Landscape Rake Question

[Zippo1]

When I brush hog the tall grass and weeds in an unused pasture the cut material is left laying in narrow rows on the ground. I can't afford a hay rake or baler at this time but I'm wondering if your basic 3ph landscape rake would be good to rake it into piles that I can then pick up with the loader and dump into a compost pile or onto a new garden plot for mulch? I can get a new landscape rake for around $700 locally. Of course, the other option is to just leave it laying in the field where it will, eventually, decompose but it seems to me that doing so gives the field mice a lot more places to hide from the hawks. Thanks.

 

[wngsprd]

I've had success doing this very thing. Rake it before it gets rained on and matted down.

 

[jeff9366]

Also consider a Pine Straw Rake.

LINK: Pine Straw Rakes | Pine Needle Rakes
VIDEO: pine straw rake - YouTube

 

[teg]

I used to do this, rake up grass for mulch.... Lots of weed seeds so it needs to composted good. It was a lot of work, too. I bought a used finishing mower for $750... I brush hog down the tall grass, wait a couple days and go over everything with the finishing mower and it does a good job of breaking up the clumps and gives a good finish look.

 

[prichard]

I used to do this, rake up grass for mulch.... Lots of weed seeds so it needs to composted good.

That is why I wouldn't bother. Whatever is growing in your pasture will soon be growing in your garden.

 

[Thomas]

I've used land rake before work okay,but it won't take long before there many piles.
I found out just have tines barely off the ground work the best for me.

 

[JimCan]

Jeff, I wish I had enough pine shatz to bail; talk about weed supression... Zippo, I had been in your exact situation for 20+ years. Clumps and windrows of mess after I cut our 5ac front. Luckily, we live way back in the woods so I didn't have to look at it. Fork a couple of acres of cuttings onto a flatbed trailer once and you will think about the 'fire option'. I sold my two rotaries and bought a flail. 'Mulch in place' is a great option. I should have perhaps spent time on Craigslist, but the Caroni flail wasn't bad conisdering buying a tedder and the labor to dispose of the mess.

Jim