Mowing wedding mowing suggestions?

[jimmysisson]

I just found out we'll be hosting a wedding at the end of July. The 40 x 60 tent will sit on an acre piece I keep bush hogged. I figure I'll need most of the acre fairly decent mowed. It was plowed and harrowed about 5 yrs ago, hogged since to keep brush away. Not too lumpy, but it's no lawn!
Tools at hand: 5' brush-hog, 7' decent sickle mower, Ford 2120 to run them, Cadet 44" garden tractor mower. Oh and a 21" walk-behind...
I've got 6-7 weeks to make the "grass" smoother for walking and tables, chairs, etc. What do you think will make the best results, besides mowing every week with the CC, which is too boring (and bouncy) for me to get excited about.
TIA, Jim

 

[jimmyj]

This is a bit out of my league but could you borrow some big rollers?

 

[B8FISH]

Well--the extra seat time answer is cut 1/2 way, let it dry a little cut it 1/2 way again...repeat a bunch of times and it won't be too bad. If you cut too much off at once I think you risk "clumps" in your wedding area. You may also want to give the hog blades a good sharpening (special occasion and all) this time!!

 

[srjones]

Does the area have access to irrigation or a garden hose? Or is there much rain in the forcast?

Instead of 'hogging' it, use the sickle mower and rake it all up. If that won't work, then sickle mow and then hog it. You'll get a smoother initial cut.

Then start watering the area (especially the tent area) mow with your riding lawnmower. Adding fertilizer and possibly overseeding with turf grass.

Over time, it won't be so bumpy, especially if the ground is soft using turf tires, but ag. tires will just make it worse.

Yes, I realize that this is a lot of work for nearly an acre.

Good luck, and post pics!

 

[workmytractor]

I think you should just bushhog it every other week until 3 weeks prior to the event. Then start hitting it weekly with your riding mower. I think by the time you start mowing it with the riding mower it will be in pretty good shape.

 

[atgreene]

I did a hay field of ours for a wedding last fall. Mowed it 3 weeks prior for hay, then mowed it with my flail mower 4 days before. They were happy, but then again, the bride was brought to the wedding on an atv, so it wasn't an overly elegant affair, but it was black tie.

Good luck. Whatever you do, the more you can mow it the better.

 

[TigerfaninAR]

I like the idea of renting a big roller to pull behind your tractor after you have a small rain. About 3 weeks out I would cut it as short as you can and mow weekly with the garden tractor before then.

 

[RobS]

If they have a photographer selected, invite him/her out to have a look. They'll appreciate the opportunity to check the place out as well as give you a fresh set of eyes. I do agree with the others, roll, seed, water and begin finish mowing ASAP. Sounds like a good excuse to buy a finish mower!

 

[zzvyb6]

Why not find someone with a HAY MOWER. A 9; sickle will cut thru all the mounds, anthills and other stuff. Then bale it up to remove the grass excess. If the field is flat it will look tremendous in time for the wedding. Then cut it in circles with your CC to make it interesting. Make the Bride walk the spiral. Gives her time to change her mind....

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Why not find someone with a HAY MOWER. A 9; sickle will cut thru all the mounds, anthills and other stuff. Then bale it up to remove the grass excess. If the field is flat it will look tremendous in time for the wedding. Then cut it in circles with your CC to make it interesting. Make the Bride walk the spiral. Gives her time to change her mind....

Just don't ask the GROOM to walk in circles. I recall my wedding. I was so nervous I woulda got dizzy and passed out if I had to walk in a circle...

Oh, and about your signature.... I remember a kid I had when I coached my sons little league baseball team years ago. I sprung that "There's no "I" in team" thing on him. Do you know what the little rascal came back with? "Well, there's THREE of 'em in MILLIONAIRE pops..." Whatta you say to something like that?????

 

[RobS]

Just don't ask the GROOM to walk in circles. I recall my wedding. I was so nervous I woulda got dizzy and passed out if I had to walk in a circle...

Oh, and about your signature.... I remember a kid I had when I coached my sons little league baseball team years ago. I sprung that "There's no "I" in team" thing on him. Do you know what the little rascal came back with? "Well, there's THREE of 'em in MILLIONAIRE pops..." Whatta you say to something like that?????

Take his name and call him in about 20 years...

 

[barneyrb]

Don't DO IT!!!!!! Then the groom won't have to give 70% of his stuff away in 5 years. Ask me how I know.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Take his name and call him in about 20 years...

Well....The "kid" is 38 now, and a member at the same country club that I belong to....He's made a small fortune on commercial real estate.

 

[RobS]

Well....The "kid" is 38 now, and a member at the same country club that I belong to....He's made a small fortune on commercial real estate.

Well OK then, call him now!!!

 

[aggiehortguy91]

I would sharpen up the blades on the brush hog and mow the whole area a little more often, only cutting an inch or two off the tops of the grass each time. I would overseed and start mowing with the Cub in the area where the tent and any other ceremony-related stuff will be. You can't need more than a quarter acre for the chairs, tent, isle, etc. and that wouldn't take too long to mow at 44"/pass.

OK, what I would do in real life is wake up one morning and say a string of bad words as I realize that I need my pasture to look a little nicer than a hay field in just a few days. Then I would drink a pot of coffee and make a plan. Then I would start mowing, only to realize that my plan could not possibly work. I would then begin work on my modified plan.

In the end, as long as there aren't big clumps of grass and it's not too hard to walk on, everyone is going to be happy. After all, no one is coming to see the field.

 

[WVBill]

In the end, as long as there aren't big clumps of grass and it's not too hard to walk on, everyone is going to be happy. After all, no one is coming to see the field.

Just don't let the bride see the field BEFORE the wedding day - she will notice every blade of grass that's "out of place" (regardless of how you prep it) and you will be blamed for trying to ruin her wedding.
ON her wedding day she will not notice anything about the field an it will be perfect.
- from a previous father of the bride....

 

[Dutch445]

A couple days before the event,
roll it real good with a big roller,
then call in the local sod company and
have them cover the entire acre in
nice green lush sod!

(well, i guess it depends on the budget eh?)

 

[cowboy357]

I Set My Brush hog to As Low & Level As I can & Kind of of Scalp it Without Allowing it to Dig in Then Cross cut it every 3 days or so . This was a Plowed , Planted then Cut alfalfa Field , About 8 or so Acres . That upto a couple of weeks ago I just Kept Rough Cut with the BH .

Now Its pretty Nice & Level & Thanks to the Rains last nite Its Still nice & Green overall . I,m Planning on Overseeding it with Fescue today After it Drys a bit More & Hopefully in 2 or 3 weeks it will Be in Great shape & Ready for a cut with the finish Mower .

I,ve Done this Before in Other Areas & it Worked Quite Well . The Main Thing is Getting it set to Where It Wont Dig in on the Front sides . I,d say with Just an Acre of Ground to Prep . You wouldn,t Have any Problem Making the Deadline Unless it Rains Everyday .

Ours Is Fairlly sandy Soil though & No rocks or Anything. But It Was Pretty Rough Just weeks ago . The Pic Aint Great But Gives You an Idea , No Its No Golf Coarse But soon will look Much Better , The Bare Spots Torwards the Bottom of the Pic & to the Right Are Ther For Drainage to a Small pond Project I,ve been Working on The Last few Months . Best Of Luck. Bob

 

[jimmysisson]

Hey, thanks for all the suggestions! I don't think I have time to grow anything, but I guess I'm going to brush hog it, then mow with the cub a few times and hope for the best. The roller idea is possible, as a friend has a small asphalt roller I could probably use.
Everyone who said the guests won't notice is probably right. If the bar budget is sufficient! The wedding is for an "adopted" daughter whose folks couldn't take care of this, and other things over the years.
I've attached a couple of pix of the field. Again, thanks for the replies

 

[Johndeere3720]

Good luck with the field.