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When do you start raking leaves for the fall? I think I want to compost them this year but I need to rake them into a neat pile because it makes my lawn look horrible with all the fallen leaves everywhere.

Why rake hem?
Just mow them, into little pieces, where they fall... If they are in your flowers or gardens rake those onto your lawn and mow... mow ... MOW... :smile:KennyV

Yes, I agree on mowing the leaves, I mow my yard throwing the discharge so as to keep re-chopping the debris, after you've finished, you can gather the the clippings for composting if you'd like.

Start when they start falling. However you do it, raking, mowing, it will be easier if you don't have a real thick bed to deal with.

I have raked and gathered them up to break down into mulch areas. We still love to sometimes rake up and play in them (kids in the family and all plus they get some fun out of it along with exercise).

bret,I have way too many trees that drop way too many leaves,as Kenny and others do I mow and leave it at that. russ

I have only been on this site a short time, & I do need to ask a question, IS EVERYBODY LAZY on this site, if so, Why do I come here!!!!!!!!!!!!
To answer the posters QUESTION, because he ASKED, bret, there are many ways to collect & compost leaves, You can start racking as they fall, put them off to 1 side out of the wind, Now here is what I do, and this may not be for everyone, but I am not lazy nor stupid, I put them in a large, Very large container, I fire up the weed wacker, & stick it in the container,, I can reduce a 55 gal, drum full in about 2 to 3 minutes and there will be 3 inches at the bottom, it's fun, GOOD EXCERCISE, & I put them in my compost pile, If you have children, it's a great way to spend some simple time together.
This will be my last visit or post to this site, I find it uninformitive, & it is more a socail network than a help fourm. If you need any small engine repair advice, find me on SELF HELP.
Thankyou & Goodbye, Michael:smile:

Hey MICHAEL,See you later!I got your lazy ,GUY! russ

I find raking leaves to be the BIGGEST pain there is when doing outdoor work. I still get out there and do it though. Usually I get the kids to help. We rake them into big piles and then we jump in them. We also stuff those plastic pumpkin bags full of leaves.
When we are all done with these activities I let my hubby mow them down. They are super small by then. He then picks them up with the lawn sweeper.

My goodness did I miss something? What just happened? I only asked a simple question. I may just run the mower over them and see what that does. I want to compost them but I don't want to spend the fall raking and raking.

Hey bret... go ahead and mow them , it will break down and compost in place... no extra raking necessary. This winters snow will slowly break the leaf crumbles up...


russ I have to agree... I spent this lazy afternoon rebuilding the spindles and replacing bearings in my 84" rear finish mower... I did use an impact tool and my 30 ton press but that's only because I'm lazy...

Sure hope all this socializing doesn't scare off any of the 'good folks' on this forum:biggrin:
:smile:KennyV

bret said:

My goodness did I miss something? What just happened? I only asked a simple question. I may just run the mower over them and see what that does. I want to compost them but I don't want to spend the fall raking and raking.

Click to expand...

You didn't miss NOTHING....what a grump Michael must be...I too am disappointed sometimes at the lack of responses or the inane replies posted here, but do I get in a huff about it...??? JEEZ, NO !!!!

I believe it was the author Robert A. Heinlein who was quoted as saying: "I have never learned anything from a man who always agreed with me".

About composting....The majority of my push mowers have always been rear bagging, I chop up the leaves and spread them on my garden plot. I have a very bad neck and raking for long periods is very painful...mulching leaves is very time consuming but easier than raking. If I have a big pile of leaves, I block off the discharge chute on my tractor mower deck with a home made aluminum plate then run it over the pile a few times.

This makes my fall raking so much easier, thanks folks. I was not looking forward to raking and bagging and dragging them out to the road for pick up, this makes so much more sense and better for the environment.

I agree with Thunder. And if you have kids, get them out there. Fun for the whole family. But you don't want to wait 'till the last minute.

We went to Lowe's on the weekend and the kids each got their own rake and was raking the leaves into some piles and jumping into them, we also started to build a pumpkin man for the front bench and we stuffed him with leaves as well.