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large lawn care help!


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So I'm coming up on 1 year in my "new" house.

 

This place was built on 2.6 acres and has a fairly large lawn front and back.

 

The problem? ROCKS, ROOTS, DITCHES, STUMPS!!

 

I've never had such a "Treacherous" lawn in my life. and this is the 4th home I've lived in alone.

 

I live out in West GA, in the foothills of the mountains, so we're VERY rocky and red clay around here.

 

Last season my yard had thick green "grass" of some kind. The previous owner said fescue but the blades on this was wide like st. augustine. Well it may still be a bit early in the season, but this year my lawn is looking post-apocalyptic. I seem to have LOTS of weeds but very little of what I would call "grass."

 

At any rate, I'm finding that my lawn equuipment from my previous homes, a toyo "pony" riding 42" mower without deck wheels, and a toyo 2 stroke weed eater, are just not cutting it. (no pun intended, but unavoidable.)

 

About a month ago I was cutting on 3/5 (5 being the highest) down by the road and somehow my cutting deck dug into the water meter cover. Before I realized what was going on the mower spun wheels, the engine sputtered and died. It wouldn't start for about 2 hours after and would smoke and smell of oil.

 

After this, it fired, but has trouble running at first, but eventually does run and hasn't given up on me. However since then I am finding streaks of bare clay that my mower seems to be making. I dont know if its a wheel or the deck.

 

I'm constantly hitting rocks, stumps, roots, some of which I can't see if the grass is even a little long, and the mower will almost throw me off when it hits them, even with the deck at 5/5.

 

How in the world do I:

1. make this yard cuttable. I've walked the lot and tossed rocks into the ditch but I still find more. I have gravel driveway front and rear and the dirt here is really just rocks with dirt in it.. There's NO WAY to get rid of ALL the rocks.

2. whats the best equipment for this yard on a budget? I'm not gonna go out and buy a $5k 0 turn 52" stihl commercial, nor a kobota front end loader tractor with a tow behind deck, but.. I mean.. will deck wheels help? Should I consider a "better" mower with perhaps.. I dunno a higher deck somehow?

3. get my grass back. I don't like seeding. I've always had centipede or st. augustine. I've tried seeding before but the birds just eat it all. I'm also VERY highly allergic to centipede grass seed so I can't touch it or be near the seed.

 

Any tips from folks who have large lawns would be most appreciated! This is my first home with more than 1/2 acre (even tho I grew up on 6, we had a large pond and lots of shaded non-grassy areas there.) and where I know it will never have the "million dollar look" I don't want this yard to return to a bald clay rocky mess in 1-2 seasons because I can't care for it properly.

 

I can get pics of the current state of the lawn if you think that'll help. The sun is setting as I type so, no pics today.

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pre emergent is essential to control weed growth. Goes on spring time after frost. During the summer theres stuff you can put on but i never found it necessary in FL. In the fall, you winterize it.

 

As for mower, a 48" deck deere or husqvarna is fine. If you want to do it quicker than that, zero turn is the only way to go. Might be worth looking into someone doing the grading and prep of your lawn for you, sounds like a lot of work for a single dude.

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Gauge wheels will help on whatever you use to mow. You may be right, it is still a bit early in the season...... I'm still trying to get used to the seasons after moving up from FL a couple of years ago. Anyways, we have wild bermuda grass and its just starting to come back from the winter. Our lawn goes through two spring stages: one where the weeds and short lived wet season plants thrive and the second where primarily bermuda and type of clover take over.

 

How old is your lawn and house? It may be new enough that a lot of the "junk" (rocks and stumps and such) are still coming up after the land was prepped. I'm thinking NW Ga is just far enough north that there is enough frost heave that combined with rain runoff the underlying rocks and junk gets slowly pushed to the surface and exposed. I mow 3 acres on the rise of one of those baby foothills you are talking about and while I don't get the roots and stumps you refer to the bumps, dips and rocks in my yard regularly changes with the seasons.

 

1) Try gauge wheels and cut high and often. I would think that if your mower has been well maintained, that size should be adequate for the size lawn you're referring to.

 

2/3) If you have money to throw at the issue get a yard design service to come out and give you and evaluation and recommendations. Watters and Associates 706-234-5482 is well regarded if a bit on the upper end of the spectrum.

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I'd have a professional lawn service come out and look at it. They will have some great ideas and should be helpful even if you only want them for a "consultation". Heck, tell them that and buy them lunch so they don't feel like they're being used.

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This house is about 15 years old. Originally this lot was covered in pinetrees. If you dig a hole more than 1/8" deep, if you even scratch the surface of the ground here you find red GA clay. In an area the size of a spade head shovel full of dirt you may find a dozen or more rocks, some of the rocks I find are as large as softballs, average is golfball to half golfball though.

 

I think a professional company coming out and at least looking would be a good idea, even if they charge a small fee to look and recommend.

 

My previous owner didn't even put any shrubs in the yard. I'd like to have some established flowerbeds (ya konw.. where the roots are and grass never grows because of excessive shade) and I'd like a brick walkway in the back where the mudroom and deck exit. (right now it just dumps off into clay.)

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So I just jacked the lawn mower up. The problem seems to be a bent deck skirt.

 

http://www.searspartsdirect.com/troybilt-riding-mower-tractor-parts/783-1146A/0071/247/model-13AT609G766/1307/1509200.html

 

Those.. I had those on the bottom of the deck and they were bent all to hell and back.

 

I just took em off. Blades look surprisingly good considering how many rocks I've been hitting.

 

This explains the divots my mower is cutting into the lawn and the fact that it seems to hit invisible objects.

 

Step 1 of ???? completed at least.

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I do brush clearing, bush hogging and rough terrain mowing with my business, so maybe some of what I do will help. I have a 6 acre yard in pine trees that has my zero turn on 3 wheels alot of the time. I cut thirty 75-90 ft pines last year & newcomers can't tell. It is an ongoing project.

 

The first thing to do is walk the property and mark the hazards that you hit. Orange paint, ribbon and a bundle of marking flags to get started. I start with the bigger areas & block off where I do not want my tractor, brush cutter or ztr. A dab of paint on removable rocks stuck in the ground that you can get out with a little effort. After the full walk, I would pick an area to get more detailed with such as front yard at the road, a band on each side of the drive or the area by the deck since you use that more. As my neighbor told me, you may need to make some "nature areas" to have time to control what you can for now. "Leaf beds" are easy since you Round Up growing things and blow clippings and leaves in them to clear off the grass.

 

Do not use pre-emergent until you figure out what type of grass you have or what kind that you want. It works great on an established lawn. It is really too late for it now. With the variety we both have, I am not putting any weed killer out except for round up with a spot sprayer. . The weeds you have now are probably just springtime weeds that should go away once they are cut a few times. One of my customers has zosia (?) in his lawn around the house and natural areas everywhere else.

 

You must get commercial equipment so it will last. Ask the local lawn guys where to go. Find a decent, used 44"-48" commercial ztr. An Exmark, Toro, Scag, Deere. More important is to get something with a great dealer that is close by. I have a Toro, but not a primary Toro dealer. They have some parts and knowledge, but not like they have for their Exmarks, since it is their primary line. A commercial mower will have a 7 gauge deck with an extra band welded to the front so it won't bend easily. It should have several gauge wheels or you should add some. The small deck can follow the terrain better without plowing. My 60" is too big for much of my yard. It is 10 yrs old with 2400 hours. SLOW DOWN when you mow until you improve the yard.

 

Buy the dealers favorite weedeater. It won't be a huge brushcutter or the cheap box store model. I can put a brush blade on my 15 year old Husky trimmer & trim smaller limbs instead of using the pole saw.

 

Get a 4" trenching shovel to make it easier to dig in and around your rocks. It helps in tight spots or to just break up that Ga clay. Get a pick axe or mattox. Use it to cut roots in the ground & not your axe. It breaks up clay & moves rocks also.

 

Write down or schetch out short term and long term ideas for the property. Get a professional out there or get your county extension agent to stop by or do both.

 

Buy a load of topsoil/ dirt to fill in rock holes and spread a little on thin grassy areas.

 

That should be enough to get you started.

Good luck!

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