LEAF CLEANUP BEGINS

We have a beautiful yard with over a dozen 50 foot maple trees. Mostly silver maples, but also 2 large royal red maples in the front yard. This time of year the trees are amazing with brilliant colors. My wife just loves this, I do to, but my love is tempered by the fact I will be spending the next month cleaning them up.

Just getting started, stopped to get photo's & change bags

If I had a few trees it wouldn't be so bad, but because we have so many it does create allot of work!! I have heard suggestions that I mulch them into the yard for winter. I like this idea, but this amount of leaves would create mulch way too deep. Besides the fact the trees don't drop at the same time. My mower wouldn't run through leaves over one foot deep, if I wait for them all to drop. Nope, my only option is to pick up the leaves with the mower every 5 to seven days while mowing the lawn. The lawn needs mowing as well you know.

2/3 done, bags full again

So yesterday I did this and here are the photo's from the front yard. The leaves of the royal red maples are very dense and thick, they have a feel of leather. Every time I stopped to take photo's the bags were full and I needed to replace them. In all I filled 5 bags from the front yard alone! And believe me, I compacted them in between!

Done with the front yard

The silver maples in the back yard are not as dense, and compact much easier. But I have one dozen of them dropping leaves in the back. Yes they are beautiful, as you can see in my post autumn splendor, so I enjoy the canopy of shade in the summer, the beauty of the colors in autumn, and tolerate the leaf cleanup.

As you can see, there are many leaves still on the trees

How much leaf cleanup do you have?

I would love to hear your stories of this annual task.

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