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Texas Gardening

leaf blowers - bad thing

16 years ago

I just saw this on the web:

In Los Angeles, a new law has banned the use of gas-powered leaf blowers because they not only are noise polluters but also pump huge quantities of carbon dioxide and petrol fumes into the atmosphere.

Amen for L.A.

I saw too that a city in Texas has done the same. I hope this catches on!

I use an electric blower but I DON'T BLOW, I vacuum the leaves and compost them, rather than blowing them in the street where they will end up in my neighbors yard - as so many do! I plan on doing lots more raking this year and keeping using my vacuum less so that I use less energy. Nothing like good ol' physical exertion to get the job done - like my grandpa used to do!

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Comments (9)

sally2_gw
16 years ago
I hate blowers, too. We just mow over our leaves with our mulching mower. It works just fine.

Sally
pjtexgirl
16 years ago
I have ALWAYS hated those **** things!!!! I lived in an apartment in San Diego for a short while. Every freaking morning they'd power those puppies up and "WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!" Forever and ever all darn day! I was pregnant and not feeling well so my reaction was probably more than it would've been normally. I hope they ban them everywhere. How useless can a tool be? It doesn't do anything but move stuff around/throw dirt in the air. The vacuumes make sense. I like the mulching mower too. PJ
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power cord "lock". I knot the cord so they do not come a part. There are pieces of plastic with holes for the cord that lock the cords so they will not come a part. I basically make a square knot, uniting the ends of the cords, with the final process of the knot plugging the ends together. It is simple, but difficult to put into words, however with the cords ends in your hands it is easy. Knob to control air flow. I am unfamiliar with this, but you may find a knob that would work at a good local hardware store in your area. The best way to learn effectively use a blower is to do it at night with the porch light. You can see the motion of the leaves better with the side lite pile tham with good lighting. Basically the best way to move leaves is to use a circular motions from as low an angle as comfortable. The idea is to "fluidize" the pile of leaves and then move it. In some situations you must use a higher angle to direct the flow directly to where the leaves are sticking. By the way; the leaf blower is one of the most versatile tool you have. It can blow leaves as the name implies, BUT it is great to clean the garage, the porch, driveway, etc.; move and distribute mulch, and clean your lawn mower before you put it into the shed. My brother uses it to dry his car after washing it. Its uses are endless.
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cynthianovak
16 years ago
i love the mulching mowers too! We have several big trees, I don't know why anyone bags leaves for trash when they can just mow them to oblivion. OK, so you do have to do it weekly for a few weeks, but so what?

I'll take a barking dog over those gas powered stinkin' shriekin' leaf blowers anyday.

c
eventfarm
16 years ago
I'm happy when I see that they are being banned - and I'm usually against over-legislation.

They are super-polluting, both in noise and gases and really they are pointless. As someone who suffers sever migraines, having a neighbor use one can be excruiciating for me.

Now... along those lines... I also hate lawnmowers. It never made sense to me that people own a power (or ride-on) mower and then have a gym membership! If your yard is HUGE, then it makes sense, but for a normal neighborhood yard a reel mower is fantastic. And, yes, I don't have one piece of powered yard equipment.
ron00023
16 years ago
I love my echo gas blower...use it all the time....also, most people blow stuff into their yards and not the streets.

Do you really think gas blowers are hurting the environment? Please....
michellesg
16 years ago
PJ, your problem was that you lived in San Diego and it's so overpopulated that your brain was freaking out (born and raised many generation San Diegan talking here, I am never ever moving back).
As for the blowers all of my garden 'appliances' are electric, I can stand the smell of the gas ones. I wouldn't even buy a blower except I need to suck up those dang acorns that the live oaks drop. My dogs eat them like candy and do a number on their tummies. Maybe someday I'll get dogs breed for brains but as of yet I only own the dog equivalents of ding bats..
hitexplanter
16 years ago
I do have an electric blower. I got it for 10 bucks at a garage sale in 2000. I used it to blow all the construction left overs, sawdust, gypsum, etc. out of the house after the builders did their thing. Funny thing is I haven't used it since except to dry the wet wood on our deck stairs several winters ago so it didn't freeze back over one night. Danged if I can figure out why they call em leaf blowers. I guess I never met a leaf I didn't like and so it blows me away why someone uses them for that purpose but heh I live in the country so so far no one uses one (THANK G**:).

I do remember visiting for a few weeks in S. Califonia years ago and waking up to this whiny sound each morn as the sun rose in my brother's apt. complex. Man, not how I could live my life but each to his or her own I guess.
For now I will leaf this topic alone
Happy Growing Y'all David
pjtexgirl
16 years ago
LOL Michelleesg! My DH is a SD native too.(I'm from the desert 60 min from LA) You're right! I was claustrophobic the whole time I was there. It's suffocating having that many people around me.
David, "There is a butt for every saddle". LOL! PJ
spishack01
16 years ago
I like my gas blower too. I blow everything into the yard and then suck it up with my gas lawn mower, then add it to the compost bin.

Mike

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