tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88203769849279193052024-02-07T22:20:50.799-05:00FAQsFAQs concerning LELE leaf mulching and grass cycling on-site.-mg-http://www.blogger.com/profile/03077442805787151301noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820376984927919305.post-34413127549254471872012-10-22T18:15:00.000-04:002019-10-29T17:37:52.386-04:00What municipalities are part of the LELE initiative?
How much $$ can LELE actually save?
What are some "best practices" that can benefit my landscape?
What is Leaf Mulch?
What equipment do I need to mulch my leaves?
My gardener doesn't have a lawn mower that mulches. Can he use his regular lawn mower? If not, where do you recommend buying a lawn mower that mulches? And what should I -mg-http://www.blogger.com/profile/03077442805787151301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820376984927919305.post-72076299619097682972012-09-08T14:05:00.000-04:002017-03-20T15:44:10.996-04:00What municipalities are part of the LELE initiative?Download this list of Westchester towns and villages that are supporting LELE initiatives locally (.pdf).-mg-http://www.blogger.com/profile/03077442805787151301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820376984927919305.post-13210165930872239922012-09-08T14:00:00.000-04:002017-03-20T15:45:35.196-04:00How much $$ can LELE actually save?How much time and costs savings are actually possible at a municipal level from the reduction in County yard waste tipping fees, labor overtime, fuel & transportation costs, specialized equipment purchase and maintenance, prevention of storm drain clogging, etc.? Potential savings estimates range from $100k to over $750k at a municipal level, depending upon the municipality:
Municipality -mg-http://www.blogger.com/profile/03077442805787151301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820376984927919305.post-15477981313556740842012-08-19T14:53:00.000-04:002012-10-03T18:05:54.738-04:00What are some "best practices" that can benefit my landscape?As the LELE initiative affirms, recycling organic yard debris on-site saves municipal tax dollars spent on collection and processing. There are many ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle grass clippings, leaves, brush and branches, and organic kitchen scraps.
Effective yard debris management reduces waste, recycles organic materials, and can help to beautify one's property.
Simple, -mg-http://www.blogger.com/profile/03077442805787151301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820376984927919305.post-25593270116345174842012-08-15T16:50:00.000-04:002012-10-16T15:12:19.232-04:00What is Leaf Mulch?Leaf mulch is the result of finely shredding fall leaves. As these fine leaf shreds decompose, the nutrients and minerals contained within the leaf are released, recycled into the soil. Additionally, the finely textured mulch adds air pockets to your soil, allowing better oxygenation, as well as enhanced water retention. Leaf mulch can be left in-place on the lawn, used as a landscape bed mulch -mg-http://www.blogger.com/profile/03077442805787151301noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820376984927919305.post-84656471019777253962012-08-15T16:40:00.000-04:002012-10-16T15:12:40.685-04:00What equipment do I need to mulch my leaves?If you are a homeowner, you can shred ’em using a mulching lawn mower, a leaf shredder, a leaf vacuum/shredder, or even a do-it-yourself setup using a weed whacker inside a trash can.
Electric Mulch Mower
Leaf Shredder
Leaf Vacuum
We recommend using a high-torque mower for mulching deep piles or wet leaves. A 7 ft-lb torque gas mower should work quite nicely. If using an electric mower, -mg-http://www.blogger.com/profile/03077442805787151301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820376984927919305.post-19992870130853866322012-08-15T16:35:00.000-04:002012-10-16T15:28:50.996-04:00My gardener doesn't have a lawn mower that mulches. Can he use his regular lawn mower? If not, where do you recommend buying a lawn mower that mulches? And what should I expect to pay?A regular mower will not give the best results, esp. with deep layers of leaves. This is because the mower will expel the leaves from underneath the deck before they are fully chopped into small shreds. Even with repeated passes over the leaves, the result may not be acceptable.
What is needed is either a mulching kit accessory (for the existing mower) which closes off the output port of the -mg-http://www.blogger.com/profile/03077442805787151301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820376984927919305.post-13142448221781524812012-08-15T16:32:00.000-04:002013-10-09T14:27:41.219-04:00Will shredded Fall leaves harm my lawn?Many landscapers (such as out trainers) have been doing LELE for a number of years - they would not be doing this process if the results damaged the turf quality the following year! (Read their testimonials.)
Scientific research concerning leaf mulching on turf has been compiled by LELE team and by folks at the Westchester Cornell Cooperative Extension offices.
A number of studies exist and are-mg-http://www.blogger.com/profile/03077442805787151301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820376984927919305.post-64031305303197913002012-08-15T16:30:00.000-04:002012-10-03T18:41:21.631-04:00What about pine needles, pine cones, and acorns?You will probably want to remove pine needles, pine corns and acorns from your lawn areas to prevent damage to your turf.
But keep in mind that pine needles are a good landscape mulch for acid loving plants like blueberries, mountain laurel, rhododendrum. Pine needles can also be very attractive simply left around the tree itself where they fall as they make a colorful, fragrant, and protective-mg-http://www.blogger.com/profile/03077442805787151301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820376984927919305.post-21564391630455822832012-08-15T16:28:00.000-04:002013-10-22T18:10:30.481-04:00Will mowing the leaves into the lawn look messy?Most homeowners don't realize the landscaper is doing anything different after they switch to mulching-in-place. The shredded mulch generally cannot be seen on the lawn. Sometimes, if the leaf layer is very thick, you may need to make two passes to mulch all the leaves. Landscaping mowers equipped with mulching fittings reduce the leaves to such tiny fragments that you don't see them at all. -mg-http://www.blogger.com/profile/03077442805787151301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820376984927919305.post-88990145570027433792012-08-15T16:27:00.000-04:002013-10-22T18:11:34.880-04:00After I mulch mow, I can still see brown leaf shreds on my lawn. Is this a problem?After mulching you may see leaf shreds both on the surface of the grass and in between the blades of grass. But they should not be of the density or size (under 1" square) that will block light and/or smother the turf. Over the winter, those leaf shreds on top of the grass should fall into the root zone soil, as well. There, they will decompose naturally by mid to late spring.
Lawn -mg-http://www.blogger.com/profile/03077442805787151301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820376984927919305.post-75094821048363618362012-08-15T16:26:00.000-04:002013-10-22T18:16:34.851-04:00When I mulch mow, the mower leaves a trail of not-fully-chopped leaves behind. What am I doing wrong?There is often some confusion about the "rowing" of chopped leaves left behind the mower. This is typically an issue during the late fall's peak leaf drop accumulation. When you’re processing large piles and heavier volumes, such "rowing" can be expected, requiring a second pass. For greatest efficiency, keep pushing the processing into the pile of unprocessed, meaning in a clock-wise motion.
-mg-http://www.blogger.com/profile/03077442805787151301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820376984927919305.post-19745569030564807692012-08-15T16:25:00.000-04:002012-08-15T16:25:06.635-04:00What is the optimum size for my shredded leaf mulch?Leaf shreds should be about 1" square maximum. When commercial mowers are used by landscapers, shred size is often much finer than this.-mg-http://www.blogger.com/profile/03077442805787151301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820376984927919305.post-29836123991528438202012-08-15T16:23:00.001-04:002012-08-16T08:30:48.095-04:00It looks like the leaf mulch is too thick on my lawn after shredding them under my trees. What am I doing wrong?As the fallen leaves build up deep under large shade trees or if they are wet, a single pass of a mulching mower is often not sufficient to sufficiently shred them into small pieces. Sometimes several passes over the area will be required. (For best effect, mow "across the grain" on each pass.)
For really deep pile of leaves, there are a couple of techniques to try: you can spread the -mg-http://www.blogger.com/profile/03077442805787151301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820376984927919305.post-22330688377029618142012-08-15T16:22:00.000-04:002012-08-23T18:01:28.240-04:00What do you do when there isn't much lawn but you still have loads of leaves to clear? Rake or blow the leaves into long strips on the driveway, (the strips can be up to 2 ft deep) and mow over them with your mower. The pile will reduce in volume about 10-fold and you can blow the mulch back onto the landscape beds or around trees & shrubs.
The one “problem” area in your landscape may be your perennial beds including any ground cover areas. Whole fallen leaves can be heavy and-mg-http://www.blogger.com/profile/03077442805787151301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820376984927919305.post-75362011684375954592012-08-15T16:20:00.000-04:002012-08-21T13:05:31.269-04:00What if I don't like the look of leaf mulch on my landscape beds?Some people prefer the look of commercial mulches. In that case, use a leaf mulch about 3" deep and top it off with a cosmetic layer (1") of commercial mulch. This way you are still using the leaves productively. -mg-http://www.blogger.com/profile/03077442805787151301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820376984927919305.post-66674144688620256572012-08-15T16:15:00.000-04:002012-08-21T13:14:10.018-04:00Won't the leaf mulch run off when it rains? In general the (finely shredded) leaf mulch stays right where you left it, especially when it rains. It begins to break down immediately and improves the structure of the soil.
-mg-http://www.blogger.com/profile/03077442805787151301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820376984927919305.post-85100789486518099682012-08-15T15:00:00.000-04:002013-10-11T17:26:15.483-04:00Can I mow over the millions of acorns on my property? I am afraid they will break my mower! There are SO MANY this year!Acorns are either too heavy and won’t be sucked up, and/or the mower setting/blade height won’t put the blade any where near the acorns.
You can gather them if they present a condition which either tracks the cracked broken shells in the house, or creates a concern for an unwanted 'roller skating' condition.
One nice "green" idea is to gather them up and put them off to the side, so the wild -mg-http://www.blogger.com/profile/03077442805787151301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820376984927919305.post-308591353540030082012-08-15T08:15:00.000-04:002015-11-10T13:14:58.988-05:00Mulching and leaving leaves from trees infested with anthracnose or tar spot seems to a bad idea. What is the 'best practice' to follow?Question:
I have a very large Norway maple that almost always has leaves infected with anthracnose and sometimes tar spot, depending on the weather during the spring and summer. I have always read that it is important to rake up all the infected leaves and dispose of them in order to minimize re-infection the following year. Mulching and leaving the leaves with the fungus on them seems to -mg-http://www.blogger.com/profile/03077442805787151301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820376984927919305.post-28604235123635585712012-08-15T08:10:00.001-04:002017-10-27T14:36:02.275-04:00Doesn’t shredding all of your leaves result in possibly shredding next year's generation of butterflies and moths? It is certainly true that many caterpillars or pupae (whether in a cocoon or chrysalis) overwinter attached to a stem of the host tree or may drop down in the leaf litter. While mulch mowing will, as you point out, cause casualties for creatures clinging to fallen leaves that are then shredded, it is also clear that overwintering butterflies and moths have little chance of survival if the leaves -mg-http://www.blogger.com/profile/03077442805787151301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820376984927919305.post-66361581693907624022012-08-15T08:10:00.000-04:002019-10-29T17:35:58.872-04:00Are ticks an issue due to Mulching-In-Place?LELE leaf mulching, when done with appropriate equipment and easy-to-learn techniques, results in very finely shredded leaf mulch. This is not what is termed in the scientific literature as “leaf litter.” Leaf litter consists of piles of whole leaves, typically found under trees and/or at yard margins such as along a fence, wall, or foundation. Leaf litter may be an attractive home to ticks.
-mg-http://www.blogger.com/profile/03077442805787151301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820376984927919305.post-42233365333704272922012-08-15T08:09:00.000-04:002019-10-29T17:29:40.286-04:00What can I do to reduce ticks in my yard?Details on how to manage your yard to reduce ticks in a sustainable manner can be found in this handout from Pollinator Pathways:
Landscape to Repel Ticks Without Using Pesticides
Pesticides kill beneficial insects, like the bees and butterflies that pollinate the plants around us, and wash into waterways degrading water quality and harming aquatic life. They are also toxic to pets and people-mg-http://www.blogger.com/profile/03077442805787151301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820376984927919305.post-80493522970830478192012-08-15T08:08:00.001-04:002019-10-29T17:18:18.555-04:00Landscaper warning on breathing mold!Microscopic dust inhaled while working around rotting organic matter can contain mold spores that produce a chronic fungal infection that causes damage to the lungs and sinuses. This fungus may be present in materials such as compost heaps and in piles of rotting leaves. To protect against breathing in the spores, experts advise wearing masks when these materials are likely to be at hand, such as-mg-http://www.blogger.com/profile/03077442805787151301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820376984927919305.post-2105736594929632932012-08-15T08:08:00.000-04:002015-10-26T13:45:00.757-04:00Warning: Watch out for raised irrigation heads.This time of year, lawn service companies are clearing out irrigation systems "to put them to bed" before the ground freezes. Compressed air is blown into the pipes to force water out of the system. In this process, the spray heads may get stuck in the extended (raised) position. With a covering of newly fallen leaves, the stuck heads may not be visible. After the irrigation clean-out has been -mg-http://www.blogger.com/profile/03077442805787151301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820376984927919305.post-64739426534392098062012-08-15T08:07:00.000-04:002013-12-05T19:10:38.392-05:00What about leaf blowers?The focus of LELE initiative is promoting and protecting soil and water quality, as well as reducing organic yard waste from the solid waste stream thereby saving money (in terms of labor, transportation & handling fees, gas, etc.).
LELE is not an effort to eliminate leaf blowers (in spite of the various health, air quality, and soil issues that Leaf blowers create). Already in -mg-http://www.blogger.com/profile/03077442805787151301noreply@blogger.com0