Subject: (in North-East USA): Must *every* leaf be blown from lawn?

A couple of people (have nice lawns, gardins, and so on --
and tell me that I *must" get rid of *all* thse leaves.

Question: is this really necessary?

And if so, why?


THANKS!

David

On Nov 29, 8:34*am, (David Combs) wrote:
Subject: (in North-East USA): Must *every* leaf be blown from lawn?

A couple of people (have nice lawns, gardins, and so on --
and tell me that I *must" get rid of *all* thse leaves.

Question: is this really necessary?

And if so, why?

THANKS!

David

Why?

To pollute the air with particulates & 2 stroke exhuast.
To generate noise.
To keep low skilled workers employed OR to keep OCD homeowners busy &
happy.

other than those, I can't think of any others

cheers
Bob

On Nov 29, 10:34*am, (David Combs) wrote:
Subject: (in North-East USA): Must *every* leaf be blown from lawn?

A couple of people (have nice lawns, gardins, and so on --
and tell me that I *must" get rid of *all* thse leaves.

Question: is this really necessary?

And if so, why?

THANKS!

David

Your kidding right, mulched leaves-grass, left on the lawn is best for
numerous reasons. Unless you put organic material back into the
ground, polluted dust is all it is getting. After 35 years my mom
wonders why the dirt is like silt. Mulching everything has made a big
difference in dirt quality and not needing lawn fertilisers. No real
gardener removes everything.

(David Combs) writes:

Subject: (in North-East USA): Must *every* leaf be blown from lawn?

A couple of people (have nice lawns, gardins, and so on --
and tell me that I *must" get rid of *all* thse leaves.

Well, if they told you it MUST be true.

Question: is this really necessary?

Depends.

And if so, why?

Leaves lying on the lawn kill the grass underneath.

The dead patches fill in by themselves over the course of the
summer.

The bottom line is, the better you want your lawn to look,
the more meticulous you want to be.

I get rid of most of the leaves but a few accumulate over the
winter. I don't like to walk on the lawn during the winter
especially when it's muddy, that compacts the soil which is
also not good for the lawn. So I don't go and pick up every
leaf all winter long.

David Combs wrote:
Subject: (in North-East USA): Must *every* leaf be blown from lawn?

A couple of people (have nice lawns, gardins, and so on --
and tell me that I *must" get rid of *all* thse leaves.

Question: is this really necessary?

And if so, why?


THANKS!

David


They tend to kill the grass where they pile up. But I don't agree that
removing them is required. I have a mulcher blade on the lawn mower and
use that to chop them up where they lie. The next rain or snow breaks
them down the rest of the way. Folks who need a picture perfect putting
green lawn might disapprove but it saves more stuff going to the
landfill and adds organic matter to the soil.

On Nov 29, 8:34*am, (David Combs) wrote:
Subject: (in North-East USA): Must *every* leaf be blown from lawn?

A couple of people (have nice lawns, gardins, and so on --
and tell me that I *must" get rid of *all* thse leaves.

Question: is this really necessary?

And if so, why?

THANKS!

David

The proper answer to 'get rid of them' is the 'bird'.

Harry K

In ,
David Combs spewed forth:
Subject: (in North-East USA): Must *every* leaf be blown from lawn?

A couple of people (have nice lawns, gardins, and so on --
and tell me that I *must" get rid of *all* thse leaves.

Question: is this really necessary?

And if so, why?


THANKS!

David

funny you should ask.
I recieved this a couple of days agog


(overheard in a conversation between God and St. Francis):

God: "Francis, you know all about gardens and nature; what in the world is
going on down there in the U.S.? What happened to the dandelions, violets,
thistles and the stuff I started eons ago?
I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of
soil, withstand drought, and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the
long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honeybees, and flocks of
songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of color by now. All I see are
patches of green."

St. Francis: "It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. They are
called the Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers
"weeds" and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass."

God: "Grass? But it is so boring, it's not colorful. It doesn't
attract butterflies, bees or birds, only grubs and sod worms.
It's temperamental with temperatures. Do these Suburbanites
really want grass growing there?"

St. Francis: "Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it has grown a
little, they cut it....sometimes two times a week."

God: "They cut it? Do they bale it like hay?"

St. Francis: "Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in
bags."

God: "They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?"

St. Francis: "No sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it
away."

God: "Now let me get this straight...they fertilize it to make it
grow and when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?"

St. Francis: "Yes, Sir."

God: "These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on
the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a
lot of work."

St. Francis: "You aren't going to believe this Lord, but when the grass
stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so
they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it."

God: "What nonsense! At least they kept some of the trees.
That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself.
The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the
summer. In the autumn they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to
keep the moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. Plus, as
they rot, the leaves become compost to enhance the soil. It's a natural
circle of life."

St. Francis: "You'd better sit down, Lord. As soon as the leaves fall, the
Suburbanites rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away."

God: "No way! What do they do to protect the shrubs and tree
roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and loose?"

St Francis: "After throwing the leaves away, they go out and buy something
called mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the
leaves."

God: "And where do they get this mulch?"

St. Francis: "They cut down the trees and grind them up to make mulch."

God: "Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore.
Saint Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have
you scheduled for us tonight?"

St. Catherine: "Dumb and Dumber," Lord. It's a really stupid
movie about...

God: "Never mind -I think I just heard the whole story from Saint Francis!"

On 29 Nov 2008 11:34:13 -0500, (David Combs) wrote:


Subject: (in North-East USA): Must *every* leaf be blown from lawn?

A couple of people (have nice lawns, gardins, and so on --
and tell me that I *must" get rid of *all* thse leaves.

Question: is this really necessary?

And if so, why?


THANKS!

David


Removing leaves helps get more light to the grass and shows a tidy
appearance. I have used leaves to mulch and to protect rose bushes
for the winter. Shredded leaves makes excellent compost. There are
still idiots that insist on burning leaves when they are better left
alone.

wrote in message
...
On 29 Nov 2008 11:34:13 -0500, (David Combs) wrote:


Subject: (in North-East USA): Must *every* leaf be blown from lawn?

A couple of people (have nice lawns, gardins, and so on --
and tell me that I *must" get rid of *all* thse leaves.

Question: is this really necessary?

And if so, why?


THANKS!

David


Absolutely NOT! Leave them on the grass to protect the lawn, them grind them
into pulp with the first mowing. These idiots that remove all the leaves are
the same ones who need to fertilize their lawns. We never have to do that.
Also, these same morons mow the grass so close every week that it turns
brown unless they water it. We never have to do that, either, since we cut
it to a much more reasonable length, and only twice a month. It's not rocket
science, it's a lawn.

wrote in message
...
On 29 Nov 2008 11:34:13 -0500, (David Combs) wrote:


Subject: (in North-East USA): Must *every* leaf be blown from lawn?

A couple of people (have nice lawns, gardins, and so on --
and tell me that I *must" get rid of *all* thse leaves.

Question: is this really necessary?

And if so, why?


THANKS!

Absolutely NOT! Leave them on the grass to protect the lawn, them grind them
into pulp with the first mowing. These idiots that remove all the leaves are
the same ones who need to fertilize their lawns. We never have to do that.
Also, these same morons mow the grass so close every week that it turns
brown unless they water it. We never have to do that, either, since we cut
it to a much more reasonable length, and only twice a month. It's not rocket
science, it's a lawn.

In article om,
ChairMan wrote:
In ,
David Combs spewed forth:
Subject: (in North-East USA): Must *every* leaf be blown from lawn?

A couple of people (have nice lawns, gardins, and so on --
and tell me that I *must" get rid of *all* thse leaves.

Question: is this really necessary?

And if so, why?


THANKS!

David

funny you should ask.
I recieved this a couple of days agog


(overheard in a conversation between God and St. Francis):

God: "Francis, you know all about gardens and nature; what in the world is
going on down there in the U.S.? What happened to the dandelions, violets,
thistles and the stuff I started eons ago?
I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of
soil, withstand drought, and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the
long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honeybees, and flocks of
songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of color by now. All I see are
patches of green."

St. Francis: "It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. They are
called the Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers
"weeds" and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass."

God: "Grass? But it is so boring, it's not colorful. It doesn't
attract butterflies, bees or birds, only grubs and sod worms.
It's temperamental with temperatures. Do these Suburbanites
really want grass growing there?"

St. Francis: "Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it has grown a
little, they cut it....sometimes two times a week."

God: "They cut it? Do they bale it like hay?"

St. Francis: "Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in
bags."

God: "They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?"

St. Francis: "No sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it
away."

God: "Now let me get this straight...they fertilize it to make it
grow and when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?"

St. Francis: "Yes, Sir."

God: "These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on
the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a
lot of work."

St. Francis: "You aren't going to believe this Lord, but when the grass
stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so
they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it."

God: "What nonsense! At least they kept some of the trees.
That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself.
The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the
summer. In the autumn they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to
keep the moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. Plus, as
they rot, the leaves become compost to enhance the soil. It's a natural
circle of life."

St. Francis: "You'd better sit down, Lord. As soon as the leaves fall, the
Suburbanites rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away."

God: "No way! What do they do to protect the shrubs and tree
roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and loose?"

St Francis: "After throwing the leaves away, they go out and buy something
called mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the
leaves."

God: "And where do they get this mulch?"

St. Francis: "They cut down the trees and grind them up to make mulch."

God: "Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore.
Saint Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have
you scheduled for us tonight?"

St. Catherine: "Dumb and Dumber," Lord. It's a really stupid
movie about...

God: "Never mind -I think I just heard the whole story from Saint Francis!"



Very, very good!

Any more of that quality, maybe contribute them here?

Or put me on a "forward-to" list for the really good ones?


Perfect, just perfect, that story!


David

"David Combs" wrote

Subject: (in North-East USA): Must *every* leaf be blown from lawn?

A couple of people (have nice lawns, gardins, and so on --
and tell me that I *must" get rid of *all* thse leaves.
Question: is this really necessary?
And if so, why?

I'll post a little disclaimer. If you dont, then they blow into others
yards and then they have to cleanup what they consider a mess. Neighbors
must be upset at having to clean up after your trees?

Also, dunno where you are but it's cold enough you lose leaves in winter
evidently. If any of your neighbors have a fireplace, they'd be using it
about now. Firehazard.
I have the same thing here, with a fireplace and too many dry leaves can
lead to potential hazards if the wind kicks up and they pile against my
chimney.

My right side neighbor (same side as my fireplace) have what we think of as
a communal tree. Huge lovely old oak. Technically it's about 2 feet into
his property line but so close to my driveway, it's got cracks from roots
(his driveway is well away and fine). We dont mind the cracks (like the
tree too much to worry about little things like that) but come winter, we
have to clear the leaves quite a bit or they can pile up as much as 3ft deep
along the side of the fireplace. (I kid you not, that can be the depth of
leaves due to wind effects etc).

We don't worry between us about the leaves. See, Joe is 78 and his wife is
72. We have lived here for 10+ years and regard the tree as communal
property, so when the time comes, we just pick out all the sticks (great
kindling there!) then run the lawnmower over the whole area (both yards) to
turn it into a sort of mulch. We then turn over as many bags as they want
to their compost heap. We get along just fine.

Joe and I have no concern about 'looks' of the leaves, but are safety
concious about the fireplace. 2 days ago I didnt feel like raking leaves
other than back from the fireplace directly against the brick (a good 1.5
feet deep) so wetted them down with a hose after moving the bit against the
chimney back some 15ft. First though Charlotte (daugher, 15) and I
scavanged out a 30 gallon trashbag worth of little to middle sized sticks to
use as kindling.

The communal Oak will stop being a problem within the next week, which is
just when our flowering pear will take off it's skivvies and go naked for
the rest of the year. It's not as big as the oak, but it's still a mighty
big tree!

Actually, mulching them in is better for the lawn. Getting rid of them is
NOT necessary at all.

s


"David Combs" wrote in message
...

Subject: (in North-East USA): Must *every* leaf be blown from lawn?

A couple of people (have nice lawns, gardins, and so on --
and tell me that I *must" get rid of *all* thse leaves.

Question: is this really necessary?

And if so, why?


THANKS!

David

I think it's a yuppie thing. My Dad runs them over with the lawn mower, and
leaves them to rot. This gives my mom fits, she doesn't like the colorful
front lawn.

I run mine over with the mower, and been doing so for 15 years or so. No
complaints from the neighbors.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"David Combs" wrote in message
...

Subject: (in North-East USA): Must *every* leaf be blown from lawn?

A couple of people (have nice lawns, gardins, and so on --
and tell me that I *must" get rid of *all* thse leaves.

Question: is this really necessary?

And if so, why?


THANKS!

David

Steve Barker DLT wrote:
Actually, mulching them in is better for the lawn. Getting rid of them is
NOT necessary at all.

s

Depends how many trees you have. If I didn't clear the first few layers
out, my back yard would die entirely. I mulched the final layer, going
back and forth enough times so some green was showing through the brown.

For the sake of neighborhood peace, I did rake and blow the front. Old
fart across the street told me I should take out half the trees in back,
to save time raking.

Thank heavens I have a treeline in back to pile up the leaves, so
disposal isn't a problem. From just 3 previous years of doing that, the
mulch back there is over ankle deep.

--
aem sends....

On Nov 29, 11:34*am, (David Combs) wrote:
Subject: (in North-East USA): Must *every* leaf be blown from lawn?

A couple of people (have nice lawns, gardins, and so on --
and tell me that I *must" get rid of *all* thse leaves.

Question: is this really necessary?

And if so, why?

THANKS!

David

Well you can keep it clean and fertilize like crazy every year to
replace the nutriments that the grass and trees used to make those
leaves. while slowly reducing the overall quality of your soil or you
can mulch the leaves. I would suggest that when the total amount of
leaves gets too much, it is better to get them off, but then they
should be put in a recycle pile to cook back to some great soil.

On Nov 30, 6:50*am, aemeijers wrote:
Steve Barker DLT wrote:
Actually, mulching them in is better for the lawn. *Getting rid of them is
NOT necessary at all.

s

Depends how many trees you have. If I didn't clear the first few layers
out, my back yard would die entirely. I mulched the final layer, going
back and forth enough times so some green was showing through the brown.

For the sake of neighborhood peace, I did rake and blow the front. Old
fart across the street told me I should take out half the trees in back,
to save time raking.

Thank heavens I have a treeline in back to pile up the leaves, so
disposal isn't a problem. From just 3 previous years of doing that, the
mulch back there is over ankle deep.

--
aem sends....

There are two different styles of "mulch". One is to pile the leaves
around trees, shrubs, etc. The other is to put in a "mulching plug"
in your lawn mower and chop them up by mowing over them as they lay.
Most of the 'mulch' suggestions in the thread refer to the latter.

I have used the latter method since 1976 at times with leaves higher
than the entire mower. Takes multiple passes but when done the lawn
has a 'salt and pepper' appearance and a day later nothing shows.
Leaves need to be dry for the best resultss though.

Harry K

bet you have a barking dog too.

----------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.minibite.com/america/malone.htm

On Nov 30, 12:02*pm, wrote:
On Nov 29, 11:34*am, (David Combs) wrote:

Subject: (in North-East USA): Must *every* leaf be blown from lawn?

A couple of people (have nice lawns, gardens, and so on --
and tell me that I *must" get rid of *all* these leaves.

Question: is this really necessary?

And if so, why?

THANKS!

David

* * Well you can keep it clean and fertilize like crazy every year to
replace the nutriments that the grass and trees used to make those
leaves. while slowly reducing the overall quality of your soil or you
can mulch the leaves. *I would suggest that when the total amount of
leaves gets too much, it is better to get them off, but then they
should be put in a recycle pile to cook back to some great soil.

Yes here some people assiduously rake up the leaves (or pay someone to
do so) put them in bags and either pile em up by the roadside to be
picked up or drop them off at designated municipal locations.

And what does the municipality do with them?

They make mulch! Which is then used to enrich (fertilise) flower beds
and lawns! Meanwhile some homeowners go out and buy chemical
fertilisers (often imported) for their lawns.

A local and very well respected horticulturalist/broadcaster does not
recommend the planting of grass at all. Saying it takes too much care
does nothing for the soil and is prone to drought and pests such as
the cinch bug! Rather, plant a low growing version of clover; which is
bug resistant, survives winter frost well, and returns nitrogen to the
soil. So all patching in our front and back is done with clover seed
and it fills in very well mixing with whatever grass is there. It's
been so wet this fall that mulching the leaves has been well nigh
impossible.

HUH!?!?


s
wrote in message
...
bet you have a barking dog too.

----------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.minibite.com/america/malone.htm

Harry K wrote:
On Nov 30, 6:50 am, aemeijers wrote:
Steve Barker DLT wrote:
Actually, mulching them in is better for the lawn. Getting rid of them is
NOT necessary at all.
s
Depends how many trees you have. If I didn't clear the first few layers
out, my back yard would die entirely. I mulched the final layer, going
back and forth enough times so some green was showing through the brown.

For the sake of neighborhood peace, I did rake and blow the front. Old
fart across the street told me I should take out half the trees in back,
to save time raking.

Thank heavens I have a treeline in back to pile up the leaves, so
disposal isn't a problem. From just 3 previous years of doing that, the
mulch back there is over ankle deep.

--
aem sends....

There are two different styles of "mulch". One is to pile the leaves
around trees, shrubs, etc. The other is to put in a "mulching plug"
in your lawn mower and chop them up by mowing over them as they lay.
Most of the 'mulch' suggestions in the thread refer to the latter.

I have used the latter method since 1976 at times with leaves higher
than the entire mower. Takes multiple passes but when done the lawn
has a 'salt and pepper' appearance and a day later nothing shows.
Leaves need to be dry for the best resultss though.

Harry K
My mower IS a mulcher- no side discharge at all. It does have a rear
bagger that has never been used. To mulch each layer as it falls would
take mowing 2-3 times a week at the peak of the drop season. That ain't
gonna happen, and I happened to be out of town the week most of them
came down this year anyway.

Gotta do SOME blowing and raking anyway, for the places the mower can't
fit, and around the shed and such. The layer I mulched this year took 2
weeks to sink in and break up. Like I said, if I mulched it all, the
grass would suffocate, just like it does in the woods. (My backyard is
pretty shady other than in winter.)

--
aem sends...

Harry K wrote:


There are two different styles of "mulch". One is to pile the leaves
around trees, shrubs, etc. The other is to put in a "mulching plug"
in your lawn mower and chop them up by mowing over them as they lay.
Most of the 'mulch' suggestions in the thread refer to the latter.

I have used the latter method since 1976 at times with leaves higher
than the entire mower. Takes multiple passes but when done the lawn
has a 'salt and pepper' appearance and a day later nothing shows.
Leaves need to be dry for the best resultss though.

Harry K

Same here with a similar depth of leaves.

Okay, you've convinced me. Next year I'll run the mulching mower over
them, assuming I don't have too many leaves (how many depends upon
which way the wind is blowing when they fall-- most come from my
neighbor's huge oak tree).

I usually rake them into a pile, then rake them onto a painter's tarp,
drag the tarp to the street and dump them there (they pick up leaves
curbside in my village). Most of my neighbors have gardeners or use
leaf-blowers themselves. Takes me under two hours, once a year, to
rake.

Shaun Eli
www.BrainChampagne.com
Brain Champagne: Clever Comedy for Smart Minds (sm)
see the new one-man show "Business School... in About an Hour?" in NYC

terry wrote:
On Nov 30, 12:02 pm, wrote:
On Nov 29, 11:34 am, (David Combs) wrote:

Subject: (in North-East USA): Must *every* leaf be blown from lawn?
A couple of people (have nice lawns, gardens, and so on --
and tell me that I *must" get rid of *all* these leaves.
Question: is this really necessary?
And if so, why?
THANKS!
David
Well you can keep it clean and fertilize like crazy every year to
replace the nutriments that the grass and trees used to make those
leaves. while slowly reducing the overall quality of your soil or you
can mulch the leaves. I would suggest that when the total amount of
leaves gets too much, it is better to get them off, but then they
should be put in a recycle pile to cook back to some great soil.

Yes here some people assiduously rake up the leaves (or pay someone to
do so) put them in bags and either pile em up by the roadside to be
picked up or drop them off at designated municipal locations.

And what does the municipality do with them?

They make mulch! Which is then used to enrich (fertilise) flower beds
and lawns! Meanwhile some homeowners go out and buy chemical
fertilisers (often imported) for their lawns.

A local and very well respected horticulturalist/broadcaster does not
recommend the planting of grass at all. Saying it takes too much care
does nothing for the soil and is prone to drought and pests such as
the cinch bug! Rather, plant a low growing version of clover; which is
bug resistant, survives winter frost well, and returns nitrogen to the
soil. So all patching in our front and back is done with clover seed
and it fills in very well mixing with whatever grass is there. It's
been so wet this fall that mulching the leaves has been well nigh
impossible.

I like clover. My rabbits like clover. My neighbors, mostly retired
'more power' types, not so much. They keep offering to treat my lawn to
kill it, along with the dandelions. They didn't take it kindly when I
told them that as long as it was green and held the dirt down, I didn't
really care what it was. I'd love to go to a 'no upkeep' yard, but
realistically, in a subdivision, even without an HOA, it ain't gonna
happen. All it take is one neighbor with a day-glo green lawn calling
the township about 'noxious weeds', and you have a feud going on. (See
my message upthread about the neighbor who told me I should take trees
out to cut down on raking.)

They Just Don't Get It.

--
aem sends...

you're a puss.

s


"aemeijers" wrote in message
...

I like clover. My rabbits like clover. My neighbors, mostly retired 'more
power' types, not so much. They keep offering to treat my lawn to kill it,
along with the dandelions. They didn't take it kindly when I told them
that as long as it was green and held the dirt down, I didn't really care
what it was. I'd love to go to a 'no upkeep' yard, but realistically, in a
subdivision, even without an HOA, it ain't gonna happen. All it take is
one neighbor with a day-glo green lawn calling the township about 'noxious
weeds', and you have a feud going on. (See my message upthread about the
neighbor who told me I should take trees out to cut down on raking.)

They Just Don't Get It.

--
aem sends...

On Nov 29, 11:34*am, (David Combs) wrote:
Subject: (in North-East USA): Must *every* leaf be blown from lawn?

A couple of people (have nice lawns, gardins, and so on --
and tell me that I *must" get rid of *all* thse leaves.

Question: is this really necessary?

And if so, why?

THANKS!

David

Tell them to mind their own business.

clipped


I like clover. My rabbits like clover. My neighbors, mostly retired
'more power' types, not so much. They keep offering to treat my lawn
to kill it, along with the dandelions. They didn't take it kindly when
I told them that as long as it was green and held the dirt down, I
didn't really care what it was. I'd love to go to a 'no upkeep' yard,
but realistically, in a subdivision, even without an HOA, it ain't
gonna happen. All it take is one neighbor with a day-glo green lawn
calling the township about 'noxious weeds', and you have a feud going
on. (See my message upthread about the neighbor who told me I should
take trees out to cut down on raking.)

They Just Don't Get It.

--
aem sends...

My introduction to lawn care was when my husband was the "building
manager" for our condo. We rehabbed a very
badly neglected lawn - loads of weeds, large dead areas due to broken
down irrig. system, and very lazy unit
owners. It doesn't take a huge effort to get rid of lots of weeds....in
our case, one application of broadleaf weed
killer got most of them. Crabgrass is another story. With proper
mowing and watering, the lawn can almost
take care of itself. Mow higher during hot, dry weather, etc. I have
lots better things to do than watch the grass
grow, so we researched products and gen'l. care and spent as little
money as possible. On the water, so we
didn't want chemicals washing into the channel. I like clover,
too......mebbe overtreating those kinds of plants
has something to do with bees disappearing - once had a backyard loaded
with them.