Which type of mower

[TheBigO]

My lack of knowledge must be really showing due to all of my posts. I`ve searched and searched the old posts and still can`t figure out what i need. I have about an acre of field that needs to be turned into lawn, 3` to 4` high weeds. No thick bushes. Would like to get a fin. mower to use when it is lawn. Would a fin. mower cut this stuff or do I need a rotary?

Have also considered scraping the top off and replanting. Has anybody tried this b4? I suppose a blade or box scraper would do that, or maybe even the loader? I have plenty of places for the fill. Any advice?

thanks again.

steve

 

[mlmartin]

A good finish mower and a slow moving tractor should take care of the weeds. If you have stumps/rocks/boulders/ (I found a cinder block, or rather the remains of one) consider renting a bush hog to knock everything down so you can identify and remove the hazards.

Lawn reclaimation is being discussed in another thread. I've never done one but I do have one or two in my near future/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Matthew

 

[cowboydoc]

I definitely wouldn't scrape off the top of your soil to reseed it! There are a number of threads that talk about reseeding which is probably what you would want to do unless you've already got good grass growing but weedy. If that's the case you could just mow it and spray it consistently with something like 2-4D and your grass will take over in a year or two.

 

[Joe_W]

I have a similar situation. I bought 23.25 acres with about 18 acres in woods and the rest is a former cornfield. We are going to build our house in the middle of the cornfield so I have been mowing it to keep the weeds under some semblance of order. Being a corn field, it has all the ridges and ruts, so I use my 72" MM mower (on my Orange 2910) set all the way up to avoid the hazards. I have cut weeds up to 10 feet tall, but the cut you get is not all that good. There are a lot of uncut or partially cut stems that stick up all over. A second mowing usually will tame them down pretty good. I think the biggest problems are cutting too tall weeds, and setting the deck so high it doesn't have any vacuum action. I won't be ready for a lawn until at least next spring, so I am maintaining the weeds mainly for erosion control until I can disc the field and rent a planter and make a proper lawn.
Joe W.

 

[Alan L.]

I haven't had much luck cutting that kind of stuff with a finish mower. If you lift it way up where the blades of grass and leaves are farther from the root, they have more room to escape the blade by flopping around. When you cut low the roots sort of hold it there while the blades cut it. Of course is you don't already have a cutter this would require a rental if available, but thats what I would do - or pay someone to come knock it down to size the first time.

Alan L., TX

 

[PBMAX]

BigO,We moved in the new place this Feb.Before we bought the 8.5 acres the fellow said He seeded it with some type of burmuda.Looking at the dead 5' high weeds I'm thinking yeah right.....Now though since keeping it cut to about 3" I do believe him...It has choked the weeds out of a Half acre so far this year.Do your self a favor if you haven't already.Go to your local land office and get a soil sample kit (it should come with instructions).Have a soil test done.If you have to add lime it can be 6months for it to break down enough to help the PH of the soil.I think the granulated kind is 3mths.I had to have 2.5 tons per acre spred.
After that I've just been keeping it cut and seeding when I can...I didn't scrap any off.It's doing great,good luck...

Laziness is the Father of invention.../w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif
Lil' Paul
Proud owner of TC21D

 

[Mark_in_IN]

One thing you could do is burn off the area this fall or winter & the new green growth next year would be easily managed. I did this & it worked great, in fact I burn the Pasture every year, and the following year the grass seems to be growing better


mark

 

[s1120]

I cut my 3 acres of 4+' of weeds with an old John Deer 112. Ya, I know it's not the right tool for the job, but it worked. After about a year of keeping it mowed has caused the grass to start takeing over for the weeds. I would not dig it up unless you are building a golf course.