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Removing leaves from gravel EASILY!

mrcheez

I'm looking for a quick and hassle-free approach to removing fallen leaves from a stone gravel area (gravel pieces approx 1-2cm wide).

Would something like a low-power garden vacuum work? (perhaps not strong enough to suck up stone)

It's an enclosed garden so a leaf blower will just move the problem to another area.

Any recommendations on a product to look at?

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fobster

A rake? Once the gaps are big enough to let stones but not the leaves through?

mrcheez

I looked at that but the leaves seem to be fairly crumbly so some will break up and fall through.

I'd prefer to make this a 5 minute job than a regular raking job as well.

mrcheez

perhaps this...

http://www.woodiesdiy.com/Product/black-and-decker-36v-cordless-blowvac/25733/4.1.0#.VCPr1FewQdo

"No risk of picking up stones and soil."

prospect

You could get a leaf blower that also is a Vac.

Blow all the leaves to one corner and then suck & shred them into the Vac bag.

mrcheez

Similar to the Black and Decker one I put up ... seems to be the way to go alright

The Garden Shop

Hello mrcheez

The best option is to use a blower / vac.
But the Vaccum function is completely useless. Generally you will find that the vaccum fills up within seconds of use and you will spend more time emptying than anything else

The Blower function works great and if you stand the right distance away you will only blow the leaves and not your fine gravel

Just blow the leaves into a corner (or onto a tarpaulin positioned in the corner) and collect the leaves in one go.
having landscaped a lot over the years it has been the quickest and best finish.

Find out more on our website: thegardenshop.ie

mrcheez

cheers, if the vac is useless would I not be better just getting a blower?

They seem a lot cheaper.

also the reason I was looking at a vac was to get leaf residue that had fallen in between the stones, rather than hand-picking each one. Would this not be a good reason to get the vac?

e.g. (not from my garden, but gives idea of what I'm talking about ... my garden would be 10 times more leaves!)

HeidiHeidi

I have a vac/blower and the vac works great! Got it in Woodies, it was fairly cheap, about 40 or 50 quid I think a few years ago - can't remember the brand. I think it may be a sort of "own brand" one - green body/motor, black tube, red flex and plug.

I have a mix of paving and gravel and it doesn't pick up the gravel at all. I have never used the blower bit of it, just the vac, and it works a treat. Grand big bag on it so it doesn't fill up too often as someone earlier suggested. It even manages bamboo leaves which are probably not very good for it.

ETA - sorry, sorry, got it in B&Q. Something similar to this http://www.diy.com/departments/bq-electric-garden-blower-vac-2600-w/315509_BQ.prd

mrcheez

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

I have a vac/blower and the vac works great! Got it in Woodies, it was fairly cheap, about 40 or 50 quid I think a few years ago - can't remember the brand. I think it may be a sort of "own brand" one - green body/motor, black tube, red flex and plug.

I have a mix of paving and gravel and it doesn't pick up the gravel at all. I have never used the blower bit of it, just the vac, and it works a treat. Grand big bag on it so it doesn't fill up too often as someone earlier suggested. It even manages bamboo leaves which are probably not very good for it.

ETA - sorry, sorry, got it in B&Q. Something similar to this http://www.diy.com/departments/bq-electric-garden-blower-vac-2600-w/315509_BQ.prd

Nice... corded too which I prefer (I have a plug in the garden)

CJhaughey

Blower all the way, if its a decent blower it will blow wet leaves no problem.
One piece of gravel in a vacuum and the impeller can be ruined.
I have acres of grass to clean leaves off and a backpack blower is the only way to do it.

HeidiHeidi

mrcheez wrote: »

Nice... corded too which I prefer (I have a plug in the garden)

Lucky you!!! I got distracted and forgot to insist on one when I was getting my house/garden work done :mad:

mrcheez

CJhaughey wrote: »

One piece of gravel in a vacuum and the impeller can be ruined.

I wonder would putting some sort of DIY plastic grating over the funnel prevent this from happening, would probably mean I'd have to pick the leaves off, but at least saves the agonising bending-down-to-pick-up-leaves part.

Or perhaps holding the funnel vertically and 4cm above the leaves all the time.

HeidiHeidi

Unless your gravel is tiny stuff, it won't suck up the stones.

Well mine doesn't anyway, and I hold the tube right on it to get the bits out from in between - don't know how to describe the grade of gravel but it's medium sized pebbles.

mrcheez

Mine would be pretty similar to the pic I put up (some bits 0.5mm, some bits 2cm)

HeidiHeidi

mrcheez wrote: »

Mine would be pretty similar to the pic I put up (some bits 0.5mm, some bits 2cm)

Hard to judge the size of the stones without something to compare to!

But if the motor is the guts of three feet away and there's a big wide tube in between, there's no way it'll suck a stone all the way up into the blades.

Caveat - IMO. I'm no expert, just going on my own experience. (A fella who was doing my garden had a humdinger of a vac here once and was busy hoovering off the gravel and his didn't suck it up either.)

mrcheez

I think the trick is to get a low-power one (yours is 2600W which is lower than the others I've seen so maybe that's why it works on gravel)

Strong enough to suck up leaves, not strong enough to suck up stones.

HeidiHeidi

mrcheez wrote: »

I think the trick is to get a low-power one (yours is 2600W which is lower than the others I've seen so maybe that's why it works on gravel)

Strong enough to suck up leaves, not strong enough to suck up stones.

I've just checked and mine is only 1800W :eek:.

Still, I can assure you that as a leaf hoover it works just grand.

mrcheez

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

I've just checked and mine is only 1800W :eek:.

Even better

no way a 1800 W will suck up stones.

self3137

I had the problem of a lot of organic matter in my gravel and the easiest way to separate both was by filling the wheelbarrow with water and shoveling in the gravel and let gravity take over.

mrcheez

Effort of that. I'll take my lazy approach thank ya velly much

mrcheez

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

ETA - sorry, sorry, got it in B&Q. Something similar to this http://www.diy.com/departments/bq-electric-garden-blower-vac-2600-w/315509_BQ.prd

passing by B&Q the other day so picked up one of these Bosch ones for €89

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bosch-Electric-Garden-Blower-Vacuum/dp/B00AHC7XLK/ref=pd_sim_sbs_diy_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0MBKRB6CABGFD2RBN6J6

Main advantage is that it has variable-strength suction/blow so you can control the strength.

Cheers for the suggestion of B&Q.