Wet Area mowing suggestions wanted

[dirtydeed]

Hi Folks,

I have a section of property that's roughly an acre+ that is just too wet to mow with conventional gear. Not sure what the best approach would be but I'm considering getting a rough cut mower to tow behind the quad. Maybe like a 4 footer since I have some trees. The alternative would be a rotary cutter (5 footer) but I would think that combination with the tractor would be really heavy.

I have a couple of zero turns and an old riding mower that I'm tired of pulling out of the mud. I really don't want to wreck the zero turns and the rider has a tough time getting thru tall grass (it's been a very wet spring here this year).

It's not an area that I'd want to maintain like a lawn (that's not going to happen) so, I could likely get by mowing it 2-3 times per year. I would think the quad option would be less likely to get stuck but I could use a rotary cutter elsewhere on the property to maintain some trails/road.

I have to check with the soil conservation officer to see if I can add some drain tile (+/or regrade), but I believe the area is considered wetlands...so, that could be an issue. There is very little slope to it and wasn't graded correctly when the previous owner built this place.

Suggestions welcome.

Thanks in advance.

 

[KennedyFarmer]

i have an area that is like that, its a road run-off area. This year is awful for us with all the rain. i have tryed to do some work in that area with the tractor and i sink. One was right down to the axles and stuck. I'm going to wait for it to dry out hopefully a nice old time PA drought will happen soon

tracks would be nice for cutting areas like this of course they sink in too

 

[johnjk]

Welcome to my front yard. I've got a perpetual wet area that unless I am in 4WD and moving, I sink. I found that backing up to it with the brush hog at least gets me in 5 or 6'. We have been getting .5 to 1" of rain a day so there has been little opportunity to do any grading to drain the area. I was able to dig a couple drain channels this winter when the ground was fairly frozen but not this spring.

Once I get some drainage in there, I'm gonna plant some willows and river birch to help soak it up. Being Ohio, it could be hard as a rock in five days....

 

[winesalot]

Hi Folks,

I have to check with the soil conservation officer to see if I can add some drain tile (+/or regrade), but I believe the area is considered wetlands...so, that could be an issue.

"Don't ask questions you don't want answers to."

 

[shootem604]

Dig a hole in the middle of it for a water feature and use the removed material to build up around it. Willows will help too...

 

[D2Cat]

Sounds like you folks need to give up mowing when it's raining that much on a regular basis. You wouldn't be doing the grass or the ground any good.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Hover mower?

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Califor...-Blade-Hover-Lawn-Mower-RC190-BS550/304781979

 

[sheepfarmer]

For a minute there I thought NIW was kidding...seriously D2 is right. My farrier was just saying yesterday that if his wife got her Kubota stuck one more time it was going to have to stay out there until August. The last time it took his Kioti, two trees and a come along to get it out. Some battles are just not worth fighting.

 

[skeets]

Remember it is always easier and most times safer, to ask forgiveness than it is to ask for permission.... ORRR you might start digging on the down hill side a few shovels at a time and give it some place to go pssssst dont say a word to anyone,,,, just sayin you diggin for worms if anyone askes

 

[RCW]

I’m with ‘Cat and skeets - -

Leave it alone if really wet, and maybe pick at it little by little to improve drainage.


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[goldenpsp]

Remember it is always easier and most times safer, to ask forgiveness than it is to ask for permission.... ORRR you might start digging on the down hill side a few shovels at a time and give it some place to go pssssst dont say a word to anyone,,,, just sayin you diggin for worms if anyone askes

that can be good except when dealing with government types. Asking forgiveness may not avoid the fine.

 

[D2Cat]

If you want to help drain the area, put a mole on the back of a sub-soiler and pull it where you'd normally put a ditch. Do it several times and you'd be surprised how much water will be "gone".

 

[Yooper]

Len, can you expand on this a bit? Looked up ***8216;mole***8217; on subsoiler and come up with several different versions. Need to do some drainage work on my property in the future and a subsoiler looks like the implement to use. Plus it looks fun to build!

 

[Mike9]

Wetland = mosquitos. If your land is not designated as a "Wet Land" by DNR then have at it, but be discreet about it . . . just in case.

 

[Russell King]

Len, can you expand on this a bit? Looked up ***8216;mole***8217; on subsoiler and come up with several different versions. Need to do some drainage work on my property in the future and a subsoiler looks like the implement to use. Plus it looks fun to build!

Google “mole plow drainage”
Or look at
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=N3LlZ0N6AYA


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[D2Cat]

Yooper, the youtube Russel linked to shows how they work. Sometimes the "ball" is attached to a short cable also. The wheel they had in front to cut the sod would help to cut deeper with less HP, just like on a plow. That is called a rolling coulter. You can easily make one of those.

 

[Josef]

I had a dozer dig me a nice pond and am using the dirt to build up other areas

 

[dirtydeed]

If you want to help drain the area, put a mole on the back of a sub-soiler and pull it where you'd normally put a ditch. Do it several times and you'd be surprised how much water will be "gone".

That's interesting. I've seen many subsoilers but never with a "mole" attached.

Wonder if it would work here...probably have 6" of topsoil with basically pond clay under it. Doesn't help when you live on "Swamp Road"!

Previous owner tried to maintain the area, if he had just let it be woods I wouldn't have an issue with it. It's the tall weeds/grass that I can't get used to. That and a muddy dog.

Thanks for the replies folks

 

[Yooper]

Thanks Russell and D2Cat! Learn something new every day.

 

[D2Cat]

It takes some weight, HP and traction to pull sub-soiler, and I imagine a bit more with that ball dragging in the hole to keep it open.