend that you do this.

WHY is having a good garden SO much work??????

Gita

Hubby mowed the whole yard with leaves in situ for breakdown. The heaviest areas left some mats which I raked up or at least fluffed with rake. I haven't stressed to him that I will expect plenty of contributions, bagged from neighbors, to build mounds of compost.
I raked whole, no'way, maple leaves INTO a bed of vinca, later thinking about what a cozy vole compound I am creating. There are no hosta anywhere near there or they be buffet.

Sally, Perish the thought!!!!

Gita, Don't worry, I'm not going to vacumn the wet leaves. I learned that lesson the hard way when I gummed up the chipper blades my first year here. I decided to take your advice and not vacumn the beds and just came in from raking them. It is so extremely windy out right now, that more leaves keep dropping and blowing in the beds. That's enough of that for today. After a cup of cocoa, I'll go back out and resume working on cleaning up my edges to install some edging.

I got my first Camellia bloom today, but it's toward the back of the plant and facing the house and I can't get a good shot of it.

Hey Sally, I just wanted to mention that I *love* your 'tradition' of taking a meal over to your parents place and having a raking party. That's so sweet, and must be a huge welcome event!

hi, w--thanks--but don't give me too much credit, I don't do it nearly as often as I should. I was pleased that the kids better-than-tolerated it. They don't want to sit around and chatchatchat
I know Mom gets antsy seeing too many things needing to be done, hanging on. And likes to be the hostess but can't be expected to put dinners together for six when she's used to one.

Sally, Dig little holes all over your yard and bury small piles of leaves. I read this great article on Composting little bits here and there. LOL

I'll bet that Addy could take care of those holes in no time! heh -- enjoyed the article, btw.

holly--snicker--I have to get planning on next yrs garden so I know where to put pitfulls of leaves and stuff for squash etc. Had super squash last year that way-lots of leaves layered with dirt from the dig and a bit of fert to help it. Got first seed catalog yesterday.

Doc, calls those composted fertilized holes that he plants his pumpkins in "honey holes". They do make for nice plants.

Holly, I have a friend that does that with fish debris and banana and orange peels and other food scraps.

NOW! You are all making me want to go and dig holes (if I can get a shovel in the ground...) and bury all my veggie scraps. I fill up a large, plastic container about twice a week.

Sally, your article was great! That's what i like about your writing--it always has the touch of 'tongue in cheek"--a bit of humor....but, seriously--I might just do that where i will plant my tomatoes next year. Still have 2 to pull up. My Sun Gold is finally DONE!

Question......If I dig stuff in now--and later on--with the cold weather, do you think it will still compost? Like--are the wormies still gallivanting around going--"OHHH, goody! Melon rinds!!!!" or do they retreat 8 feet down and snooze?

I just keep dumping everything in my worthless "Earth Machine" composter. Everything composts, all right--as it never seems to get full. GOD! There are more Pillbugs and fruit flies in there than you can imagine. And when I have dug some compost out--you should see the worms from Space!
The problem is getting the "good stuff" out! All it has is this little drawer in the front. Yeah, right!!! I need to disassemble the whole thing to get to anything in the bottom.....
Don't ever waste your money on this!

OK! I am off my soapbox! Gita

See that black thing on the left? That's IT!
Dig my shed! My Ex designed it and built it. All it needs is Snoopy on top....:o)

That is a BEAUTIFUL shed, Gita!

Gita, you are very kind. I am glad you (and the DG editor) like my humble writing.
Total confession time- altho I wrote all about this, I can't back it up personally--I mean, I don't go back and look to see what's happening down there. The little hole I dug for the picture is there, I could go see what's happened in two weeks. Veggie peels might just rot. II think the worms will slow down for the winter, but they'll be able to come up to a hole when it warms. Eggshells stay pretty solid, so I would help them by crushing. They crush better if they're all dried out.
I concur completely on the earth machine. I have one too. If you could build the most perfectly balanced pile, you still wouldn't be able to just scoop the stuff out the bottom. It would be fairly compact from the matter on top. I have a total fruit fly farm going on there now since I put a batch of juicy stuff in from the market veggie waste. I beat them back and throw some chopped leaves on now. After awhile of this, I'll pick up the whole shell and set it on one side and fork everything over to it, except the small center bottom where I might have some usable stuff.

My fruit fly farm was brought under controll with a half bucket full of compost thrown on top. Untill I took action I was afraid they were about to jump me and carry me away as a private food source. I have had my barrell size kitchen waste compost container now for a whole year including two summers. I do not think I am half full yet. I don't turn it ...just keep topping it off and covering the top to control the flys. Ok the fruit flys are part of the project but those little buzzers were having to much fun. I will just wait on the process to convert into a barrell of compost.....then I will dump and use it.

I had one of those fruit fly farms too. Mine was the barrel type that sat on a small platform equipped with rollers. You would turn the barrel over and it would ride on the rollers. As it filled, it became very difficult to spin. If I pushed very hard, then it would jump off of the platform and roll across the yard. Then I would have to get help to roll it back and lift it back onto the platform. Consequently, it didn't get turned enough and not everything would decompose. I gave it away.

This could be a whole thread of it's own "Fruit Fly Farms" or "Fancy Composters" I have a Rubbermaid one that is 4 sides and a 2 section hip roof, I keep it next to the veggie garden and each spring I dismantle it and move it to the other side of the garden. The compost I get out of it I use in the vegetable garden.
Another one I have is just a long sheet of heavy ridged black plastic, Form it into a circle, over lap the ends and fasten together with a metal clip. I fill it up and when its time to start a new pile dismantel it and start a new pile. I have a home made sifter that fits over the garden cart and sift the compost throught that.
Last spring hubby sifted the whole pile for me and I was in garden heaven : )

Gita, That is one cute shed. Love the little brick entrance with the plants. Looks very nice even if the discrete black composter doesn't work. LOL
Lady good idea. I'll look for a picture to get one started.

Edited to add:
Here you go a lovely shot of my beautiful compost pile and a place to dish the dirt. LOL
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/924554/

This message was edited Nov 17, 2008 8:26 AM

Gita, I love your shed. It has lots of character!

Thanks all! Yes--the shed is a one-of-a-kind thingie.....I like the looks of it too.
I think my Ex built it in the mid-seventies??? My girls were still young enough that they "lived" in this "pretend house" for several weeks before it became a SHED. The whole neighborhood's kids played in it!

It is NOT the most practical inside, though, as it only has about 3+' of straight walls for shelves--and, believe me--I have shelves there. Everything else is jammed on the floor (concrete pad--8'x12') under all the shelving or things kind of just hang from the rafters--including 8 lawn chairs. There are also a zillion random nails driven into every available beam and support with stuff hanging from them and lots of things stuffed along the sloping roof, etc. Believe me! EVERY inch is utilized!

So--it is over 30 years old and some aspects of it are just falling apart, coming loose or deteriorating. No more handyman around here--for 17 years already.....

On the left side of the shed is the bed I emptied out and have been growing my tomatoes in it. Bright AM sun, until about 3PM.
Just pulled the last 3 up today.....and I also picked up about 100 green Sun Golds. I don't want to have everything sprouting in there next year--as I would never be 100% sure WHICH tomato volunteer it is.
There are also SO many seeds in whatever compost i DO dig out of that 'bin" sprouting everywhere I use it, that it is useless to try to guess what it is. I just think there is never any great amount of heat generated in this composter to kill the seeds. I never feel much heat at all......unless it is from the 90* heat outside....
My sympathy to the rest of you that also have this contraption......

Gita

Gita, I also wanted to say how much I like your shed. I often thought I'd like to have one that looks like an outhouse. Would be nice just to store flower pots and garden tools, at least get them out of the garage. Would be a conversation piece anyway.

It would make a cute Santa's house for Christmas, awww how cute would it be decorate it up like a gingerbread house with the lollipop lights edging a path to it. I can picture it now. Gita-you have time to do that??? lol

Edited for spelling

This message was edited Nov 17, 2008 2:07 PM

Lady I don't have a picture of it but my friend does have an old outhouse as a shed. It's unpainted weathered wood with a blue shingle roof. There isn't a hole under it as it was moved from another place.
Here is a shot of the hedgerow next to my property where most of my leaves come from although we don't get a lot of them. They are looking pretty bare.

I'vr seen Gita's shed and yes she uses every inch. Gita, with the concrete pad, if it ever does fall apart maybe you can have your store buddies install you a prefabb one.
also think an outhouse size shed would be very useful. Pile up the long handled tools, and shelves for zillion pots and bottles of goodies.

Gita, I LOVE that Toro!!!!! I actually bought the next model up. It supposedly has double the suction power. It was $79 and I had a 20% off coupon. It handled those leaf piles in no time.

It was also very good for vacumning the leaves up from knooks and under the furniture. It works great as a vacumn on concrete and decking. It is also very good at getting the leaves away from the steps and edging where they rake has a hard time. It mulched the leaves instantly.

The leaf collection bag is easy to empty. Three of the Toro bagfuls will fill one large Hefty bag. There is no mess as I would completely immerse the Toro bag into the Hefty bag & then open the zipper. No spills at all. All purchases should be so rewarding! Thanks for the suggestion!!!!

stormy,

You are using it exactly as I do. Glad it worked out for you.

When I pour the chopped leaves in the hefty bags--I also throw in a handful of Lime and, if the leaves are dry, pour some water in there. Shake it up a bit, tie it shut and it goes under my old evergreens for a year or two. GREAT compost to dig into my beds when it is ready. Good for mulching too.

Sally,
Yes, I have thought that too. Sheds USA (the only one HD installs) has a budget shed that is 8x12. I think it costs about $1200 or $1500 installed. Not sure--but it would fit perfectly.
Even though mine is in need of some fix-up work, it is very sturdy--like everything my EX built.
The borer wasps are sure doing a number on the "A" supports. They are drilled through and through....

Here's a side-view of it. The tree is my red Maple. You can also see the edge of my high Patio roof and my favorite seat in the garden--my porch swing....
Gita

Gita, are you thinking of a plan for the spot where the Birch came out?

Oh Gita, More bunny wire!!!! Drat those critters.

Gita, When I'm done planting the bulbs, I was just going to put the mulched leaves back onto the beds. Some of my soil could really use more enrichment and some areas did not get mulched this year.

Do you think I should sprinkle some lime on top of the leaves in the bed? I can also sprinkle coffee grinds on top of them. I now have lots of them.

Doc, if you are here, what do you think? I don't really have a place to store all of these bags. I'm trying not to put down any real or thick mulch because of the voles.

I have been under permanent mulch for over thirty five years. The only time I remove mulch is to adjust the plantings. It goes back on immediately. Kinda fun too. This year a chip monk has opened his den just outside our window and up through the mulch outside the sun room. We have been seeing him pack his stores for about a month now. The critter has figured it out.....direct sun early AM and both direct and indirect sun by noon. The bird feeder spillage is close by too. We have heated water for the birds. This critter has figured it all out.....up the electrical cord to the waiting water.

We have a mildly acid soil. I never use lime because the rotting mulch ends up being 7.0 PH.
In fact I add organic fertilizer for the acid loving plants that has been adjusted for this purpose.

Thanks, Doc. I didn't think about the PH.