Is there any trick to raking pine needles out of rock beds?

[Mears]

I have a couple of larger rock beds in my front yard that are composed of plain ol ? 2? or so diameter oval stones. Unfortunately, there is a massive pine tree in the vicinity that constantly sheds really long pine needles (6?-8?). I have tried different kinds of rakes with no success. I also tried vacuuming them out with a pretty powerful shop vac, but that also did not help. I tried the vac in blower mode, and that looked like it might have promise, if it pushed a bit more air. Although, I have a feeling the rocks are going to really start moving with a blower.

 

[Cattlegod]

doesn't help you now, but cut down the tree and plant something that doesn't shed pine needles so you don't have to worry about this in the future.

 

[Corbett]

burn them!

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Flamethrower.

But in all reality, a full sized blower is your only real option. It should also have a "suck" option if you know what I mean/

 

[Mears]

Originally posted by: Cattlegod
doesn't help you now, but cut down the tree and plant something that doesn't shed pine needles so you don't have to worry about this in the future.

Believe me, I've considered this option. However, it would cost some serious $$$ to get it cut down and I only have two other mature trees in my yard.

 

[jagec]

A full-out leaf blower (not the blower mode of a shop vac) works pretty decently if the rocks are big enough.

 

[natto fire]

this

And I am not kidding. Then just rake the rocks and the ashes will fall below.

 

[Mears]

Originally posted by: Captain Howdy
this

And I am not kidding. Then just rake the rocks and the ashes will fall below.

It's funny you posted that as I was just looking at those on ebay earlier today. However, wouldn't burning pine needles (and there can be lots) be a fire hazard? The ones I was reading said not to use on pine needles. Also, wouldn't the rocks get scorched.

 

[alien42]

you can pick up a leaf blower for $50 or less and once you start using it you will wonder how you lived without it.

 

[Canai]

Yeah leaf blower is the way to go.

 

[KK]

I like the torch idea.

 

[natto fire]

Originally posted by: Mears
[It's funny you posted that as I was just looking at those on ebay earlier today. However, wouldn't burning pine needles (and there can be lots) be a fire hazard? The ones I was reading said not to use on pine needles. Also, wouldn't the rocks get scorched.

Well you would want to do it without any nearby fire hazards in case it gets away from you. Yeah pine needles do burn quick but if there is nothing nearby to burn then it will just make the job quicker. White kind of rock are we talking about here? The fact that the pine needles are so combustible can work to your advantage in that you will not need much heat to get them going. Then you can use a blower or my original rake idea to take care of the ashes. It might be a good idea to wet the nearby areas to ensure the fire will not get out of hand.

 

[Googer]

Depending on the tree they are from, pine needles may float. Flood your yard then skim they water.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

How many needles are we talking? Are there just a few or are we talking several inches deep? If there are enough to measure in terms of depth, don't burn them, unless you want your rocks scorched. Honestly, scorched rocks are pretty awesome, and burning a whole shit ton of pine needles is really satisfying, so I would feel remorse if I didn't endorse this idea. But if you just need to blow out a bunch of needles, get a leaf blower.

The shop vac didn't vacuum them up? That's odd; we vacuumed up pine needles with a cheap vacuum from 1931 at our "beach house" (quotes required, as the building would probably be comdemned by the state if they knew it existed).

 

[eldorado99]

Pressure washer would be better than a leaf blower I think.

 

[arcas]

Keeping rock beds and walkways neat and clean is an obnoxious task. Pine needles and ash leaf stems are particularly annoying to deal with. I have ~100 ft of pebble pathways around the house and it kills me to maintain them. Be careful with the torch idea if you decide to try it. Pine trees have fairly shallow root systems so you might harm the tree if you leave the flame at one area for too long. I think the leaf blower will be your best bet.

 

[Xavier434]

I love the idea of having a rock bed but the upkeep and cleaning always stops me. It seems like such a pain. I imagine that even with a powerful leaf blower a lot of the needles will still get caught on the rocks, but that still seems like your best option.