Collecting leaves on gravel

[glaw5]

Hi, I've got a bit of a strange question so hope this is the right place to post it.

We've got gravel down in our back garden and there seems to be a lot more leaves this year. Just wondering if anyone had novel ideas for raking/collecting them up.

I've got a garden vacuum but guess can't use that as it'll suck up the graven too. Also thinking if I try to rake the leaves however hard I try the gravel will be raked up too!

Any advice gladly received!

[Nicos]

The easiest way is doing them whilst they are dry ( even easier with a blower!)
Also try to do them several times as they are falling rather than after they have all dropped.
Sort of flick them up with the tips of the rake- as if it were a brush.

Personally I find the easiest way is to leave the task to my OH whist directing him from the window!!

[Liza]

I have the same problem, have no answer myself yet so I am watching this thread.

[Glutton4...]

I have used a garden Vac very successfully on gravel! If it is a cheap one (mine was) it won't be powerful enough to suck the gravel all the way up. If it is a posh petrol one (like my Dad's) it won't do any damage and it won't suck them into the machine anyway.

If it is very small stone, ie pea shingle, you still shouldn't have a problem, but I would rake most of the leaves up into a heap first, then vacuum up off the top of the heap.

Next year, net under your trees!

[weekendwellies]

G4 beat me to it. I was going to suggest raking them up into a heap and taking from the top downwards, and next year putting some black plastic sheeting down before the leaves fall.
If you are careful not to lift too much gravel as you are scooping them up, I would imaging a bit of gravel mixed in with the finished compost wouldn't be a major issue unless you are purist about having immaculate soil. I read somewhere that stones in the soil help keep it warm and prevent water loss. Personally speaking I am quite scatty and a bit lazy with the gardening, so I tend to leave stones in situ. It doesn't seem to do any harm.

[roitelet]

I use a broom, one of the flat kind made of rice straw but I suppose the old type of bessom broom would do as well. Gathers up the leaves and leaves most of the stone behind. As the others have said don't let them build up too much it just maked the job harder.

[Nuke]

I haven't seen an answer that looks good yet, although vacuuming seems the best one. If the leaves are newly dry though they are going to take up quite a volume and take a lot of bag changes.

I have moved into a place with a gravel drive 80 yds long and 3 yds wide and where it looks like the leaves have been left for years. There are caked layers of rotted leaves along the edges. Vacuum won't work. I've tried raking but it takes up a lot of gravel with it. Weekendwellies said don't worry about some stone in the compost but I am worried about the loss of gravel - I read advice somewhere to add 2" every two years, but that would be about 50 tons in my case!

I am thinking of :-

a) Flame gun - in dry weather, to reduce the leaves to ash which will blow away or fall between the cracks.

b) Clean the gravel - dig it up in batches, and put in a water tank to let the leaves float off. Then sieve out the fines before replacing. Heavy work, no doubt.

Any comments from anyone who might have tried these methods?

[Glutton4...]

Hi Nuke, and welcome to the madhouse!

I would wait until a windy day, and get out there with a spring-tine rake. The wind will blow most of the dry leaves out and onto the garden, where you can either vacuum them up or dig them in! You may have to do this several times, but I would think you would get a satisfactory result.