Pond Edge Maintainence

[Carykong]

I really like a previous poster suggesting that you let part of the pond bank go natural. Less work,less cost,more wildlife

 

[Fi-Q]

I decide ti let it go natural this year, mowinh up to approx 2-3 feet to the water. I would say 50% of the permiter is wood already. I might just do so triming at the end of the fall to remove any undesired new grown. I am looking to have my yard as essy maintenance as possible and still d ecent looking.

 

[PhysAssist]

My problem is that for at least 1/2 to 3/4 of the perimeter, the bank are 4-6' deep, and very steep.

This makes mowing them difficult.

We mow so that we can access the pond for preventative maintanence, deter the mink, Great Blue and Greenbacked herons, racoons, etc from hiding in the weeds to kill and/or eat our koi, and allow us to feed and watch the koi.

Fortunately, my pond mowing problems may soon be over, because I finally convinced my wife that we can realistically regrade the banks ourselves by retning a Mini-Ex.

E.G., a new toy to play with!:cool2:

I don't know anything about these [other than the ton of reading I have done about them on TBN], and I don't know what rentals are available here locally, but are there any ones I should try to steer away from?

Thanks,
Thomas

 

[8404]

 

[TheGreyRider]

I have a pond approx 2acre and this is what i did. It's probably not the safest idea out there, but it works great, and it doesnt blow the trimmings into the water.

 

[CBW1999]

I have a pond approx 2acre and this is what i did. It's probably not the safest idea out there, but it works great, and it doesnt blow the trimmings into the water.View attachment 271410

WOW! very simple and effective design by the looks. I wonder if you might use a hydraulic cylinder as the boom and have the ability to extend and retract a little bit? Iknow..Iknow....K.I.S.S. is the best way.

I have an old mower deck sitting around and may have to try this one. It sure beats the price of a sickle bar mower!

 

[Dadof3]

TGR, Great idea!

 

[Creamer]

A sickle bar mower works very well and will cut up to 1/2" diameter trees with no problem. I have pulled many of them with a <30 hp tractor and they work well. They are safe as long as you do not get next to the sickle bar while it is running. As somebody has previously mentioned they can also reach into the water the cut under the water.
Typically they come in 5, 7 & 9 ft lengths. If you have really rough terrain I would recommend a 70's or later IH or New Idea with the gearbox head as they can take sharper angles with no issue. having said that I have a 7' AC from the late 50's or early 60's that works just fine. I prefer the semi-mounted (on the rear two point hitch with a caster wheel) as you have a lot more control for maneuvering in tight spaces.
Having stated all that I have not sued my mower in many years. I moved here twenty years ago and have a 14 acre pond but only maintain about a 1000' of edge. When we moved here there were willows and cattails grown up all around and it was a mess. I started by backing toward the pond with my Bush Hog over the water and and knocking the mess down. (Some moments were pretty hairy as there was a steep slope with some washouts and a 5' Bush Hog on 1710 Ford is all it wants. When I accidently put the 3 pt down too far and the blade hit the water it almost took me off the tractor.) I then sprayed the willows a few times and got my sickle bar. After a few years I cold mow almost to the edge with my Zero Turn and then about 3 times a year I take an hour and walk along with my String Trimmer. It has become very easy but was not at first.

 

[boggen]

I don't understand. Much of the appeal of a pond is that fringe of grass around it. Then I only mow 1/2 an acre of the 3 acres of my actual yard. (I mow 8 foot wide paths, and let the rest go native.)

However: why not a conventional self propelled mower for the stuff near the edge. 3 laps around the pond gets you 6 feet of edge.

the problem is, sedimentation. and erosion. tall weeds vs a short front yard grass. taller weeds tend to block out and cause fewer plants and large patches of surface dirt. while a front yard grass type situation. allows for more plants and roots at the surface. to hold the dirt in its place. also shorter grass can help act more like a filter setup. and trapping of sediment.

a generic self propelled mower you might use on front yard. and pond edge maintenance. is a good amount of extra work. when you get into taller weeds. that tend to grow taller right at the shore line. and have to bunch the machine up and down, and pull it back out of the taller stuff, to let it clear itself out and try again.

do not get me wrong, for years, a old "metal body" push mower was used. for pond edge maintenance, it was light duty metal body vs the now a days all plastic bodes. and really did work. but it was time consuming vs other things out there on the market.

 

[xtn]

I'm going to mow everything else short, so that my cows HAVE to eat the tall weeds at water's edge. Anybody think it will work?

xtn