Rotary cutting / land maintenance questions

[Dog Gone It]

We have a small lot of a few acres that we dont want to be over grown, so it needs to be maintained by rotary cutting, which I do myself.
I like to keep the wildlife in consideration but its not a top priority.
My questions are, (1)how often do you mow, (2)at what time (month) of year do you prefer to mow, (3)and why ?
Thanks

 

[Fossil Farm]

Usually mow after August 1, which is after most of the nesting season. Once a year is usually enough except for maybe some spot mowing or spraying if autumn olive or multiflora rose are starting to become established in part of the field left for cover. I would think Tennessee would be close to those dates also. Mowing in early August also allows some time for grasses to grow and provide some winter cover also.

 

[Dog Gone It]

Usually mow after August 1, which is after most of the nesting season. Once a year is usually enough except for maybe some spot mowing or spraying if autumn olive or multiflora rose are starting to become established in part of the field left for cover. I would think Tennessee would be close to those dates also. Mowing in early August also allows some time for grasses to grow and provide some winter cover also.

Thanks for your input and explaining.
I will consider cutting this fall just prior to all the dried seeds blooming...I think.

 

[prof fate]

I mow horse pastures and rarely to trees sprout there, but I mow BEFORE the weeds go to seed, about monthly. I want more grass than seeds.
Different things go to seed at different times.

At my home I have 2 acres and the back acre has been used for all sorts of things over the past 75 years, and if it's hogged only 2 times a year it's weeds and trees sprout and ti's just ugly.

Some years I mow it like a lawn, but it's very rough (having been plowed in years past and never really leveld well) - what works if I don't want to do it is mow weekly till mid to late may then monthly or just wait till fall. Keeps the bigger weeds and trees down. Maple. locust and sassafrass will sprout and grow more htan you want to mow with a finish mower in a month. Why my yard seems to desire to be forested I do not know.

 

[EddieWalker]

I started bush hogging about a month ago and I need to go over it again every two months to keep it under control. My last mowing is usually in November, but sometimes October.

 

[TerryR]

We have about three acres open on a south facing hill in mountains of western North Carolina. I mow in May, to get most of the early weeds down and let the wild flowers thrive, then in October to get the weeds and grass, and all the popular trees that repeatedly restart down.

 

[Dog Gone It]

Thanks for all the great replies and information.
You have given me many good answers that I think will help me in the future, through trial and error.

 

[bigtiller]

I mow my waterways in late October. The grass is well on it's way to becoming dormant and the corn/soybeans have been harvested. It also gets sprayed early summer with 2,4-D to help keep the weeds down.

 

[Friend Of Coal]

Usually mow after August 1, which is after most of the nesting season. Once a year is usually enough except for maybe some spot mowing or spraying if autumn olive or multiflora rose are starting to become established in part of the field left for cover. I would think Tennessee would be close to those dates also. Mowing in early August also allows some time for grasses to grow and provide some winter cover also.

Good point. A lot of guys I know usually cut a fawn or two up on their spring hay cut. Their instinct is to lay there and not run.

Seems like the thing to do is wait if you’re just trying maintain the property and not produce hay.

 

[jbrumberg]

Dog Gone It- Good luck. There is a lot of extension service articles on managing small acreage. Depending on your objectives you may not even want to rotary cut your field every year. I always cut after the first killing frost, but I want most of the "weeds" to seed for the wildlife. I also want some saplings to grow and fruiting shrubs to fruit so I do not cut every year. My wife and I must be doing something right we see +40 different bird species here most years. Not bad for 13 acres; 7 acres/ wooded with mixed successional hardwoods/softwoods and 6 acres open old NE field.