Newbie needs some advice

asetech · Sep 1, 2005

Hi guys,

I tried doing a search but could not find much. I am new to all of this stuff so please forgive my ignorance. I recently moved to NC. I have a house on roughly 10 acres of what used to be farm land. I got me a JD 4410 with a 5ft brush hog and mowed down the whole thing down. It is completly flat area but a very bumpy ride while brush hogging. I need some suggestions to fix that. Would I use a box scraper or possibly a landscape rake? I have no plans to seed any areas I just need to smooth out the ride so to speak.

Thanks.

Soundguy · Sep 1, 2005

If it is grassed.. and it is bumpy.. I'm afriad the best way to smooth it is to disc the heck out of it... Disc one direction.. then cross disc.. might use a chain matt to drag, and /or even a lawn roller or telephone pole section..

If it was a limited area.. you could spread a few inches of soil and let the grass come thru.. or if it was not grassed.. box scraper would be a great idea.

In most cases.. weeds and native grass will survive a discing.. multiple sucessive discings will thin the vegitation.

Soundguy

Pooh_Bear · Sep 1, 2005

( multiple sucessive discings will thin the vegitation.
)

The grass is too thick in my yard.
Are you saying this will thin it out.

It is so thick in places I can't hardly mow it.
It even bogs down the 8N with the rotary cutter on it.

Pooh Bear

Farwell · Sep 1, 2005

I have a 3/4 acre area that once had very thick lawn on it, (weeds, etc.). About once a month I thin it with my disc by going over it with successive diskings, guess what, that definitely does thin it out, in fact it does such a good job that I no longer have to spend 30 minutes to an hour mowing it every few weeks. It also helps get rid of the bumpy spots if I run my drag over it a few times.
Farwell

Soundguy · Sep 1, 2005

Pooh:

Yes.. discing lawn will thin it.. and if it bogs yer tractor down.. you need to mow it more often, or take smaller bites.

Soundguy

JerryG · Sep 2, 2005

you need to mow it more often, or take smaller bites. 
Bigger tractor? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Pooh_Bear · Sep 2, 2005

Last time I mowed I let it get away from me a bit.
Had to cut most of it with the bush hog.
And had a couple of spots that it bogged down.
This is the thickest grass I have ever seen.
And it just keeps getting healthier this year.
I need to do something to thin it out soon.
I'm thinking a light spraying with Round Up.

Pooh Bear

JerryG · Sep 2, 2005

If you use Round Up on it, that will kill all of it.
You could mow it more often.
(or)
You could mow it twice, one time about 12 - 18", then come back for a second round and mow it at the height that you want it.

Pooh_Bear · Sep 2, 2005

I don't think the problem is it getting too high.
It is just too thick. Too dense.
I mow it about ever week and a half or 2 weeks.
At about 10 days I can mow it but it is thick in places.
At 2 weeks I have to use the bush hog on most of it.
I never seen grass like this before.

Round Up......Kill all of it.......Hmmmm...........
Don't tempt me like that.

Pooh Bear

asetech · Sep 2, 2005

Sound guy,

It sounds like there is no easy solution to my situation. Do you think a powered landscape rake may work for me? I realize it will churn everything up but it looks like it may smooth the whole thing out and I am sure that it will come back green afterwards. If so do you have any idea how much one may go for? I see quite a few manufactures on the internet but no one has a price (That probably means expensive /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif).

Thanks