Tips to reduce property maintenance workload

[Industrial Toys]

I mentioned before how I had a GF that thought it would look quaint to put rocks around just about everything, not realizing the mowing and trimming nightmare.

This is the last bit of my clearing work and was the worst area by far. The lane was just thorns, weeds and a thousand tons of rocks put there by the pioneers. In a way this is not sustainable, as there is no new growth, but this is much easier to maintain than brush.

This is kind of when my work started.



And underway with a hired contractor to do the heavy work.

 

[bigtiller]

in areas that are away from the buildings, if my 62" mower deck can't get to it, I let it grow. I keep the rest knocked down with round-up to keep the bugs and mice away.

 

[jmc]

I've got lots of trees beyond my regularly mowed lawn but close enough in that their fall leaves end up on the lawn. That ground between the lawn and those trees, I just bush hog several times a year.

Now, starting in late summer, I stop bush hogging, and during late fall, keep the lawn mowed short. Most of the leaves get trapped in the tall grass around the trees and the ones that make it to the short grass in the yard get blown away.

 

[plowhog]

That is my philosophy and an argument with my wife till I got fed up and handed her the weed eater.

I confess to having had similar complaints about getting very little help in the yard and acreage. Then I decided my wife prepares all the fuel (cooking) to keep the work machine running (me). Once I looked at it that way then I got more appreciative of her help here and there instead of resenting what I was not getting.

I will jump ahead of the next poster to agree that yes, I guess I have been domesticated!!!

 

[Dftodd]

I confess to having had similar complaints about getting very little help in the yard and acreage. Then I decided my wife prepares all the fuel (cooking) to keep the work machine running (me). Once I looked at it that way then I got more appreciative of her help here and there instead of resenting what I was not getting.

I will jump ahead of the next poster to agree that yes, I guess I have been domesticated!!!

My only argument with her was over her wanting to keep adding stuff to the yard. Those "We projects", turned into "Me" projects". It already took the better part of 3 hours to mow the yard, then weed eating around 60 trees, push mowing 300 ft of ditch, edging, then blowing clippings off the sidewalk, and walkways. So I finally put my foot down and told her if she wanted any thing else in the yard, she had to take care of the maintenance.

 

[plowhog]

My neighbor just put in a huge beautiful front yard. Probably a 1 1/2 acre yard, with boulders, swails, lawn, trees, etc. I looked at it go in and thought of the HUGE maintenance workload they have created. I'll try to get a picture. I want to go the opposite direction.

 

[Dftodd]

My neighbor just put in a huge beautiful front yard. Probably a 1 1/2 acre yard, with boulders, swails, lawn, trees, etc. I looked at it go in and thought of the HUGE maintenance workload they have created. I'll try to get a picture. I want to go the opposite direction.

Neighbor who is in his mid 70`s did the same thing. Wasn't bad keeping up with it when his wife could help. She's got some serious aches and pains and can't help with the yard work any more. He's been slowly thinning things down and converting the yard from flower beds back to lawn.

 

[JerryK]

You can also just let everything go ' natural ' if you live in an area that allows it. I drove past a nice log home with a couple folks sitting out on their porch eating dinner. Knee high grass all around, just like prairie grass. Just cut down/remove anything that you do not want in your yard. Or, just mow around your building out far enough to keep a fire break. Where I live out in the woods, a lot of us just mow 30-40 feet beside our driveways and back around our building. It is almost impossible/not enough hours in the day to mow the whole woods. Some folks leave the drive sides wild so you can not look down and see their house. I mow several acres around my house/barn and do the 40' on each side of the 400' drive... Looks nice, like a park out in the woods...

 

[Aquamoose]

Unfortunately I am fencing to keep the coyotes out and create a more safe zone for my dog. It's unfortunate I need to do this but the coyote population here has exploded and it represents a real hazard.

I live in coyote country. I have two labs and a friend has a Mastiff. Between us, no coyote got any of our chickens, ducks, goats, pigs, etc. It’s the type of dogs that makes a difference.

 

[oosik]

plowhog - I live in coyote country - just like Aquamoose, who is about 40 miles north of me - for 36+ years. I recognize at least four different "groups" of coyotes in and around my eighty acres. They take turns serenading me and my lab every morning and at sunset.

I don't want to be the one to burst your bubble but - I don't think any of us could afford a fence that would totally exclude coyotes. I don't know of a "standard fence" that will totally exclude coyotes. This includes eight foot high chain link fence with outriggers and razor wire. This is the type fencing used at a local detention facility and they routinely have to go thru a process of "running out the coyotes". They have video clips of the coyotes climbing the chain link and pushing thru the razor wire. They have installed electric fence lines on top of all this and it helps but the coyotes still come on thru. In this case they also dig under because the chain link is not bedded in concrete or some other system of a more permanent nature.

Coyotes can be very determined and will find a way thru a fence if the "prize" is worth the effort.

I say this because I fear for the safety of your dog and must say that whatever you instal may help, but will not totally exclude.