Pond Edge Maintainence

Redbug · May 31, 2012

There is a Roundup, (glyphosate), product called Rodeo that is formulated to use around ponds and water. Normal glyphosate solutions have surficants in them that are the bad things to use around water. Rodeo does not have those chemicals and is safe, (approved), to use around your pond.

Do a Google search for "Rodeo herbicide", to learn more. It is more expensive than the normal Roundup, but may be better in the long run since you could do the work in a safer condition with just a backpack sprayer.

pacerron · May 31, 2012

Gordon Gould said:
I use a 7' sickle bar with a hydraulic angle cylinder on my roadside banks. Been doing it for 12 years and it works quite well.

The tractor he has appears to be matched to a 50" cutter bar. Hardly worth the expense to cut a 4 foot swath at the bottom of the dry side of his dam.
We don't know how high his dam is but the problem comes when trying to cut from the top of the dam down either the wet or dry side as well as down any banks approaching his pond from the other sides.
Regardless of the length of the cutter bar or the tractor, if he were able to drop the outer edge of the bar down at an angle opposite of the way you illustrate yours up, in the picture, the inner shoe pivot point of the bar would be inside the outside edge of the rear tire. This means in order for the bar to drop down to the contour of the ground the right tractor wheels would be precariously over the edge of the dam top. Most earth dams with any age do not have a sharp edge where the top starts going over the sides making the problem even worse.
On other slopes to the water, in order to cut to the waters edge or drop off his tractor could still be very close to the side roll over angle in places unless the slope is very wide and gentle.
From his description of using the bushog I doubt if this is the case.
It would be nice to see some pictures of the pond.

oldtoyboyd · May 31, 2012

What about an offset flail mower?

Fixemall · Jun 1, 2012

I thought about this thread last night when I went to pick up an outboard motor for a buddy of mine and the guy had one of those old lawn boy two stroke mowers in his shed, he would not part with it but I'll be on the lookout for one, I'm thinking I can fab up a bracket system and mount it to the FEL for the ultimate edge mower, no oil in the crankcase means the angles won't matter either. I'm thinking some sort of spring relief mount so the first time I set it down it does not break in half.

Alien · Jun 1, 2012

ridger said:
i use round up:

pacerron · Jun 1, 2012

Fixemall said:
I thought about this thread last night when I went to pick up an outboard motor for a buddy of mine and the guy had one of those old lawn boy two stroke mowers in his shed, he would not part with it but I'll be on the lookout for one, I'm thinking I can fab up a bracket system and mount it to the FEL for the ultimate edge mower, no oil in the crankcase means the angles won't matter either. I'm thinking some sort of spring relief mount so the first time I set it down it does not break in half.

The big, big caution here would be body armor protection for the tractor operator and bullet proofing for headlights and radiator.

I can envision a lot of getting off the tractor to restart the little mower engine when it bogs down.:thumbdown:
At least you wouldn't get a "creek in the neck" by having your head twisted around when backing a bushog or finish mower down toward the water a width at a time. I use a big mounted mirror but it takes some getting used too, and careful aiming.
Most of those old lawn boys had light aluminum decks but very small wheels.
Putting bigger diameter wheels on one and using it as a hand push near the edge would be handy. We use an assortment of an old string trimmer, a wheeled one, and an old, old 22" rotary push type 4 cyc mower that is lightweight. That is my wife's favorite of all of them.
I don't like any of them and just use the tractor backing down or up where possible.
It sure looks nice when she does the neat final trim though:thumbsup:

TraderMark · Jun 4, 2012

I use an 11ft BushHog Tri-Deck finish mower to get as close to the edges as I can, then come back with a 9 ft JD 350 sickle mower set to the narrow position to get the rest and some of the reeds and things that grow in the water. Both mowers are used behind my 1720 Ford.

I'm able to use the JD 350 sickle since the water level rarely drops below 10" of ground level and there really is no dam since it's a natural pond.

Mark

savageactor7 · Jun 5, 2012

Compared to you guys our pond is small, 100x75. Basically it's a no frills fish pond and swimming hole...but it works well for us.

And it is a pain cutting around it. Mostly we cut with a push mower 90* into the pond occasionally a string trimmer. I like to keep it down because I think it keeps the turtles away...but that is just a theory.

In the summer we're in it a lot...after working in the back yard getting all hot sweaty covered with wood chips it's great to be able to just in the pond for personal relief from the heat or a field expedient bath before going into the house.

...as an aside in 2003 we put in 3 sections of a pre-fabed dock to form an upside down 'L' and that worked out so well I can't believe it took me so long to do that.

Oh and I will be checking out that Husqvarna HVT52...thanks to the poster that recommended that. If I can test that it works out I'll buy it...DONE!

Alien · Jun 5, 2012

Here are a couple of available machines, and great fun too!! I didn't realize anything like this was available.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ha_76admUHc&feature=endscreen&NR=1]22T GOAT for slope mowing - YouTube[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZw1ZMPohhU&feature=related]Remote Controlled Grass Cutter Graham Crescent Forfar (Robo Flail) HD - YouTube[/ame]

SGBotsford · Jun 28, 2012

I don't understand. Much of the appeal of a pond is that fringe of grass around it. Then I only mow 1/2 an acre of the 3 acres of my actual yard. (I mow 8 foot wide paths, and let the rest go native.)

However: why not a conventional self propelled mower for the stuff near the edge. 3 laps around the pond gets you 6 feet of edge.

Carykong · Jun 28, 2012

I really like a previous poster suggesting that you let part of the pond bank go natural. Less work,less cost,more wildlife

Fi-Q · Jun 28, 2012

I decide ti let it go natural this year, mowinh up to approx 2-3 feet to the water. I would say 50% of the permiter is wood already. I might just do so triming at the end of the fall to remove any undesired new grown. I am looking to have my yard as essy maintenance as possible and still d ecent looking.

PhysAssist · Jun 29, 2012

My problem is that for at least 1/2 to 3/4 of the perimeter, the bank are 4-6' deep, and very steep.

This makes mowing them difficult.

We mow so that we can access the pond for preventative maintanence, deter the mink, Great Blue and Greenbacked herons, racoons, etc from hiding in the weeds to kill and/or eat our koi, and allow us to feed and watch the koi.

Fortunately, my pond mowing problems may soon be over, because I finally convinced my wife that we can realistically regrade the banks ourselves by retning a Mini-Ex.

E.G., a new toy to play with!:cool2:

I don't know anything about these [other than the ton of reading I have done about them on TBN], and I don't know what rentals are available here locally, but are there any ones I should try to steer away from?

Thanks,
Thomas

8404 · Jun 29, 2012

TheGreyRider · Jun 29, 2012

I have a pond approx 2acre and this is what i did. It's probably not the safest idea out there, but it works great, and it doesnt blow the trimmings into the water.

CBW1999 · Jun 29, 2012

TheGreyRider said:
I have a pond approx 2acre and this is what i did. It's probably not the safest idea out there, but it works great, and it doesnt blow the trimmings into the water.View attachment 271410

WOW! very simple and effective design by the looks. I wonder if you might use a hydraulic cylinder as the boom and have the ability to extend and retract a little bit? Iknow..Iknow....K.I.S.S. is the best way.

I have an old mower deck sitting around and may have to try this one. It sure beats the price of a sickle bar mower!

Dadof3 · Jun 29, 2012

TGR, Great idea!

Creamer · Jun 30, 2012

A sickle bar mower works very well and will cut up to 1/2" diameter trees with no problem. I have pulled many of them with a <30 hp tractor and they work well. They are safe as long as you do not get next to the sickle bar while it is running. As somebody has previously mentioned they can also reach into the water the cut under the water.
Typically they come in 5, 7 & 9 ft lengths. If you have really rough terrain I would recommend a 70's or later IH or New Idea with the gearbox head as they can take sharper angles with no issue. having said that I have a 7' AC from the late 50's or early 60's that works just fine. I prefer the semi-mounted (on the rear two point hitch with a caster wheel) as you have a lot more control for maneuvering in tight spaces.
Having stated all that I have not sued my mower in many years. I moved here twenty years ago and have a 14 acre pond but only maintain about a 1000' of edge. When we moved here there were willows and cattails grown up all around and it was a mess. I started by backing toward the pond with my Bush Hog over the water and and knocking the mess down. (Some moments were pretty hairy as there was a steep slope with some washouts and a 5' Bush Hog on 1710 Ford is all it wants. When I accidently put the 3 pt down too far and the blade hit the water it almost took me off the tractor.) I then sprayed the willows a few times and got my sickle bar. After a few years I cold mow almost to the edge with my Zero Turn and then about 3 times a year I take an hour and walk along with my String Trimmer. It has become very easy but was not at first.

boggen · Jul 9, 2012

SGBotsford said:
I don't understand. Much of the appeal of a pond is that fringe of grass around it. Then I only mow 1/2 an acre of the 3 acres of my actual yard. (I mow 8 foot wide paths, and let the rest go native.)

However: why not a conventional self propelled mower for the stuff near the edge. 3 laps around the pond gets you 6 feet of edge.

the problem is, sedimentation. and erosion. tall weeds vs a short front yard grass. taller weeds tend to block out and cause fewer plants and large patches of surface dirt. while a front yard grass type situation. allows for more plants and roots at the surface. to hold the dirt in its place. also shorter grass can help act more like a filter setup. and trapping of sediment.

a generic self propelled mower you might use on front yard. and pond edge maintenance. is a good amount of extra work. when you get into taller weeds. that tend to grow taller right at the shore line. and have to bunch the machine up and down, and pull it back out of the taller stuff, to let it clear itself out and try again.

do not get me wrong, for years, a old "metal body" push mower was used. for pond edge maintenance, it was light duty metal body vs the now a days all plastic bodes. and really did work. but it was time consuming vs other things out there on the market.