Question about cut grass

[skeets]

With the rain we had and soggy ground I got around to mowing the lower field,, Well lets say there is a pile of mowed grass that needs cleaned up. I was leaning toward a estate rake, but was wondering if anyone has use a landscaping rake to rake grass in to rows and pile it up, to get picked up and put in to the compost pile

 

[pgmrdan]

A lot of nutrients in that mowed grass. I NEVER remove grass. Once it dries you might mow over it again to scatter it around so it looks better.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Probably any 'rake' may do damage to the sod, unless it's adjusted perfectly. Either vaccum it up or best, recut when DRY, as it's GREAT fertilizer !

 

[TheOldHokie]

With the rain we had and soggy ground I got around to mowing the lower field,, Well lets say there is a pile of mowed grass that needs cleaned up. I was leaning toward a estate rake, but was wondering if anyone has use a landscaping rake to rake grass in to rows and pile it up, to get picked up and put in to the compost pile

I have used a landscape rake to gather clippings. It wont windrow well if thats what you are looking to do but it beats hand raking into piles.

Dan

 

[Fordtech86]

Haven’t tried it with the landscape rake, we just use a tow behind sweeper on the little case

edit: down sides to it with grass, it gets heavy to dump if you fill it full, I added an atv winch to dump it. I still need to reinforce the top bar of the basket though cause it’s bending it doing that.

 

[rc51stierhoff]

With the rain we had and soggy ground I got around to mowing the lower field,, Well lets say there is a pile of mowed grass that needs cleaned up. I was leaning toward a estate rake, but was wondering if anyone has use a landscaping rake to rake grass in to rows and pile it up, to get picked up and put in to the compost pile

Good day.

are you mowing with a belly mower or some sort of rear finish mower that has side discharge?

LR (w/ gauge wheels) is on my short list…I intentionally let grass get a little longer (for lawn health, pollinators, and for compost) and raking by hand into the bucket to take to compost.i think if blowing into rows you could create less area to rake maybe, but I don’t know how you are currently doing that..maybe already there? (Still have to get it to a pile and scoop / haul someway though…rake really want do that that I am aware of)

I blow as much into rows as possible(rows just wider than the bucket and then i take into bucket). (I’ve thought about snow fence on the grapple…but I think that will make a bigger mess with something as fine as grass…but I’ve not tried that though). Anyway I try to pick mowing paths to blow as much into fewer rows.

Basically I think LR would help…doesn’t change how to pick up the grass piles to scoop and haul something though.

 

[GeoHorn]

I’m with pgmrdan …. Run back over it with the mower after it dries a bit…. It’s good for the grass.

Pretty amazing what is seen “in town” at the “New California” neighborhoods… PLant expensive hybrid grasses…. water it during a drought… feed it… then buy sophisticated mowers/equipment …. Mow it, Rake it, Vacuum it Up into bags,… set the bags out so the “haul it away for money” folks to come get it on “special day”….. (they take it to the landfill which is soon to be closed because it’s full …and the city is promoting a new “Bond” to finance the new landfill….IF..they can find a place for it.)

THEN… go buy $ome “mulch” … $pread all that around the trees and house-foundation….

… And then Wonder where the Termites came from.

 

[Flintknapper]

I use mulching blades on my Zero Turn and finish mower. Doesn't leave much of any clippings (length) behind, but if it does...the very next day (or two) that will be dried and I just go back over it quickly.

Its great fertilizer for the and actually helps to build top soil. I would never remove it.

 

[Fordtech86]

I would never remove it.

I think he is collecting it for compost for garden. That’s what we do anyways.

 

[TheOldHokie]

Good day.

are you mowing with a belly mower or some sort of rear finish mower that has side discharge?

LR (w/ gauge wheels) is on my short list…I intentionally let grass get a little longer (for lawn health, pollinators, and for compost) and raking by hand into the bucket to take to compost.i think if blowing into rows you could create less area to rake maybe, but I don’t know how you are currently doing that..maybe already there? (Still have to get it to a pile and scoop / haul someway though…rake really want do that that I am aware of)

I blow as much into rows as possible(rows just wider than the bucket and then i take into bucket). (I’ve thought about snow fence on the grapple…but I think that will make a bigger mess with something as fine as grass…but I’ve not tried that though). Anyway I try to pick mowing paths to blow as much into fewer rows.

Basically I think LR would help…doesn’t change how to pick up the grass piles to scoop and haul something though.

Hopefully the pallets compost as well

Dan

 

[TheOldHokie]

Too much of most things is generally not good. Thatch buildup is a problem with turf grasses and needs to be monitored and controlled. Professional golf course grounds superintendents employ a semi-annual schedule of core aeration and verticutting to help prevent thatch buildup.

Your lawn grass may not be a golf course fairway but it responds the same.

Dan

 

[Manwithtools]

In my experience any landscape rake is going to damage to the turf no mater how skillful the operator. While I agree with others that the trimming are good for the grass, but only if in limited quantity. If it does begin to build a thatch, I've found that a Pine Straw rake does a pretty good job of dethatching with minimal impact to the grass. Bonus is they are not terribly expensive.

 

[skeets]

Thanks guys, yeah I have run around in smaller and smaller circles until it get so much piled up Im pushing it with the MMM. But it chops it up so much I lose a lot for the compost pile, and I figured a rake would move things to where I could get it in the the bucket

 

[chim]

It doesn't often get super long, but when it does I just mow again a day or two later and increase mowing frequency till I'm not chasing the brown clippings around anymore. This works a little better since switching to a rear discharge deck. Fortunately the deck I have works in wet grass, although I'd rather not. Also, the tractor has plenty of lights to allow mowing after dark. There was a time when Spring and Fall mowing while the sun shined was difficult. I'm retired now and it's easier to find daylight hours to mow than when I worked.

Many years ago when the grass got ahead of me I would mow one day, then a day or so later mow again with a side discharge mower. The second mowing was after the grass dried out some and was lighter and less bulky. For that mowing I'd use the side discharge to blow the grass int wind rows. Then I'd rake up the wind rows and toss the semi-dried grass in a fence row along the edge of the property. In hot Summer weather that wasn't much fun.

 

[jaxs]

Using the right tool saves time and fuel. If you have ground that needs to look nice a flail mower chews tall grass up so it's once and done rather than making extra trips to rake or mow dead grass.

 

[Fordtech86]

I think a lot of people are missing skeets point

skeets if it doesn’t rain this afternoon I may try it with the landscape rake when I get off work, I just mowed yesterday and didn’t feel like dragging the sweeper out, have to move half the 2n to get to it I am curious on how it does

 

[bird dogger]

With the rain we had and soggy ground I got around to mowing the lower field,, Well lets say there is a pile of mowed grass that needs cleaned up. I was leaning toward a estate rake, but was wondering if anyone has use a landscaping rake to rake grass in to rows and pile it up, to get picked up and put in to the compost pile

Skeets, I have a small "estate rake" that is like a mini side delivery hay rake. It works very well for just like what you are wanting to do. Unfortunately, I don't have any pics that I can find quickly.

I use it all the time in the spring to help dethatch the lawn in places. It will windrow the cut long grass to the side for easy pickup with a hand sweep rake. If you don't have too many twigs or larger sticks in the lawn, you can turn over the windrow until it gets so big it won't pass through under the framework.

You can set the angle of attack, place weights (bricks) in some holders if needed. There's also a lever adjustment to lower the two sets of wheeled rakes to different depths to make it as aggressive as you'd like. I find it quite handy for long grass pickup, de-thatching, even windrowing leaves into piles before I purchased the pto powered leaf blower.

The only down side to it : it's another item to store. But it certainly earns its keep. I pull it behind a lawn tractor, my 4 wheeler and/or the B2650.

 

[Fordtech86]

if it doesn’t rain this afternoon

and it rained

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Hay, it's only grass....not a big deal ,eh !

Neighbour has an unused 1/2 acre garden spot, up wind of her PRIZED veggie garden, ...yet refuses to cut down the weeds.
I wonder how many MILLIONS of weed seeds will be in her prized veggie garden next year ???
I suggested 3 times, just cut them down BEFORE they go to seed...

Oh well, next season's already looking 'interesting'...

 

[RCW]

skeets - - I missed your point about using the clippings for compost.

My error - - didn't read close enough.

My clippings would have too many weeds in it....

If I ever used a Weed & Feed on my lawn, I'd have nothing left but dirt.....