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Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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We have that happen several times a year. With weekly yard waste pickup some of can be cut up and put in the bin, nut with a powerful mulching riding mower, anything small becomes nutrients for the grass. There is no chute, it drops out under the deck. Some of it, like 3/4" branches can be hard on the blade, but I can remove/sharpen/reinstall it in less than an hour. Eventually, when needed a new blade is only $30. It will also pick up and grind from the driveway and dirt areas, so all that's left to rake is bark or gravel spots, but I only move it onto the grass.
I have 4 large and old pecan trees in my yard that are constantly shedding branches, especially after windy thunderstorms. I use one of these grabbers to pick them up and toss them onto a tarp, which I then drag to the street for pickup. Much better than bending and picking them up individually. Easy and cheap.
Wouldn't it be cheaper to hire someone to come out 3 or 4 times a year with their large expensive mulcher and do your .5 acre yard for you? That's what I'd do instead of investing all the $$$ in the equipment.
Use a blower to push the little twigs and leaves and pine cones into an easier to remove pile. Or blow them into the woods or a designated corner of your yard. You can use a backpack blower if you are strong, or a push blower/sidewalk cleaner if you can afford one.
We have a used riding mower with a mulcher. I think we paid $300. Watch Craigslist, or your local mower shop might sell used ones.
Twigs and branches are picked up by our waste removal company, once a month or so, in piles of 4' long or less, otherwise paper bags full of yard waste is picked up once a week.
If you have room for a fire pit in your yard, you could dispose of some of it that way.
Many lawn mowers are mulch-enabled. Basically it means a "cap" covers the discharge chute, and there is no bagger or other "outlet" for the stuff to go, so it gets cut/shredded over and over into tiny bits for you.
Even though you paid $300, you can get a mulcher mower for $100, push style. Price has nothing to do with mulching capabilities.
Also, consult a tree surgeon, he can cut out parts that are likely dead/dying that will shed branches easily. You can still have branches down in a storm or high wind, but it may cut down the shedding.
Best of luck,,,We have ten trees in our back yard and only have .23 acres. We are having them trimmed and mabey in a couple of years we will have them out, I want dwarf fruit trees instead. All those leaves and branches are a nuisance to our neighbors also!
Best of luck "trimming" your problem! {pun intended}
Ghengis, I think your "sticks" have graduated into "logs" and I would not recommend trying to run them over with a mulchng mower.
If the sticks are small, you can run them over with your mower. In the "mulching configuration" you don't use a bag. The only reason I would ever use a bag is to collect cuttings I wanted to use as mulch some place else. When you chop up your lawn litter, (sticks, leaves, cones etc) you are returning essential nutrients back into the soil. The only thing to put at the curb for pick up are large branches (Like Ghengis'), or something thorny you don't want sticking you in your bare feet or when used as mulch, or anything diseased. Either start a compost pile or compost in place with your mulching mower.
Mow over them, if you live where the soil sucks, like mine (clay) your yard will thank you. I'm in the same position, as soon as I raked up a bunch of leaves, and sweet gum balls, we had a lot of wind and the balls are all over the place and many of the leaves I raked in a pile are back where they were. It's terrible when the sweet gums end up in my beds with mulch, I can't rake those and will have to use a blower.
I put a lot of the leaves in an area where I'm trying to build up some of the soil where it is lower than some other areas, so basically, it's a big mulch pile. The leaves are breaking down, and eventually, I'll have some great soil in that area to plant more plants
BTW, I have a 3/4 acre lot - I feel your pain and totally understand!
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