Subaru Crew Cafe

14566 messages, Last post on Nov 30, 2009 at 3:59 PM

You are in the Subaru Crew Forum. Your Host is kcram

What is this discussion about? Subaru

Your Community Leaders are ateixeira and rsholland.

This is the place for Crew members to kick back, relax, and talk about...whatever!

Outline

Messages Page 1449 of 1457: 1; ...; 1446; 1447; 1448; 1449; 1450; 1451; 1452; ...; 1457; Prev; Next; Last

#14477 of 14566 Re: almost ready to pull the trigger.... [p0926] by ateixeira Nov 09, 2009 (7:57 am)
Replying to: p0926 (Nov 09, 2009 5:44 am) So long as they're not gorging on my cars' wiring harnesses, I'm happy! Replies to this message: xwesx (Nov 09, 2009 9:51 am)
#14478 of 14566 Leaves... by robr2 Nov 09, 2009 (8:12 am)
I put some into a compost pile, but the rest I have to put in kraft paper bags and the town picks them up and hauls them to a central composting pile. I typically put out about 80 bags over 4 weeks in the fall. I got a new attachment for my lawn tractor - the monster leaf bag. It lets me pick up about 4 times what my bagger can. It's a time saver - I mulch the leaves first and then vacuum them up with the tractor. www.mosterleafbag.com Replies to this message: xwesx (Nov 09, 2009 9:55 am) hammerhead (Nov 09, 2009 10:46 am) p0926 (Nov 09, 2009 11:43 am) xwesx (Nov 09, 2009 1:14 pm)
#14479 of 14566 Re: almost ready to pull the trigger.... [ateixeira] by xwesx Nov 09, 2009 (9:51 am)
Replying to: ateixeira (Nov 09, 2009 7:57 am) Just wait a year or two.... with all the food this year, you know their population is on the rise. When food is in short supply, all those extra mouths will be hungry for a little electrical buffet!
#14480 of 14566 Re: Leaves... [robr2] by xwesx Nov 09, 2009 (9:55 am)
Replying to: robr2 (Nov 09, 2009 8:12 am) I have a hand rake. I could get a second one if anyone wants to help! But, the leaves here left long ago. I hauled some lumber home on top of the Forester yesterday, which was the first time I used the rack on this car. It was fun being able to look up through the moonroof to check on the load! After I arrived home, I drove the car through the yard and parked next to the entryway to unload. I figured, just for kicks, I would try driving the car up the slope I traversed a month ago (before the snow fell). It was a little trickier this time, due to the ~6" of snow and slick conditions, but wouldn't you know it.... that car managed to make it through that ditch and up the hill! Replies to this message: hammerhead (Nov 09, 2009 10:46 am)
#14481 of 14566 Re: Leaves... [xwesx] by hammerhead Nov 09, 2009 (10:46 am)
Replying to: xwesx (Nov 09, 2009 9:55 am) Waste Managenment has a yard waste pickup program here (green bins) that are picked up once a week March thru November, so I've got about 3 weeks left (IF it doesn't snow!) Using the bin vs. driving to the transfer station is a time bonus as well as a financial wash, and the yard waste ends up in the same place. Takes me about 2 hours to rake, fill & stomp-compact the bin. What doesn't make it into the bin blows into the neighbor's yards Cheers! Paul
#14482 of 14566 Re: Leaves... [robr2] by p0926 Nov 09, 2009 (11:43 am)
Replying to: robr2 (Nov 09, 2009 8:12 am) Hmmm, I'm going to have to try the mulch then vacuum method. This past weekend the lawn needed mowing and I was able to pick up a fair amount of leaves that way but only for those sections of the yard that didn't have a lot of leaves. For other areas, I raked then mowed, otherwise the mower bag would've filled up in a matter of seconds (push mower). Had I mulched first, I could've gone further between emptying the bag, but then I'd have to go over each area multiple times.... -Frank Replies to this message: xwesx (Nov 09, 2009 1:14 pm)
#14483 of 14566 Re: Leaves... [p0926] by xwesx Nov 09, 2009 (1:14 pm)
Replying to: p0926 (Nov 09, 2009 11:43 am) The leaves that fall on my yard are undoubtedly less and smaller than in areas further south, but I use my little push mower, sans bag, and mulch everything. In the spring, I rake the whole thing with my hand rake and then put what I pick up that way (about two wheelbarrows full) into my compost pile. Other than that, I do not take anything off the lawn - it is all mulched weekly and fed back to the lawn. Of course, this far north with our thin soils, my lawn needs all the organic matter it can get.
#14484 of 14566 Composting leaves by grahampeters Nov 10, 2009 (3:00 am)
Replying to: rsholland (Nov 08, 2009 7:19 pm) G'day I am fascinated. Think of all that soil nutrients that you are exporting from your property, only to have to buy in replacements as fertiliser. The problem of building a compost heap, is that it only degrades very slowly, possibly over years for leaves. If you concentrate the leaves into a tighter stack, and give it some other material to decompose, the leaves break down quicker. Here you can buy a compost activator that accelerates the decomposition process. If you look on the net, you will be able to find plans for making compost bins, Typically, you make two or three, each about a yard cubed. You can build them up with removable boards on one side so that they are easier to load and unload. Most folk in Australia who compost their leaves, use the soil from one bin as they load another. Cheers Graham Replies to this message: lucien2 (Nov 10, 2009 5:40 am) lucien2 (Nov 10, 2009 5:48 am) ateixeira (Nov 10, 2009 11:13 am) volkov (Nov 10, 2009 9:10 pm) ateixeira (Nov 11, 2009 10:46 am)
#14485 of 14566 Re: Composting leaves [grahampeters] by lucien2 Nov 10, 2009 (5:40 am)
Replying to: grahampeters (Nov 10, 2009 3:00 am) we have 2 large bins made out of worn out shipping pallets. We also have 2 decent-sized PET composters for kitchen refuse. They recommend adding a layer of leaves every once and a while to that as well. (oh, and 2 rain barrels ) As for the fall foliage, we have a blower that goes in reverse....sucks them up and mulches them into a bag. Then we dump those all over the garden beds for a winter blanket
#14486 of 14566 Re: Composting leaves [grahampeters] by lucien2 Nov 10, 2009 (5:48 am)
Replying to: grahampeters (Nov 10, 2009 3:00 am) not that we grow much, but we are gardening organically so we won't use petro-chemical based fertilizers. Despite the composting (which is going very slowly in the big yard-waste bins), we may bring in some organic horse manure right before winter, as the tomato beds weren't healthy this year. This was our 3rd year of serious veggie gardening, so we're on a steep learning curve. We figure this fall is time for some serious soil amendment and probably crop rotation next spring.