Working with Pine

[Jim Creech]

Does anyone have a quick and easy method for getting up pine straw? I have about 1 acre with at least 12 pine trees that shed an unbelievable amount of straw and for years I have been using a standard multi tanged, manually operated pine stray extractor. There has to be a better way short of setting fire to my entire yard ,not to mention my house, shop, neighbors etc.

[Lee Schierer]

What about one of those large leave vacuums? http://www.drpower.com/Content/ProdImages/tom_llv2.jpg

[Steve Peterson]

I have been using a standard multi tanged, manually operated pine stray extractor.

Is this a fancy term for a "rake"? :)

Steve

[Scott T Smith]

I use a combination of a 3-point hitch mounted rake, and a chain tine harrow.

[Eric Franklin]

This is the first thing that came to my mind reading the subject of the thread. Pine (e-mail client) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_(e-mail_client)) I need to get out more. :)

[Jim Creech]

Every time I talk to a salesman about those yard cleaning machines they want to change the topic when I mention pine straw. Maybe I'll look into a hitch mounted rake. I'm just getting too old (lazy) too keep raking by hand.

Thanks!

[David Weaver]

We have one called EZ vac, same as any other wagon mounted system.

It picks up some of the pine needles, but not all of them. If you went slow enough, maybe it would get all but the ones wet against the ground.

Take your mower over your needles and see how many of them are moved when you run it. That'll pretty well give you an indicator of what the vac systems like that would move. If they are too heavy to be lifted by the deck, then the system won't draw them through. If, however, the deck lifts them and sends them out the discharge, then the blower would pull them through the system.

I'd imagine the salespeople don't want to talk to you about them because they don't want to get the machine back when it doesn't pick up all of the straw.

[Jay Jolliffe]

Pine straw=pine needles ?

[Jim Creech]

It's a Southern term!

[Karl Andersson]

The problem with pine straw (kinda like needles, but more of them all at once) is that they don't have the right length/ surface area to weight ratio for them to be easily vacuumed up, especially when they mat and tangle together.

When I lived in Mobile, I used a lawnmower with a dethatching blade - the "prongs" kicked the straw up so the blades could whack them into the bag. Worked pretty good, although there were some clogs occasionally. Better than manual, at least. After the first one got involved in a bad way with a live oak root, I found one with nylon prongs that seemed to work better - like this one:
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_07133054000P?sid=IDx20070921x00003a&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=07133054000P

for about $25 it might be worth a try. Most of my neighbors raked them into a purposefully-made bare spot in their yards and burned them.

Man, I hated that yard in Mobile, all the plants were on different "dropping" schedules - 1/4 acre with 4 straw pines, 2 live oaks, 6 crepe myrtles and 4 popcorn trees: rake 20 bags of popcorn tree and crepe myrtle leaves in October, rake 30 bags of live oak leaves in May, then about 20 bags of pine straw in August. Oh, and Mobile was the immigration point for Fire Ants, so there were always plenty of them mixed in.

[Jim Creech]

I also have a burn area about 8' in diameter that I pile it up to about 6' high. It normally takes about 12 to 15 burns to get rid of it all. I used to do this in late fall and again in the spring. Due to some eye problems last fall ( I just couldn't see myself raking it again) it didn't get done. Now I have a full years worth, 1" plus in most areas and my eyes are really starting to bother me again. I think I will try one of those thatch blade things as the pine has killed most of the grass/weeds and a reseed is in order.
Thanks,
Jim

[Keith Outten]

Comrade,

I have a 60" landscape rake that will do the job if you have a small tractor with a 3 point hitch.
.

[Jim Creech]

Thanks Comrade,
All I have is one of those Gravely home version zero turn riding mowers with a piece of sheet metal with a hole for a drop pin. Where you been anyway? Been trying to call but I think I have an old number.

[Brian Vaughn]

Advertise on Craigslist...."Free Pine Straw...U Rake" :)

[Lee Schierer]

How about one of these?http://www.ssbtractor.com/hay_rakes.jpg

[Tom Hoffman 65]

You might want to see if there is a Walker Mower dealer close by. If so, He can probably put you together with a Lawn company who can run their mowers over the area and quickly pick up the needles into their Grass Handling system on the back.

www.walkermowers.com

I am not positive it will work with pine needles, but they are great for fall clean up.

Tom...

[Jim Creech]

Lee,
That thing looks dangerous! Do you have to have a permit or something to operate one or even have one?

Tom,
I did talk to my "Boss" about having a lawn care co. come out and clean up, fertilize, and reseed but she is concerned about funds as I am a self employed gov't contractor and unless congress passes another continuing resolution soon I will be out of work next Friday. If that occurs then she is of the impression that I will have plenty of time to clean up the yard, shop and anything else She feels I need to accomplish. Bless her heart, she did volunteer to wait for the mail man and the newspaper so that I won't be burdened with it.