Overgrown Lawn and Drive tips

Shefwedfan

Ok have purchased a house but it hasn't been lived in for about 4 years, about 2 years ago the Estate Agent just stopped doing anything with the lawn.

It is completely overgrown, also there is last summers growth which has died and is under this summers growth. Mess

I am wondering what is the best way to tackle this. The lawn is just under an acre. I just want to get it down so I can start cutting it with lawn mower.

Talked to rental company and they said to use the following "Kuboto out front flail mower, 5ft"

I tried another and they recommended a push flail Mower. It was from HSS Hire.

Has anyone used these? Are they any good? I guess I would need to rake up grass etc after? Does it leave it easy to clean?

Also the drive way which is small stones, has been overgrown with weeds. I bought a sprayer but wondering what is best to kill the weeds? Which product should I use? Again the weeds are huge as they have been allowed to grow for years with nobody touching them

Thanks

looksee

If the weeds on the path have grown up through a membrane then you will not be able to pull up big weeds without ripping up the membrane too. It does sound as though the drive does not have any compacted foundation for weeds to be that vigorous. I reckon the best solution would be to start again and get it stripped by a machine, then foundation put down and either stones or tarmac. A good foundation is a better solution than membrane. I am by no means a professional so take this advice with a pinch of salt if you wish, just my opinion.

phkk

Shefwedfan wrote: »

Ok have purchased a house but it hasn't been lived in for about 4 years, about 2 years ago the Estate Agent just stopped doing anything with the lawn.

It is completely overgrown, also there is last summers growth which has died and is under this summers growth. Mess

I am wondering what is the best way to tackle this. The lawn is just under an acre. I just want to get it down so I can start cutting it with lawn mower.

Talked to rental company and they said to use the following "Kuboto out front flail mower, 5ft"

I tried another and they recommended a push flail Mower. It was from HSS Hire.

Has anyone used these? Are they any good? I guess I would need to rake up grass etc after? Does it leave it easy to clean?

Also the drive way which is small stones, has been overgrown with weeds. I bought a sprayer but wondering what is best to kill the weeds? Which product should I use? Again the weeds are huge as they have been allowed to grow for years with nobody touching them

Thanks

Roundup is your man for driveway, spray but give if to weeks before you see results. Will kill everything it touches so be careful.
Wrt garden, I'd strim it first and leave it a few days before cutting it at the highest level with tractor lawnmower. Ideally, ask a neighbour would he top the garden for you, he'd have it done in no time on a tractor. You'd be surprised after a few cuts the way the grass can replenish. I'd try that first before deciding whether to do any professional work on it by maybe ploughing, harrowing, reseeding.

Shefwedfan

looksee wrote: »

If the weeds on the path have grown up through a membrane then you will not be able to pull up big weeds without ripping up the membrane too. It does sound as though the drive does not have any compacted foundation for weeds to be that vigorous. I reckon the best solution would be to start again and get it stripped by a machine, then foundation put down and either stones or tarmac. A good foundation is a better solution than membrane. I am by no means a professional so take this advice with a pinch of salt if you wish, just my opinion.

I had a chat with a professional guys already. He recommended to keep spraying it each week and see how it goes. He thinks there is a membrane there already so if everything dies it might be ok. Then throw some new stones onto it....

Try that and if it doesn't work he can take it up and relay it but it will cost a couple of grand

Shefwedfan

phkk wrote: »

Roundup is your man for driveway, spray but give if to weeks before you see results. Will kill everything it touches so be careful.
Wrt garden, I'd strim it first and leave it a few days before cutting it at the highest level with tractor lawnmower. Ideally, ask a neighbour would he top the garden for you, he'd have it done in no time on a tractor. You'd be surprised after a few cuts the way the grass can replenish. I'd try that first before deciding whether to do any professional work on it by maybe ploughing, harrowing, reseeding.

Thanks, I used roundup before but from watering can and it didn't seem to work. I have bought sprayer so I think that will work alot better

Its a big area to strim, that is why I was recommended to use the Flail mower. I did ask rental company about tractor lawnmower but they said it was way too long. Get it down a bit and then run tractor lawnmower over it

Would the flail be a quicker way than a trimmer? Thanks

peasant

Shefwedfan wrote: »

Would the flail be a quicker way than a trimmer? Thanks

t'would

Genghis Cant

It's highly likely that there's a contractor in your area cutting hedges for farmers. I was in a similar situation with the garden here. Ive access to tractor /mower/topper but it was too overgrown.
So I got the lad who cuts our farm hedges to tidy up the garden with the flail. A couple of hours work, €50, and I can mow it with a lawnmower now!

the_pen_turner

i would get in a farmer with a good mower and cut it like they would for silage. then get someone in to bale it up. it will be a lot easier to get rid of in a few bales.
just make sure that there are not rocks or wire in the field


as for the yard. is there a few weeds here and there or is it completely covered.
if its a few I would spray. if its covered you would be better off getting in a digger and scraping off a layer. it will work out better in the long run

Genghis Cant

the_pen_turner wrote: »

i would get in a farmer with a good mower and cut it like they would for silage. then get someone in to bale it up. it will be a lot easier to get rid of in a few bales.
just make sure that there are not rocks or wire in the field


as for the yard. is there a few weeds here and there or is it completely covered.
if its a few I would spray. if its covered you would be better off getting in a digger and scraping off a layer. it will work out better in the long run

Nah, I wouldn't mow that rubbish. The quality is crap and you wouldn't know what you'd hit with the mower. A complete non runner, until it's cleaned up.

the_pen_turner

Genghis Cant wrote: »

Nah, I wouldn't mow that rubbish. The quality is crap and you wouldn't know what you'd hit with the mower. A complete non runner, until it's cleaned up.

why
its only grass. iv seen it done loads of times.
I wouldn't do it with a new mower though just in case.

the quality wouldn't matter you would be dumping it not feeding it

Genghis Cant

the_pen_turner wrote: »

why
its only grass. iv seen it done loads of times.
I wouldn't do it with a new mower though just in case.

the quality wouldn't matter you would be dumping it not feeding it

Ok. I'd mow it with your mower. Not mine. And I've two, an old one and a fresh one.
Without seeing it it's impossible to make a definite call one way or another, but I'd be cautious.
Perhaps if I saw it and liked what I saw I'd mow it. Who knows.

the_pen_turner

of course you would have to see it.
maybe the op should post a pic.
if it was a lawn before it shouldn't be too bad


I wouldn't like to be facing it with a strimmers

Genghis Cant

the_pen_turner wrote: »

I wouldn't like to be facing it with a strimmers

Strimming an acre is a non runner.
Id a flail in here last winter and it almost turned the overgrown rubbish into dust.
I mowed some until it got too rough but it was too hard on the mower so I stopped.
Maybe the fact that it was a lawn might suggest that it'd be ok but all it takes is something like a concrete block in the undergrowth to cause mayhem.

the_pen_turner

Genghis Cant wrote: »

Strimming an acre is a non runner.
Id a flail in here last winter and it almost turned the overgrown rubbish into dust.
I mowed some until it got too rough but it was too hard on the mower so I stopped.
Maybe the fact that it was a lawn might suggest that it'd be ok but all it takes is something like a concrete block in the undergrowth to cause mayhem.

the hardest problem there is to getting someone to properly check for crap like that.

you would still need to check for any flail

Genghis Cant

the_pen_turner wrote: »

you would still need to check for any flail

Not near as critical as for a mower. Also if it's badly overgrown the hedgecutter can do any surrounding hedges and verges.

Without seeing it, who knows.

Shefwedfan

The lawn is acre but it is split into front and back and there is long section at side. A mower and tractor would struggle because of the layout.

Really a tractor lawnmower would be the perfect job if it could cut the long grass....

A strimmer would takes ages, would need a week to get it done :-)

I think the flail mower will be the job

For the drive way I purchased a back sprayer, got one recommended by a gardener so spend a few quid on it and got myself some proper weed killer. Not the sh*t they sell in Woodies. Seen this stuff in action and it works. I know before I bought Woodies stuff and the weeds where still laughing at me after spraying them 2-3 times,

ShiverinEskimo

If you don't want to use the flail mower for some reason, I strimmed a half acre when I moved into my gaff. Took a full day with breaks (~10 hours). Rented a large petrol strimmer and used a mix of cable and brush cutter fittings.

Ran over it then with a walk-behind lawnmower the following day on its highest setting first to mulch then again to collect, taking about 4 hours due to frequent stops to empty.

So for you, 3 or 4 days would do it. Once I had it done, it's been normal regular mowing since.

Shefwedfan

Shefwedfan wrote: »

The lawn is acre but it is split into front and back and there is long section at side. A mower and tractor would struggle because of the layout.

Really a tractor lawnmower would be the perfect job if it could cut the long grass....

A strimmer would takes ages, would need a week to get it done :-)

I think the flail mower will be the job

For the drive way I purchased a back sprayer, got one recommended by a gardener so spend a few quid on it and got myself some proper weed killer. Not the sh*t they sell in Woodies. Seen this stuff in action and it works. I know before I bought Woodies stuff and the weeds where still laughing at me after spraying them 2-3 times,

Ive strimmed an acre of ground in about six hours with this http://www.stihl.co.uk/STIHL-Products/Grass-Trimmers-Brushcutters-and-Clearing-Saws/Petrol-clearing-saws/21918-220/FS-460-C-EM-L.aspx

Shefwedfan

Deleted User wrote: »

Ive strimmed an acre of ground in about six hours with this http://www.stihl.co.uk/STIHL-Products/Grass-Trimmers-Brushcutters-and-Clearing-Saws/Petrol-clearing-saws/21918-220/FS-460-C-EM-L.aspx

Are you available for hire? :P

I'm in Mayo and you can hire them at a Stihl dealer here So maybe if you look up your nearest one

lazybones32

There is another option.
Get your ride on mower, set it to the highest and start cutting the lawn but only cut it in half-widths of the mower. Start at the verge - where the lawn and driveway meet - keeping half the mower on the lawn, half on the drive. The blade will be able to rotate easier than if you were to try driving through the centre of the lawn. Start the next line, half the width of the mower in-field: the blade can cut without getting clogged or struggling with the high grass That's how I tackle lawns that are too high for the mower but too short to strim. It takes a bit longer but not too much. I'd suggest not collecting the clippings for the first cut but you'd have to cut it a few times to really chop it up.

Go 1/2, 3/4 or 4/5ths the width of the mower, you'll know yourself