You don't have rattlesnakes there? Outside of the fire danger of tall, dead grass, the other main reason we're so vigilant about mowing/weedwhacking is for visibility for rattlers.
Anyone have experience with eco-lawns or meadow mixes?
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You don't have rattlesnakes there? Outside of the fire danger of tall, dead grass, the other main reason we're so vigilant about mowing/weedwhacking is for visibility for rattlers.
No rattlesnakes. I'm in the part of Oregon with a 9 month rainy season.
We do have fire danger here. That's what got me to start watering and keeping everything green through the summer.
We do have fire danger here. That's what got me to start watering and keeping everything green through the summer.
I wouldn't do that to the birdies. We have cats.
Maybe the same thing to hold kerosene lanterns or something instead of bird lures / cat feeders.
Great idea, thank you!
Our rainy season can last anywhere from 5-9 months, but we have rattlers all over.
To you I say, LUCKY-DOG!
Alrighty, time for a follow up report on modifying the mower for a higher cut height.
Instead of mowing once a week, I can mow every other week, and sometimes every third week. This obviously cuts the amount of time I waste mowing by over half.
Clover is coming up nicely. Where clover has taken over I barely mow at all, every 6th week or so. The bees love it.
The grass has needed more watering than usual to keep it green, makes sense as it now has almost double the aspiration area to lose moisture from. It's a little more time moving the sprinkler around, but I run my well pump from solar power, so no additional cost. The clover areas don't seem to need water at all.
Raising cutting height is 100% win, very glad I did so.
Instead of mowing once a week, I can mow every other week, and sometimes every third week. This obviously cuts the amount of time I waste mowing by over half.
Clover is coming up nicely. Where clover has taken over I barely mow at all, every 6th week or so. The bees love it.
The grass has needed more watering than usual to keep it green, makes sense as it now has almost double the aspiration area to lose moisture from. It's a little more time moving the sprinkler around, but I run my well pump from solar power, so no additional cost. The clover areas don't seem to need water at all.
Raising cutting height is 100% win, very glad I did so.
Glad it's working for you!
Are you seeing an increase in insects, and butterflies?
When I told some I wasn't going to mow, they told me I'd have more fleas, ticks, and snakes.
I haven't seen any at all.
Pretty much the same here. But, I also think the ground cover of clover and violets I have are helping to keep moisture in the ground.
My yard is mostly green, while my neighbor who mows "grass" has a mostly brown yard. It's been very hot here, and little to no rain.
I've been watering my garden and around the house for the frogs and other critters.
Are you seeing an increase in insects, and butterflies?
When I told some I wasn't going to mow, they told me I'd have more fleas, ticks, and snakes.
I haven't seen any at all.
Pretty much the same here. But, I also think the ground cover of clover and violets I have are helping to keep moisture in the ground.
My yard is mostly green, while my neighbor who mows "grass" has a mostly brown yard. It's been very hot here, and little to no rain.
I've been watering my garden and around the house for the frogs and other critters.
We've been without rain for so long I haven't had to mow in weeks and if we don't get rain soon, the grass will all be brown. I did let the big hill grow wild, and while it produced some very pretty flowers, there is some sort of vine taking over the hill now and growing into the grass, choking out the butterfly bushes and all the tiger lillys on the hill. Seriously considering chemical warfare and starting over on the hill. Very happy with the rest of the yards lack of growth.
We normally have a bumper crop of creepy crawlies anyway, so not sure of any difference there. I also don't keep much track. A LOT of wasps. A LOT.
I did see a dragonfly yesterday in my yard, for the first time ever.
We only see a garter snake every few years, and only notice it because the cats and dog will all be watching something in the grass closely. No clue if we've had any change there.
You might run your well pump from solar but it still will cost you when the pump pukes out and you have to purchase a new one...and it will, the more you use it, the faster it sees it's end date. We just had a new Red Jacket submersible pump installed in our fairly deep bore well (130 feet bore to the water and the pump was set at 115 in the water which is top level, 100 feet. A new Red Jacket submersible 220 3 wire pump was almost 900 just for the pump plus another 900 to replace the plastic well pipe and set it. So no, just because you power yours with solar, don't mean it's free. It's a mechanical device and will wear out at some point.
You might go to some box store like Lowes and buy one and set it yourself, but you'll still pay for the pump as well as new drop lines and have to do the work yourself and your time is still worth something I'd presume.
Water is a non issue here. In fact I just had a narrow window to get my first cut alfalfa / Broom grass hay off and dried and bailed (takes a 4 day stretch start to finish) and I was able to get it off and round bailed and my only hay customer came in with his semi trailers and hauled it off, just before another deluge and I still need to apply 28% urea to the fields and top dress with 2-4-D (B) yet.
We have been getting appreciable showers at least every week all season, sometimes bi-weekly. Night before last we got almost 1/2" in the rain gage.
Sure, watering an extra day a week uses an extra 0.00001% lifespan of the pump. Instead of $1800 every 30 years, it'll be $1800 every 29 years and 363 days.
Somehow I'll manage.
Somehow I'll manage.
Right, we replaced our submersible well pump recently. Damn pump only lasted 36 years supplying our domestic water and regular watering of the gardens in summer. The pump is down 200 feet.
