Garden

[Lilysmom]

I have done quite a bit of yard cleaning for the fall but I have two HUGE oak trees which I love in every season but the Fall.  The leaves on these trees take forever to fall.  Some of them stay on all winter.  The leaves don't break down either.

I guess this is my rant for the day.  Does anyone else have these trees?  Any secret tips for cleanup?  The rest of the oaks are in a wooded are on the way to the lake and at the lake so I usually leave the lakeside gardens til Spring.  LM

[PINKdogWOOD]

@Lilysmom UGH - fall leaf removal/clean up - HATE IT!!!  I hate it for so many reasons.  Leaves on the ground when it's dry are okay even fun to crunch.  Wet leaves are dangerous for all walkers, they make the sidewalks slick.  And like your mighty oaks, some leaves don't want to fall so I think that's okay, just that many that you don't need to worry about raking. 

Let's not forget about naked trees!!!!!  I hate looking out any of my windows to see nothing but brownish/grey branches where green leaves should be.

My husband and I have been doing leaf removal in our own yard for weeks now, every Saturday we're out there.  What we hate is the fact that we're the only ones on our block who does leaf removal and because of this, as my husband is a landscaper by trade, he feels compelled to do the neighbor's yards if for no other reason than to keep the neighbor's leaves from blowing into our yard - again!!!!!

I understand how you feel wanting the rest of your leaves to fall but you know those oak trees.  Don't sweat the small stuff.  You'll bag them when they're ready!

[PamfromCT]

Oh, do we have oak trees.  They are huge and beautiful, but the leaves fall in batches.  Several clean-ups are required, as leaves left on our grass will ruin the lawn.  Like many Connecticut people, we love our trees.  Woe to the utility companies if they over-trim trees by power lines, or opt to take them down.  Oh my.

[PINKdogWOOD]

@PamfromCT  GGGGRRRRR - we too hate the utilites who come around the neighborhood and 'trim' our trees too.

[Hoovermom]

Lilysmom:  The only thing we have in common in our yards LOL are the oak trees that dominate the back of our house.  They are a pain in the butt because they don't fall off until way into the winter.  What a challenge.  

[GingerPeach]

Hi @Lilysmom

@PINKdogWOOD has the right idea.  

I was wondering what your garden requirements are for under those oaks.  Maybe it could be left more natural or is it a "manicured" area? There are so many oaks, some being deciduous, and many of those don't even drop leaves until spring.  And even the evergreen ones drop leaves from time to time.

I just got an email from Houzz, and one of the links was to an article about not needing to clean up as much in fall.  I don't know how much of this would apply for you, but it could be interesting reading:   LINK to Houzz article

[Sweetbay magnolia]

Hi, Lilysmom -  I love oaks - the kings of the forest here in the east.  We have lots of natives (white, red, scarlet, pin, willow) on our property and we just let them fall and cover the gound, as we keep a preserve of wild things, and where they fall on cultivated beds, I allow them to remain. They get dug into the bed later on or I cover with a decorative pine mulch.  They eventually break down or get eaten by subterranean creatures.  It just takes time.  Sometimes you feel as if you need a hard hat to guard against the acorns, but the critters love them.  DH runs over them with a mulching mower or rakes and adds them to the compost heap, in the areas we have turf (and weeds).  Yes, many of them don't drop until the new growth pushes out in the Spring.  

All in Mother Nature's plan.  Maybe a chipper would work for you?

I've had to bring awareness to DH that there is no rational reason to do much about the falling leaves.  They happen for a reason.  Of course, I keep the front walk clear but I consider the leaves a gift.  They build the soil and "feed" the trees and create a self-sustaining system.  (And while viable soak up all the Co2 they can).

Don't get me started on the whole gutter thing . . . the price I pay to live amongst the majesty of 100' trees and the wildlife they support.

I'm sure you understand all of this - just my take on oak leaves.  I understand your frustration.  Folks spend big bucks to buy leaf mold and mulch products when it is free for the taking, and requires no fossil fuels to produce.

Best to you!

[ValuSkr]

You're so right about oak leaves.  Mine fall mostly in November but some hang on till Spring.  So it's a constant clean-up for months.  They get blown into nooks and crannies and at some point the wind blows them out and you're wondering where they came from.  And they don't decay - as if they have a waxy coating like pine needles.  I view them as litter - big brown leaves blowing around the yard and gardens.  Neighbors must think I'm obsessed

[Sweetbay magnolia]

Hi @GingerPeach.  That is a beautiful article.  I'm so happy whenever I see this perspective given.  Some birds, like thrashers, exist on the detritus of the forest floor, and in their way, contribute to the decomposition of leaves and such.

 I am habitat driven in my gardening practices.  I live here, too, but so much of my joy comes from the wild creatures around me.

Excuse me if I sound preachy.  Just looking for like minds and hoping to shed light on common misconceptions that impact Mother Earth.  Have a good night.

[Dorothy11]

We have 8 huge old oaks in our yard. Yes, the leaves take weeks to come down. Up until a couple of years ago, we only had to get them to the curb, and the county would vacuum them up. We used dueling leaf blowers and a large tarp to drag them to the street. The pile would be about 4 ft tall and the length of our property. Now, they have to be bagged and only in paper bags. Instead of buying 80 leaf bags each year, we bought (5) 30 gal. trash can on wheels.Every weekend we use the blowers to concentrate the leaves, mow with the mulching mower w/bag, and compact into the trash cans. We also have 2 "leaf corrals" out back by the garden. Chicken wire circles about 5' diameter that we fill with mulched leaves. We fill one each year because they take a good 2 years to break down.