Is it spring yet? I'm so fired up to dig up my side yard, put in a mini-fruit orchard, and rip in a big old vegetable patch in the back. What got me itching to get my hands dirty just a week before the winter solstice? Why, my gutter guy, of course!
The guy we found to clean our gutters out for the winter is, it turns out, a serious gardener who not only grows 60-some tomato plants each summer, but also maintains a stand of fruit trees that includes FIGS! In MASSACHUSETTTS! Sorry to shout, I'm just inspired, that's all.
He asked if I wanted to keep the gunk that he was pulling out of my gutters, and I said no because, alas, I don't have a compost bin or set-aside place to keep it. Next year I will, but for now, my basement red wigglers are my only sources of compost.
At least I know my gutter-gunk will get a good garden home, though - he bagged it and took it away...straight to his home compost pile. I'm relieved it won't go to waste.
But meanwhile, I wanted to share what I learned today, dear readers:
1. The stuff that clogs your gutters is not only compostable, if it's been sitting there more than a year, it may already be compost!
2. Many gutter cleaners will charge you less if they don't have to haul the stuff away. I could have saved $25 if I had better prepared.
Sigh. Spring seems so far off....but hey, that gives us more time to dream
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Although you lost $25, you're still a winner. Cleaning your gutters will save you money in a long run. And oh, your home gets another lifetime to survive. Surely, there's no need to sigh my friend! You and your home won, by TKO! :)
Posted by: Vernice Yehl | July 07, 2011 at 03:02 PM
Yeah I agree, you should always keep the gutters clean. I saw this simple but ingenious solution of putting mesh wire on the gutters to keep the leaves out. It's quite effective and it works. But of course, you still have to clean the mesh itself.
Posted by: Anthony Blommel | July 06, 2011 at 02:50 PM
Keep your gutter clean, my man. Clean gutters keep the water from accumulating and leaking on the roof. As for the leaves, it's a good idea to turn them into compost rather than throwing them away. You can actually use a plastic bucket as an improvised compost pit.
Posted by: Rodney Orton | June 02, 2011 at 09:18 AM
I have a compost bin and nightcrawlers, I never thought about the compost on the gutters. If I did I would have used it on my vegetable garden. Unfortunately, it will not happen anymore, I replaced my worn out gutters with Easy Flow guttering system. It has leaf covers that prevents debris and leaves from accumulating on the gutter.
Posted by: James | June 22, 2010 at 06:24 PM