Best time of year to bushhog?

[shady1701]

I seen a report of the best time is sometime late spring when the weeds are coming up then in the middle of late summer and finaly at the last of fall.

Not sure on exact date but the report i read the idea was #1 match the peak growth times of grass which is first of spring and latter fall for cool season grasses. And #2 is to catch all the weeds before they seed and keep them in control that's the main idea behind mowing that and getting new growth in the grass.

 

[GreenMtnMan]

A rule of thumb I've heard is to do it around the major growing season holidays, memorial day, 4th of July, and labor day.

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

The old farmers around here recommend a holiday schedule to me, too. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif They told me to brush hog around Memorial Day around Independence Day and around Labor Day. Depending on how early spring arrives and how late summer stays, they suggested I might want to move the season bookend mowing dates in or out a little.

Good luck with whatever you decide. I hope this helps. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[John_Mc]

If you are trying to keep things like small saplings from resprouting, the best time to mow is during their growing season. This puts more stress on them, and they have a greater chance of dying out, rather than resprouting.

Conversely, if you want to encourage regrowth (for example to regenerate an Aspen stand to provide deer browse) mow in late fall/winter, after the leaves have fallen and the growing season is over. This gives the Aspen and other "early succesional" species the best chance of resprouting the next spring.

As others have noted, for grass/weeds/etc. you just have to mow when they get too bad for it to be a good trail any more.

John Mc