It's that time of year; mowing war.

[Idaho45guy]

Around here this time of year, the rain always seems to come on my days off so I can't mow. And the grass is growing so fast that it needs mowed every 4-5 days.

I have a double-lot in town and a push mower and work 12hr shifts, so mowing and trimming my yard is a 3-4 hour task that can only be done on my days off. Today was one of those days and thunderstorms were around all day. So I stayed inside and reloaded.

Funny how in another month, the rain stops and then you have to start watering to keep the grass from dying.

I miss my Arizona house and it's rock lawn; so easy!

[JBinMN]

Our neighbors & I have the mowing wars here as well. I usually end up with the longest grass because I won't mow when the grass is damp/wet..
But even when I do get around to mowing, it is almost the next day that one of them mow again, even if they were the last one to mow.

It is ridiculous...

[metricmonkeywrench]

In it deep here in Virginia.. Couple of days of mild weather to stir up the tree pollen now a weeks worth if rain. I can almost hear the grass growing.

[nagantguy]

Ground bees, mole hills, dog toys, baling twine , rocks that grow well here I just hate mowing; absolutely hate it!

[rancher1913]

with out a lot of expense and upkeep the only thing that grows around here is cockalbures and goat heads, neither is fun to step on.

[brass410]

liberal applications of round up or any type glyphospate work wonders on the lawn to curtail mowing, heck Ive even been known to " accidentaly" over fertilize with urea on a hot arid day man that really increases leisure time .

[RU shooter]

AstroTurf anyone ??? Wish I had the coin to do my whole yard in it ! I'd rather shovel snow than mow grass. In the last few years I've delevolped allergies so now it's even more a hated chore .

[FISH4BUGS]

Maybe I am nuts but I don't mind mowing. I mulch into a bag and put the leaf/yard/flower bed waste into the compost. That compost goes back into the garden every spring.
There is nothing like a freshly mowed yard that looks nice. Especially when there are no grass clippings anywhere.
Casting and reloading is a winter sport here in New Hampshire. Winters are long and hard and cold. Summers are for yard and garden work and burning up all that ammo.

[Shepherd2]

There were a couple years when things on the farm kept me very busy and the lawn got way out of control. My solution was to put up some electric netting type sheep fence, block off the porches and put in 40-50 sheep. In about 2-3 days the lawn would be down to about 1 1/2 inches.

The down side was that you didn't want to walk in the lawn for a week or 2 without your boots on.

[Finster101]

I don't mind it. I put my earbuds in stream music from my phone, get on the zero turn and go. I mow 2 acres in about two hours with no weed eating. In SW Florida it's a rear round deal, it just slows down in the winter.

[Petrol & Powder]

I like mowing in the spring and early summer but the novelty wears off in late summer. Some years with lots of rain and sun, it wears off much sooner :-)

Idaho45guy, I know your situation. Been there, done that. Seems like the rain only comes on your days off and the grass grows like mad when you don't have the time to cut it. Just a suggestion, you can trim wet grass with a weed eater. It's messy but if you get the edges, trees, corners, etc. cut with a weed eater when it's wet you can mow the remainder much faster when you do get a sunny day of opportunity. Be ready to roll when the time comes. Plenty of fuel on hand, sharp blade, everything out of the yard.

[arlon]

You could move to my neighborhood. We haven't had any real rain since last summer. Normal spring rains have been nonexistent this year. My yard is dead brown but I haven't had to start my mower yet this year.. Midland, Texas.

[MrWolf]

No neighbors within at least a quarter of a mile. They can't see my yard �� Just bought a Cub Cadet 42" works great for my hilly yard except where my son's and my dog dug up moon sized craters. Not fun but will fix yard when I get a loader - someday.

[MUSTANG]

I have moved on to "Low Stress" yard maintenance. Spent a couple of years putting up fencing with Drive way gates at both places. I now am able to:

(1) Do Yard Pasture Maintenance by letting the horses (and when the freezer is low - calves) munch away keeping the grass low.

(2) started using a Zero Turn Lawn Mower - those are much more fun to operate than push or older lawn tractors. This allows keeping the grass somewhat uniform in height, with no super high areas.

(3) Draw back to livestock grazing the yards (Actually slightly manicured pastures) is have to have the wife drive the tractor around while I scoop Horse Poop into the bucket every week or so. Upside of this activity is it goes into a compost pile and I always have fishing worms and compost/fertilizer for the Garden beds.

[marlin39a]

Around here this time of year, the rain always seems to come on my days off so I can't mow. And the grass is growing so fast that it needs mowed every 4-5 days.

I have a double-lot in town and a push mower and work 12hr shifts, so mowing and trimming my yard is a 3-4 hour task that can only be done on my days off. Today was one of those days and thunderstorms were around all day. So I stayed inside and reloaded.

Funny how in another month, the rain stops and then you have to start watering to keep the grass from dying.

I miss my Arizona house and it's rock lawn; so easy!

Nothing is growing in your old Arizona neighborhood. There has been no rain, and a dry Winter. Stage 2 fire restrictions are in effect. No outdoor burning, includes campfires. Also No Outdoor Shooting. There was a wildfire that started in PV last Friday. Went North of 89A and into Viewpoint and north. Driven by high winds, it took 2 homes. Things are scary, it's so dry. They are considering closing the Prescott National Forest. Monsoon season is still 6-8 weeks away. Now that I am retired, I can't enjoy shooting until we get significant rain. My favorite pass time is to haul my camper out to the forest on 89, grill a steak, and shoot. I'm casting, and reloading. Ive got 3 acres here that I'm usually cutting the start of April. Like I said, nothing is growing. I wish you could send that rain back here.

[Mytmousemalibu]

My buddy mows lawns, im almost inclined to have him add my yard to his route. I hate doing it and im busy most of the time. I hate using the precious free time I have to mow.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

In Glencoe...a running gas engine and wurr of the blades of a lawn mower is like a siren's song :lol:
it seems once someone starts mowing, the whole neighborhood gets out there and mows.

I don't have much lawn, most of my yard is garden. I don't really take care of my lawn, lots of weeds. Also when I mow, I am really just harvesting mulch for the garden. I rarely mow all the grass. I mow until I have enough mulch for my vegetable plants. Also, that leaves some of the flowering weeds in my lawn for the honey bees and bumblebees.

[Idaho45guy]

It's annoying that my neighbors across the street are a retired liberal couple that have an immaculate lawn. They've made snooty comments in passing about the sad state of my yard. They have a local landscaper come to their house once a week to mow and work on their lawn. Every day they are outside making little adjustments or adding some new flowers. And they have a third of the area I do. I hate them. LOL.

[Idaho45guy]

Nothing is growing in your old Arizona neighborhood. There has been no rain, and a dry Winter. Stage 2 fire restrictions are in effect. No outdoor burning, includes campfires. Also No Outdoor Shooting. There was a wildfire that started in PV last Friday. Went North of 89A and into Viewpoint and north. Driven by high winds, it took 2 homes. Things are scary, it's so dry. They are considering closing the Prescott National Forest. Monsoon season is still 6-8 weeks away. Now that I am retired, I can't enjoy shooting until we get significant rain. My favorite pass time is to haul my camper out to the forest on 89, grill a steak, and shoot. I'm casting, and reloading. Ive got 3 acres here that I'm usually cutting the start of April. Like I said, nothing is growing. I wish you could send that rain back here.

That's too bad to hear. I was there when those firefighters lost their lives. Just awful. When I was a federal park ranger, part of my duties was firefighting and the area I patrolled was similar to the area around Paulden; rolling hills and valleys with lots of sagebrush and scrub oak.

Worst part of trying to dig a firebreak there was the thousands of angry and scared rattlesnakes moving ahead of the fire. Not fun.

But I do miss my PV house...

220641

[Idaho Mule]

It's a little to damp for you to do any mowing today. :drinks:

[Idaho45guy]

It's a little to damp for you to do any mowing today. :drinks:

Yes it is! Too wet to do anything today outside. Was thinking about driving down to the family cabin at Dworshak and just hang out and watch movies with my parents, but they came back to Moscow this morning. They just bought another horse from a family in Colfax since we found out their mule was going blind. Mom insisted on having a trail capable horse despite the fact she is too frail to ride more than a few minutes in the pasture now.

[Smoke4320]

There were a couple years when things on the farm kept me very busy and the lawn got way out of control. My solution was to put up some electric netting type sheep fence, block off the porches and put in 40-50 sheep. In about 2-3 days the lawn would be down to about 1 1/2 inches.

The down side was that you didn't want to walk in the lawn for a week or 2 without your boots on.


cause that lawn would be covered in "smart pills"

handed one to a gullible friend once.
He said whats this.
I said a smart pill.
He took it quickly spit it out and said its tastes like " "
I said see your getting smarter already

[Wayne Smith]

As I listen to the latest thunder shower (downpour) I'm wondering the same thing. Was able to run home last Thurs and mow (week ago) but had rain from Sun AM until then. Now raining and showers predicted through this weekend.

[Thundarstick]

I love to mow but, I hate to use poor equipment! I mow 5 acres with a large zero turn and enjoy my time out side. My wife grips that if I'd spend half the time on the inside I do on the yard and on the outside she could sleep all the time! I keep mine mowed well!

[nicholst55]

We lived on an Army installation in Arizona (Yuma Proving Ground) for a little over 4 years. Our first set of quarters had a gravel front yard and a very small plot of grass in the back, so not a big deal. We had to move out of those quarters after 10 months so a soldier could move in, and we moved into 'the ghetto,' 60 year-old 'surplus' quarters. Bigger lots, with grass all around. I was out cutting the grass one morning when it was relatively mild - only about 90 degrees, but the humidity was up there. I started feeling woozy, and ended up spending the weekend in the Cardiac Care Unit in the local hospital. Turns out that I was badly dehydrated and became a heat casualty - and I thought that I was keeping pretty well hydrated! No more grass cutting for me, per (two) doctor's orders!

Only the military and golf courses try to grow grass in the desert.

[hwilliam01]

In Maine....we have to wait until the snow melts before we have to mow....220667

[Petrol & Powder]

In Maine....we have to wait until the snow melts before we have to mow....220667

Now That's funny !

[Idaho45guy]

When I lived in Iowa, I was working at the Maytag plant in Newton and my wife and I and our two small kids rented a nice old farmhouse between Newton and Grinnell.

It sat on 35 acres and had a giant park-like lawn of about an acre and a half.

The landlords were an elderly couple that cherished the landscaping and lost their minds if the lawn wasn't mowed.

The thing was, I worked ten hour days 6 days a week at the plant and only had a push mower. The couple had a really nice John Deer riding mower they kept locked in a shed on the property and refused to rent it to me or let me use it.

I was a young father of two small children and I would mow for an hour or so after work until it got dark, then do it again the next night. By the time I got it all mowed, the first section I had done needed mowing again. It was insane!

When I got behind once after taking a weekend off for a vacation after months of fighting nature, they got angry and came out and mowed the entire lawn one Saturday and then left a bill for $20 on the door.

Ding ding! Heck, I just let them mow every week and paid them an extra $80 a month in rent.

I was only paying $350 a month in rent for that place. That was the great thing about Iowa; super cheap rent and housing. They sold it a year later after getting some actual bad tenants (they thought we were bad) for $70k.

[RED BEAR]

my neighbor cuts his at night or in the rain. its the strangest thing i have ever seen .ok at night maybe its cooler but in the rain and i do mean in the rain our yards can flood a little his more than mine and i have seen water coming out the side of his mower like a fire hose. well i guess different strokes for different folks.

[MstrEddy]

I'm in South East Fla and this week has been monsoon time. Or so it seems. I've been on my annual tour at Homestead AFB as well, so that has killed both weekends and evenings to even try to mow the little bit of yard I have. We're in a townhouse with about 600 sq ft of grass in the back yard. The front is taken care of by the association. So, the yard is overgrown and unless the rain lets up tomorrow, it'll be another week before I can get to it.

[woodbutcher]

:D Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh yeah.Lawn care.Grew up in Vero Beach.Fl.Used to have to help Dad with the yard care at their house growing up and then at the house we owned after I got married.Most of the summer was twice a week at both places,not to mention at the rental apts that Dad owned.The lot their house was on was 275 ft front by the same deep.The apts lot was about 150 across the front by one block deep,and 300 feet wide across the back.NO riders just push mowers back then.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[high standard 40]

The yard where I grew up was 3 acres. My two brothers and I would cut that with an 18" push mower. After a time, dad must have started feeling sorry for us and bought an additional mower with a 22" cut. We would actually run pushing those mowers so we could finish sooner. Stupid, I know now, from a safety standpoint. I'm glad to have survived my youth. I strictly ride to cut grass now................sometimes twice a week here in Louisiana during the peak season.

[firefly1957]

I had a crazy neighbor at my last house in town he would mow within minutes of my finishing my lawn even if he mowed two days before! I would let mine go as long as i could it was a small area many weeds in it that grew the fastest.
Here if i do the trails i have near 5 acres to mow i got a 42" cut Crapsman lawn tractor 14 years ago and the transmission was getting weaker ans weaker so i got a 54" John Deere last year not only does it cut a wider area but it goes faster as well cuts my time nearly in half!
I think i upset the salesman when we were doing the purchase when i mentioned i rarely pick up sticks at all just run them over and chop them up! I also have rocks work up each winter that are heck on blades i have only seen a couple mole hills in the years here my other yard was full of them.
On the old crapsman (Huskvarna ) transmission i tore it down no wear it seems it was a small amount of water in oil that caused the trouble when it got hot i would lose torque and if hot enough reverse would fail completely until it cooled. My son got a scrapped tractor with a manual transmission i swapped it in and will tell you it is a hazard compared to a hydraulic transmission! It does not stall it will dig holes in the ground first were the Hydraulic trans had much less torque to the wheels . The reason i bothered was i still use it to throw snow and use it at my fathers cabin near by to mow not only lawn but in the woods as well .

[Mtnfolk75]

I moved from my last home with Grass in June of 97' ...... Life is good in the Forest [smilie=s:

[Idaho45guy]

Finally had a nice day and managed to mow the whole property and wash and wax the Jeep...

220734

[Finster101]

220738

[Taylor]

Took me 20 years to train my neighbors to mow on Thursday. Then they died, and I have to start all over. Only have one now that really cares what his place looks like. The rest are down right lazy.

The wife mentioned that the grass needs mowing, of course it does, it's it up to the hubcaps. But it has been raining, I'm letting it go to seed, I have grass seed out and I have already mowed this month.

I have a 1984 5216 Simplicity that is getting tired. The wife talked me into getting a new mower. She said I should get a zero turn. So I did, so far I have ran into or over everything. Maybe it will make it thru the summer.

[mold maker]

Where did this sea of clover come from? My lawn was manicured Friday and again this morning it looks like it snowed. Are aliens sewing it at night?

[RPRNY]

The only darn use for children.

[Chihuahua Floyd]

still in a sling from rotator cuff surgery. can't push mower, can't pull starter rope, don't care if neighbor mows or not, I ain't doing nothing.
Did have someone from Church come by and mow last week while I was out.
Really appreciate that.
CF

[murf205]

220784The humidity here in Alabama makes mowing a real thrill. After I cut 1 acre, I look like some pushed me into the pool. After we got a couple of good snowfalls, this yard took off this spring. I have what we call a 4 beer yard, and that does not include those needed for cool down!

[DirtyGP100]

One of the few times Im happy to have a small yard is when Im mowing it. 15 min and done. 30 if I gotta run the weedeater too.

[Moonie]

I have a brand new 52" zero turn, finally this year the yard looks good.

[Bazoo]

Put on your rain gear and mow anyway.

[Iowa Fox]

One of the few times Im happy to have a small yard is when Im mowing it. 15 min and done. 30 if I gotta run the weedeater too.

Takes me twice that long to just fuel and grease up.

[mold maker]

I just finished writing the check for my two yards. This time of year sometimes it's 3 times in 2 weeks. We've had 2 days in the last 12 without rain, and the grass loves it.
Rain doesn't get rid of the airborne pollen either, my nose proves that.

[Boaz]

As a young man I enjoyed yard work and keeping a nice yard . Skipping ahead to advanced years ...I hate grass . Grass is the work of Satan , I love it when July gets here and my yard turns a beautiful shade of pastel brown till mid September then the never ending futile job of mowing starts again .

[Idaho45guy]

When I first bought my house, the side and back yard was about 60% grass and 40% weeds. So I began religiously using weed and feed of various types and costs. Now after three years of doing so, they are now 98% weeds and 2% grass.

This Spring, I even bought a bunch of grass seed and seeded both yards. Lots of rain and sun and the grass is dead. It's maddening. I guess I have to destroy it and start over if I want grass.

[woodbutcher]

:D The best Weed and Feed that I found was the"Scotts"brand.Worked a treat for me.The only down side was the TWICE a week mowings.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo