Yard clean up (neighbor) delema..

[exjay1]

So we have leaves EVERYWHERE in my front yard and typically wait until they are mostly done falling before they dreaded rake/bagging them up (we typically bag up around 50-60 barrell sized bags). We have 4 large maples, 2 hickory and a few smaller trees that really put out some leaves. Now my delema is we have that cold front come in last night and the wind was really whipping around and to my suprise (and not my neighbors) all my leaves ended up in his yard across the street. He dosent do his own yard work but has a company do the clean ups, should I offer to help with the clean up some how or ignore the whole thing? Its kinda the nature of the beast around here with all the trees in the neighborhood but dang my yard looks good

[Threebutchers]

That's a tough one...but in general , if you clean your yard a few times during the fall / winter - you've done your part.... after all, next week the wind could be blowing back in YOUR direction...

Whats drive's me crazy is people who do nothing all fall / winter and are glad to let the wind distribute THEIR leaves to the neighbors who are trying to keep the neighborhood looking nice.

I lived in a colonial wooded lot neighborhood with 30'+ oaks and hickory trees for 17 years. We raked almost every weekend from October through December....it was by no mistake my current home has only (4) trees....(2) are less than 10' and the other (2) are miniatures. [ATTACH][/ATTACH]

[Doug]

My yard is full right now from my neighbors trees.
I am sure he would rake them if I asked, but they're in my yard by no fault of his.
It's nature, I love the trees. I mulch them, blow them and/or rake them as needed.
You may offer and see what he says. If he has a service, they'll probably take care of it.

JMHO

Doug

[clubhouse]

The answer is simple, what would you expect from your neighbor should the roles be reversed? A good neighbor is an asset, I wouldn't want to upset anyone over something as minor as leaf clean up.

[eldermike]

There is an old saying, fences make good neighbors.

[norty1]

The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away!

Wait till March, they will be back.

Seriously, my yard is full of my neighbors leaves as we speak. He came over and mulched my yard today with his mower.

[Ladywendolyn]

We have a neighbour who spends 8 hours a day picking stray leaves off his perfect lot. I love trees, I love leaves… not to sure if he loves me.

[Clayton4971]

Originally Posted by Ladywendolyn

We have a neighbour who spends 8 hours a day picking stray leaves off his perfect lot. I love trees, I love leaves… not to sure if he loves me.

That's funny !! I do them couple times in the fall then finish in the spring when we get home. Oaks will fall all winter.

[bigbird]

I say do your own thing. Living on a corner I get a bird's eye view of the neighbourhood. A couple neighbours rake daily. One mulches with his bag lawn mower. Me I have watched the leaves come and go and come back again for long enough so we pick this Saturday for the rakeup (forecast sunny and 60). It would be boring if everybody did the same thing at the same time.

[exjay1]

OK came home from work and found I will only have to worry about 1/4 the leaves that ended up on his yard......the rest decided to come back home

[RoyBraddy]

We neighbors swap leaves all the time here... I have a high bank on the South side of my front yard so mine usually get caught in the ditch there. Last couple of day however there has been an sustained 20-25MPH Wind out of the North and a steady stream of leaves heading south haha...

Roy Ken

[clutch]

Originally Posted by eldermike

There is an old saying, fences make good neighbors.

Not only that but good fences keep your leaves in your yard and the neighbors leaves in theirs. We leave home in Sept and by April the leaves are all gone when we return.

[Paulx213]

I never rake leaves. Wait until they're mostly all down, get out the mower and mulch them into dust.

[Jagiven]

Originally Posted by Ladywendolyn

We have a neighbour who spends 8 hours a day picking stray leaves off his perfect lot. I love trees, I love leaves… not to sure if he loves me.

I have to laugh, on a few thoughts.

A cowork has a neighbor who he describes just as you mentioned.

My large tree (black walnut) with an 80’ crown hangs over three yards. It drops its leaves by early October. Because the leaves and drippings are very toxic to other plants I rack and mow them up right away. My neighbors all around me do not and wait till the last moment to rack. In their defense they all have crimson maples and they typically do not start dropping their leave until now. This year they are about a week early do to a few days of insanely windy conditions. My side yard garden (which I had previously cleaned out a few weeks ago) I racked out and had a pile about 5’ tall, about 6’ wide and 10+’ long. I ran the pile down with the mulcher mower than came back with the bagger unit on. I walked away with only having to empty the push mowers bag twice. Job done. I will guess I will have to do this one time this year.

Mother nature pushes the leaves around. I just wish my one neighbor would pick them up in the fall instead of the late late spring.