Cutting grass around pond

[Thomabear]

I've spent quite some time searching for an efficient way to trim my pond bank and I haven't heard about anything that works really well with minimal effort. The levee end of my pond is about 250' long and has a non mowable bank about 3' wide on about a 45 degree angle. After reading about the use of hanging push mowers, DR mowers, sickle bar mowers and weed wackers I started thinking about adjustable angle pole hedge trimmers. Unfortunately no one has mentioned one of these so I'm not sure about how well one would work. In theory and given my pond bank angle I think this approach would work well. Advantages would be that the weeds would lay where cut and not fly into the pond. This should also reduce erosion as the thatch would provide protection from rain induced washing. Any ideas or suggestions? Do you guys think this would work? I'd prefer to not invest in a sickle bar mower for 250' foot of levee and I certainly would prefer a save approach verses hanging a rotating piece of equipment. See attached link...

Thanks for any and all advice...

 

[J_J]

I think you will break that unit real quick.

This is Power-Tracs answer to something like that. Is is hyd powered.

 

[brin]

To get away from labor and maintenance once and for all have you considered planting low ground cover plants ? Using roundup to kill the existing weeds and grass and then planting low growing multiplying plants that grow in your area....then it is done....

 

[J_J]

You can't use Roundup that close to the water or it will kill the fish and whatever.

I believe the water applied version of Roundup is Rodeo.

 

[Thomabear]

I edited the original post with the correct picture.

JJ, I considered that attachment but I just couldn't justify it for 250' of bank that would be trimmed once a month or so. Otherwise that is a great attachment.

As far as planting low growing grass that's actually in my plans. I'm looking at Lariope to plant in this area. The trimmer would be used to keep things up for a couple of years until the lariope gets established.

Thanks for the replies.

 

[brin]

You can't use Roundup that close to the water or it will kill the fish and whatever.

I believe the water applied version of Roundup is Rodeo.

JJ - We have used Roundup around our lake for years....We apply it from the boat with a pump up sprayer at the bank...none of it gets into the water by spraying from the water close to the bank and at the bank....It dries rapidly and then is inert as far as wash off...We have never had any fish killed or adverse affect in all these years....

I do think if you sprayed it carelessly from the bank toward the water and the wind was blowing toward the water , you would have a potential problem..

 

[Thomabear]

Just to clarify my pond is about 2-1/2 acres most of which I'm able to cut by mowing with my offset flail mower. It's only the levee end that's hard to cut because of the bank angle. That's why I'm looking for something a little easier than a weed wacker but nothing to high tech.

 

[leonz]

Just to clarify my pond is about 2-1/2 acres most of which I'm able to cut by mowing with my offset flail mower. It's only the levee end that's hard to cut because of the bank angle. That's why I'm looking for something a little easier than a weed wacker but nothing to high tech.

==============================================================================


I use my Stihl Pole Pruner to mow the ditch when the state does not bother with it.

When I get ambitious I end up cliping about two hundred feet of the bank on the road.

standard summer use chain saw oil on the hedge clipper attachment is a must with
earplugs and a good hat !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


My only mistake was buying the smaller unit without the extendable drive shaft.

The larger unit also has the longer cutter head which saves time and labor and the
shoulder harness helps with balancing it.

The shoulder harness is must for using it to carry the weight of the unit

 

[kebo]

Just to clarify my pond is about 2-1/2 acres most of which I'm able to cut by mowing with my offset flail mower. It's only the levee end that's hard to cut because of the bank angle. That's why I'm looking for something a little easier than a weed wacker but nothing to high tech.

Get a goat, and string up a line 250ft long with a sliding leash so he can roam from one end to the other end. I would say that's pretty low tech lol!!

 

[JHTFarmer]

A good quality string trimmer ought to work fine on a 3 foot wide strip. Is it so steep you cannot even stand on it? If not, it's only a few hundred square feet. Seems hardly worth it to purchase some kind of tractor mounted mower.


FYI, A great aquatic and landscape herbicide is Reward (diquat Dibromide). It's fast acting, kills anything green, and isn't harmful to fish or any other critters that call your pond, home.