OT: - Poll for Today’s Leaf Rakers | The Boneyard

OT: Poll for Today’s Leaf Rakers

80 degrees in CT on Halloween Weekend is…

  • Amazing!

    Votes: 35 36.5%

  • I dig it, but it’s also weird

    Votes: 35 36.5%

  • No thanks. Too hot.

    Votes: 26 27.1%
  • Total voters
    96
Hey Adrien!

Hey Adrien!

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It’s 10:25 and I’m taking a raking break to pop some Advil. I’m dressed in summer clothes, sweaty and the temps just hit 71 here in Norwalk. Highs approaching 80.

Noting this, what’s your opinion on this weather?

Non-leaf-rakers may vote too.
 
I would absolutely dig it if I wasn't recovering from Covid this week, and unsurprisingly my wife tested positive this morning.

Good luck with the leaves, we did it the first year as homeowners - and have paid for someone to do it ever year since!

Im Not No Way GIF
 
If your yard has massive mature trees and drops a correspondingly massive load of leaves, then maybe there's a case for some raking. But for the great majority, it would be better to do selective cleanup, run a lawnmower over a lesser layer of leaf cover and allow the yard to benefit from the nutrients in the decaying leaves. Spring cleanup can then accomplish what is needless at this time if year. As Yogi would say, "You could look it up."

Either way, raking doesn't seem like good use of what could be the final day of such mild weather for while.
 
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I have a ton of leaves. I run my electric mower over them and bag them into big brown paper bags. It's the only way unfortunately. Leaving them is not an option unless I want to turn my yard into a desert.
 
temery said:
You should add, "just mow and leave (pun intended) the mulched leaves in place."

I've been doing this for years and my lawn looks amazing.
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I do that from mid-September to late-ish October, but this is first weekend where we can't see the grass through the leaves and it overwhelms our mower. Therefore, this is the first weekend that I've actually raked.

We only have a 1/3 of an acre and have four mature maples at the front of our property. Those have mostly fallen and that was most of my work today. In a few weeks, the western side of our property is lines with super old oaks.

To add on that, we live in a corner lot on a three-way stop between two busy intersections, so there's no place to put the leaves. In summary, very high density of leaves per square foot.

I also like raking in cooler fall weather. Meditative and my neighborhood is beautiful this time of year.

But I agree, ever since I've been mowing the first 4-5ish weeks of the leaves, our lawn has looked so much nicer.
 
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Nice for you guys. I have to harvest the garden today in advance of the first frost coming Monday. Cold and rain next two days, so it's now or never.

Halloween night will be high 30s. I decided to be the guy who offered full-sized candy bars this year and expect to have a lot left over.

Count me in on Team Mulch.
 
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All this talk of raking leaves has this ex-Connecticut boy a bit nostalgic. My Dad always made me (the only son) rake leaves every few days all autumn long. We lived on a VERY wooded lot in Fairfield. I never could understand why I just couldn't wait until the trees were bare and just rake once. My only pay-off was that in those days you could burn your leaves, so this (legal) pyro got to start a fire on the side of the street every week. Hated the raking but loved the fires. I miss my Dad, even the arguments!
 
BTW, it sounds like it is warmer in CT than it is in SoCal right now. That happens more often than you might think. Of course where I am is very close to the Pacific and the prevailing winds mostly come off the water. Other places are warmer.
 
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SoCalCanine said:
BTW, it sounds like it is warmer in CT than it is in SoCal right now. That happens more often than you might think. Of course where I am is very close to the Pacific and the prevailing winds mostly come off the water. Other places are warmer.
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Got rid of my Hamden house and a zillion leaves 7 years ago. Keep SoCall warm, headed to LA and my son’s family Thanksgiving week. But it is near 75 today right along LI Sound.
 
Hey Adrien! said:
I'm at 206 Richmond Hill Ave in Stamford.

Not quite neighbors, but similar home aesthetic.
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I was at your house once 13 years ago. Took my now late older brother out for his 60th and was looking for a party. You weren't home, but your domestics were much more, um, professional, than mine.
 
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You have one of the nicest late October days on record.....and you raked leaves? And by Tuesday, the yard will look like you never touched it. Fail on your part.

I pay 450.00 a year. They come 3 times and clean everything up. Takes them 30 minutes a pop and I have an acre. Have fun with your rake and paper bags.
 
I finally gave up raking this year. I have 1.3 acres in the woods. The leaves fall far too thick to just mulch them with the mower. Last year I took a day off work and spent the whole day raking and blowing and still didn’t finish.

The cheapest quote I got was $500 but I told my wife screw it I’m not doing it again.
 
Greedo said:
I finally gave up raking this year. I have 1.3 acres in the woods. The leaves fall far too thick to just mulch them with the mower. Last year I took a day off work and spent the whole day raking and blowing and still didn’t finish.

The cheapest quote I got was $500 but I told my wife screw it I’m not doing it again.
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Good for you. Go take a hike and sit on top of the peak and enjoy the view. There are other ways of "getting exercise" that don't involve the equivalent of prison labor.
 
Hans Sprungfeld said:
If your yard has massive mature trees and drops a correspondingly massive load of leaves, then maybe there's a case for some raking. But for the great majority, it would be better to do selective cleanup, run a lawnmower over a lesser layer of leaf cover and allow the yard to benefit from the nutrients in the decaying leaves. Spring cleanup can then accomplish what is needless at this time if year. As Yogi would say, "You could look it up."

Either way, raking doesn't seem like good use of what could be the final day of such mild weather for while.
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I’m in the massive category. Went to Treehouse brewery a little before noon, driveway mostly clear. Came home around 4:30 couldn’t see the asphalt of the driveway at all. My backyard is worse. Raking isn’t even possible. One year we bagged the front yard, and had about 80 bags. Just the front.

Love this weather. I don’t mind a crisp 50…in January.
 
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