Farmer to cut overgrown garden/land

MrThrifty

Apologies if this is not considered a 100% farming-related query. Right, we have a 1 acre garden that's just been growing wildly for a long time (years!) and we're looking now to make it look like a normal garden. Options as I see it are to do a DIY job with a strimmer or maybe to try asking a local farmer to cut it altogether. Is this latter option a runner? The garden consists of long grass and weeds, along with the occasional bramble. Ideally we'd want the whole lot cut (and bailed) and taken away. If a runner, I guess the bales won't be of too much use to the farmer this time of year so how much ballpark should I expect to have to pay for the job (I don't personally know any of the local farmers!).

seithon

Random thought here, why not ask to borrow say a herd of hungry goats for a weekend or two?

sea12

To be honest you might find it hard to get a farmer to mow it incase he hits a stone or piece of metal and damages his mower. Do you know anyone with a horse or pony. They would be glad to oblige you. And they would clean it to the bone.

MrThrifty

Considered the goat/sheep thing a few years ago before the situation got as bad as it is now but we'd have to put up proper fences and there are several dogs living in neighbouring houses that I'd have concerns about! But were it not for that, I'd do it in a flash!

As for the stone/metal thing, I was kinda worried about that myself. Didn't take much notice of the garden when we first moved here but know for sure there are some concrete blocks hidden in the grass in a particular area (which obviously I planned to remove before inviting a farmer in!).

Horse idea is interesting... might be an option, but there's a lot of direct access to the main road so again we'd have to put up proper fencing and gates and with my driving I'd probably knock the animal down driving up to the house!

Have also considered setting the whole garden on fire but there's laws against that these days and there's probably be a few fire engines here before you know it!

Kilmac1

MrThrifty wrote: »

Considered the goat/sheep thing a few years ago before the situation got as bad as it is now but we'd have to put up proper fences and there are several dogs living in neighbouring houses that I'd have concerns about! But were it not for that, I'd do it in a flash!

As for the stone/metal thing, I was kinda worried about that myself. Didn't take much notice of the garden when we first moved here but know for sure there are some concrete blocks hidden in the grass in a particular area (which obviously I planned to remove before inviting a farmer in!).

Horse idea is interesting... might be an option, but there's a lot of direct access to the main road so again we'd have to put up proper fencing and gates and with my driving I'd probably knock the animal down driving up to the house!

Have also considered setting the whole garden on fire but there's laws against that these days and there's probably be a few fire engines here before you know it!

hire a digger and reseed it?

sea12

a couple of strands of electric wire wouldn't take long or be expensive to put up

Juniorhurler

MrThrifty wrote: »

Considered the goat/sheep thing a few years ago before the situation got as bad as it is now but we'd have to put up proper fences and there are several dogs living in neighbouring houses that I'd have concerns about! But were it not for that, I'd do it in a flash!

As for the stone/metal thing, I was kinda worried about that myself. Didn't take much notice of the garden when we first moved here but know for sure there are some concrete blocks hidden in the grass in a particular area (which obviously I planned to remove before inviting a farmer in!).

Horse idea is interesting... might be an option, but there's a lot of direct access to the main road so again we'd have to put up proper fencing and gates and with my driving I'd probably knock the animal down driving up to the house!

Have also considered setting the whole garden on fire but there's laws against that these days and there's probably be a few fire engines here before you know it!

Do like the travelling brethren and spud the horse to a post driven in the ground.:rolleyes:

kay 9

If it's only an acre then a good brush-cutter and chainsaw should do the job. Then get a mulcher to make dust out of it all. Is it just scrub with briars and such. Or are there tree stumps or anything like that?

Bodacious

Remove those blocks that you know location of and walk/stomp heavy grass to locate any remaining blocks/stones and get lad in with tractor topper and together walk it and he'll probably raise up topper a bit initially.

Good brushcutter would do it also but think you'd prefer walking in front of tractor with eyes peeled for stones! You'll have to fence it anyway for livestock or next year will be back to square one or get all stones/blocks out and top it regularly:)

Bizzum

What about getting in someone with a sprayer and burn off all with a view to reseeding?

funny man

MrThrifty wrote: »

Apologies if this is not considered a 100% farming-related query. Right, we have a 1 acre garden that's just been growing wildly for a long time (years!) and we're looking now to make it look like a normal garden. Options as I see it are to do a DIY job with a strimmer or maybe to try asking a local farmer to cut it altogether. Is this latter option a runner? The garden consists of long grass and weeds, along with the occasional bramble. Ideally we'd want the whole lot cut (and bailed) and taken away. If a runner, I guess the bales won't be of too much use to the farmer this time of year so how much ballpark should I expect to have to pay for the job (I don't personally know any of the local farmers!).

Talk to a local contractor he will be able to assess the garden and decide what machine would be best suited for the job, it may just need a run of a topper, a hedge/verge trimmer or if very bad scraped with a digger/track machine, if you don't know any contractors nip down to one of your farmer neighbours and i'm sure s/he will be only too delighted to help out.

MrThrifty

Thanks for all the feedback. Thought of the hedge/verge trimmer myself afterwards - they tend to tolerate a fair old beating so maybe a less risky option to a farmer. Think I will run with asking local farmer to use one of these or else a topper to do the job, and if that ain't a runner then I'll try renting either a sickle bar mower (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsB9vg87cII&feature=related) or brush cutter.

I think all of these options beat my original mad idea which was to attach a cheap hedge clippers to the front of something like a pram and put a petrol generator inside for power!!! I can just picture the locals looking in and wondering what on earth I was up to wheeling a pram through the jungle of a garden!

AtillaTheHun

goat attached to a reasonably heavy tyre on a chain?

i remember the folks had a goat that was suppose to do a job similar to your situation but ended up having to put it on a chain attached to a heavy metal bar driven down into the ground and moved every so often. i'd prefer the tyre method myself.

so no need for fencing really!

otherwise a local jcb?