Hi
Can anyone suggest a quicker way of collecting leaves from a gravel drive other than the very tedious method of rake and hand? I don't have a huge gravel driveway but it is overhung by lots of trees and clearing it is a very slow job.

I did think of a leaf collecting type gadget but want sure if that would suck up the gravel too?

Cheers

How about burning them off with a Weed Wand?

This sounds like fun...whats Weed Wand.....visions of napalm

In article ,
zippo4 wrote:

Hi
Can anyone suggest a quicker way of collecting leaves from a gravel
drive other than the very tedious method of rake and hand? I don't have
a huge gravel driveway but it is overhung by lots of trees and clearing
it is a very slow job.

Buy one of those blower-type things .... and make yourself unpopular
with the neighbours. (At least - neighbours like me!)

I have two old bits of 3-ply plywood, about 30cm by 45 cm; very light.
When the winds have dried out the leaves (and blown many of them into
piles already) I use one of the boards to waft the leaves on my gravel
into piles myself; then I use both boards to lift the piles into the
barrow. Unfortunately, the wafting business is very inaccurate, and I
sometimes think I could do with one of the those blower-type things ....

I see that you can buy (hey presto!) plastic equivalents of my bits of
plywood these days. These have very large saw-tooth edges at the
bottom side -- I wonder (actually) if these saw-tooths will do exactly
what you (and I) are looking for, now I think about it.

I saw them in my local garden centre and in the B&Q ... I'll 'ave a look
in the old Pound Shop tomorrow! Red plastic though - not as nice as
scruffy old plywood, 30 years old.

John

"zippo4" wrote in message
...

Hi
Can anyone suggest a quicker way of collecting leaves from a gravel
drive other than the very tedious method of rake and hand? I don't have
a huge gravel driveway but it is overhung by lots of trees and clearing
it is a very slow job.

I did think of a leaf collecting type gadget but want sure if that
would suck up the gravel too?

Cheers


--
zippo4


Best using a blower and pick them up from piles thereby formed unless you
can, even better, arrange to blow them next door !

Pete
www.thecanalshop.com

"zippo4" wrote in message
...

Hi
Can anyone suggest a quicker way of collecting leaves from a gravel
drive other than the very tedious method of rake and hand? I don't have
a huge gravel driveway but it is overhung by lots of trees and clearing
it is a very slow job.

I did think of a leaf collecting type gadget but want sure if that
would suck up the gravel too?

Cheers


--
zippo4

keep the trees..........but cut branches off.

toy

On Fri, 22 Oct 2004 14:10:42 +0100, zippo4
wrote:

Can anyone suggest a quicker way of collecting leaves from a gravel
drive other than the very tedious method of rake and hand? I don't have
a huge gravel driveway but it is overhung by lots of trees and clearing
it is a very slow job.

I did think of a leaf collecting type gadget but want sure if that
would suck up the gravel too?

I have a similar problem with a gravelled front garden, which is
planted.
Up the road are a couple of hornbeams and I have discovered that the
leaves do not rot down. In spite of gathering about 8 bin-bags of
leaves over last winter, some of the leaves are still lying there,
quite undecayed, under bushy plants etc. Soon there'll be another
lot.
Anyone any idea how much I might need to pay to hire a blower/vac for
a day (or half)?


Pam in Bristol

"zippo4" wrote in message
...

Hi
Can anyone suggest a quicker way of collecting leaves from a gravel
drive other than the very tedious method of rake and hand? I don't
have
a huge gravel driveway but it is overhung by lots of trees and
clearing
it is a very slow job.

I did think of a leaf collecting type gadget but want sure if that
would suck up the gravel too?

Get one which can blow, suck and shred leaves.

Franz

Cheers


--
zippo4

zippo4 wrote
I did think of a leaf collecting type gadget but want sure if that
would suck up the gravel too?

That's why they invented leaf blowers - you shift them onto the grass
and then rake them up. There are only two snags:
1. In our wet climate the leaves may stay put.
2. It's very decadent, spending all that on a machine and petrol just
to blow a few leaves about.

I find if I wait until, oh May or June, the problem has cleared itself
up.

"zippo4" wrote in message
...

This sounds like fun...whats Weed Wand.....visions of napalm


--
zippo4

I just use my rotary mower with the blades set high, it hoovers them up,
then I can use the leaves from the grass box as mulch.

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)

"zippo4" wrote in message
...

This sounds like fun...whats Weed Wand.....visions of napalm
zippo4

Especially "the smell of napalm in the morning"
Apocalypse now (1979)

Jenny "~)

On Fri, 22 Oct 2004 18:59:03 GMT, Pam Moore
wrote:

On Fri, 22 Oct 2004 14:10:42 +0100, zippo4
wrote:

Can anyone suggest a quicker way of collecting leaves from a gravel
drive other than the very tedious method of rake and hand? I don't have
a huge gravel driveway but it is overhung by lots of trees and clearing
it is a very slow job.

I did think of a leaf collecting type gadget but want sure if that
would suck up the gravel too?

I have a similar problem with a gravelled front garden, which is
planted.
Up the road are a couple of hornbeams and I have discovered that the
leaves do not rot down. In spite of gathering about 8 bin-bags of
leaves over last winter, some of the leaves are still lying there,
quite undecayed, under bushy plants etc. Soon there'll be another
lot.
Anyone any idea how much I might need to pay to hire a blower/vac for
a day (or half)?


Pam in Bristol

Pam

This autumn, water the leaves in the bags to get them wet. Stick a
shovelful of earth in the top of each bag. Puncture holes in the bags
to let in air. Close the tops of the bags losely, just a twist will
do. Stack away and use as next winters mulch.

Last years bagged leaves could be turned out and given the same
treatment as above. I suspoect that they may have compressed down a
bit so turning them out will introduce some air into the mix.

hth

phil

I think (not therefore I am, but because I'm lazy!) that I am going to invest in one of these blower type gadgets. Can anyone recommend one? Or are they all much of a like?

Aardvark muttered:

This autumn, water the leaves in the bags to get them wet. Stick a
shovelful of earth in the top of each bag. Puncture holes in the bags
to let in air. Close the tops of the bags losely, just a twist will
do. Stack away and use as next winters mulch.

Just one wheelbarrow of last year's leaf mould sorted out a horrible bed of
sticky clay - I could literally *see* the stuff making the soil better -
it's magic, don't waste it.

My missus is full of hot air. I could hire her out for a small fee :-))

--
Regards
p.mc

For personal replies please leave or type signature
"p.mc" In the body of the message otherwise
posts will not be received.
Thanks

"zippo4" wrote in message
...

I think (not therefore I am, but because I'm lazy!) that I am going to
invest in one of these blower type gadgets. Can anyone recommend one?
Or are they all much of a like?


--
zippo4