3 ms·

So use a rake and broom, it's what I do when I clear my yard and driveway. Edit: and for that matter we probably need to stop clearing so much yard waste. My v

by duped 2y ago

So use a rake and broom, it's what I do when I clear my yard and driveway. Edit: and for that matter we probably need to stop clearing so much yard waste. My village has crazy expensive yard waste tags (with free pickup on select weeks of the year, usually fall) and everyone agrees it's not worth it to bag grass and leaves for the better part of the year. Unsurprisingly we have tons of pollinators, healthy firefly populations, and plenty of critters that feed on all the bugs. Not to mention during spring, every one who's too lazy to manicure their lawn sees blooms with dandelion, clover, ground ivy, and columbine. My block looks like a meadow for April and May with zero effort.

ssl-3 2y ago
It seems that the value of clearing yard waste depends on the local conditions. Some climates produce layers of thatch from simple lawn clippings, for instance, which can be problematic. And for some people, fallen tree leaves can be a real concern. My lawns (all of which have been in Ohio) have never had these issues. I just mow the grass. Stuff (leaves, grass, whatever other stuff is growing or present) gets chopped up, either with a "mulching" mower or a side-discharge mower (and it'd probably work about the same with a reel mower). It degrades quickly-enough in-situ that neither lawn clippings nor tree leaves are ever things that are a concern. (The biggest lawn-oriented issue I ever had was that of having a large number of black walnut trees; the walnuts themselves were unseen ankle-killing traps and/or projectiles in the fall, and the abundance of food lead to an abundance of squirrels and thus fleas.) But as I understand it, some others are not so lucky. I'm not familiar enough with the problems because I've never had any problems, but I understand that they do exist in some areas. (Heavily-manicured deliberately-monoculture lawns are a different thing that I'm not even attempting to address here.)
Ferret7446 2y ago
Uh, what? You realize the problem with electric blowers is that they don't have enough power for commercial use compared to gas blowers, so your suggestion is to use a rake?
- duped 2y ago
  The problem that blowers solve is moving light yard waste. Most people can do that with a rake and broom. And most of it doesn't need to be moved in the first place.
  - Ferret7446 2y ago
    The problem that blowers solve is moving a huge amount of light yard waste that would not be practical with a rake. Naturally, most people cannot do that with a rake and broom, without dedicating multiple days to the job.
    - duped 2y ago
      I raked my yard waste today and swept my driveway and sidewalk. It took 20 minutes. I live on about a half acre lot. It's really not that difficult.

by duped 2y ago

ssl-3 2y ago

It seems that the value of clearing yard waste depends on the local conditions. Some climates produce layers of thatch from simple lawn clippings, for instance, which can be problematic. And for some people, fallen tree leaves can be a real concern. My lawns (all of which have been in Ohio) have never had these issues. I just mow the grass. Stuff (leaves, grass, whatever other stuff is growing or present) gets chopped up, either with a "mulching" mower or a side-discharge mower (and it'd probably work about the same with a reel mower). It degrades quickly-enough in-situ that neither lawn clippings nor tree leaves are ever things that are a concern. (The biggest lawn-oriented issue I ever had was that of having a large number of black walnut trees; the walnuts themselves were unseen ankle-killing traps and/or projectiles in the fall, and the abundance of food lead to an abundance of squirrels and thus fleas.) But as I understand it, some others are not so lucky. I'm not familiar enough with the problems because I've never had any problems, but I understand that they do exist in some areas. (Heavily-manicured deliberately-monoculture lawns are a different thing that I'm not even attempting to address here.)

Ferret7446 2y ago

Uh, what? You realize the problem with electric blowers is that they don't have enough power for commercial use compared to gas blowers, so your suggestion is to use a rake?

duped 2y ago
The problem that blowers solve is moving light yard waste. Most people can do that with a rake and broom. And most of it doesn't need to be moved in the first place.
- Ferret7446 2y ago
  The problem that blowers solve is moving a huge amount of light yard waste that would not be practical with a rake. Naturally, most people cannot do that with a rake and broom, without dedicating multiple days to the job.
  - duped 2y ago
    I raked my yard waste today and swept my driveway and sidewalk. It took 20 minutes. I live on about a half acre lot. It's really not that difficult.