Will a Lawnmower Cope, or do I Need a Strimmer?

[Grande Pedro]

I'll be moving into a new house, but most likely not until late November, so after the usual grass-cutting season. The grass is very overgrown and needs tidying as soon as I have the keys, but will a mower on the highest setting do this, or should I buy a strimmer?



I've got a decent petrol mower but don't have a strimmer. If the latter is the recommended approach, will a battery one suffice or is petrol the way ahead?

[ARHarh]

If it was never likely to get in that state again I would just pop down your local hire shop and hire a decent strimmer for a morning. No point spending hundreds on one when you can get away with a smaller one i the future.

[sherman]

ARHarh said:

If it was never likely to get in that state again I would just pop down your local hire shop and hire a decent strimmer for a morning. No point spending hundreds on one when you can get away with a smaller one i the future.

This.
Strip it all off.
See what you have to work with.
There might be flower beds, a pond or paths precut under all that already.

[Grande Pedro]

There's a central path and a large but neglected pond in the top left corner.

Equipment hire isn't really a thing where I am, but I will do a search. I suppose I can see likely advantage in having a strimmer to sort the awkward places even once the grass is sorted, so maybe just biting the bullet might be best.

[Bill]

The problem is that that needs a proper strimmer which will be overkill for later. I'd have a go at it with the mower first, and then get a scythe if that's not man enough.

[Cow Corner]

Could you not borrow a strimmer from somebody?

[Simpo Two]

I think a petrol rotary could do it, set on 'high'.

[The Three D Mucketeer]

Glyphosate and wait two weeks .

[OutInTheShed]

Strimmer would be weapon of choice, but manual tools like a grass hook or shears would do it.

You could also use a hedge trimmer, if in the long term you thought you have a use for one more than a strimmer.

Cheap low power strimmers could be frustrating faced with that, I'd probably put the metal blade on my petrol strimmer.
But these tools take up a lot of shed space and don't get used that much once you're under control.

[indigochim]

The Three D Mucketeer said:

Glyphosate and wait two weeks .

I think that's what I'd do too. Whatever you cut it with you still end up with a bunch of weeds only shorter. Kill it all and start from scratch.

[Grande Pedro]

Thanks for the comments. I don't know anyone with a strimmer but I take the point about a 'normal' one perhaps not being up to the job.

My concern with the mower option is that it's so long that I fear even on the highest setting it'll get clogged up. I have got a hedge trimmer and shears, but that doesn't feel like a very appealing alternative!

The place has been empty for a long time but I gather the previous owner took his gardening seriously so I'm reluctant to use chemicals on it.

[Simpo Two]

Grande Pedro said:

I gather the previous owner took his gardening seriously so I'm reluctant to use chemicals on it.

The word 'chemical' covers a lot of things. Glyphosate breaks down on contact with the soil; it's non-residual. It works best when when sprayed as opposed to a watering can.

[Chrisgr31]

A rotary lawnmower on high will get through that if taken slowly and the grass is dry. Your first challenge though is to work out where the old flower beds are!

[Japveesix]

Long reach hedge cutter with an angled head would do a good job and might actually be useful for hedges in the future.

https://www.sam-turner.co.uk/products/stihl-hla-13...

A decent petrol mower might go through it if you run it over multiple times.

Depending what's in there and exactly how tough and woody it is a strimmer might be fairly hardwork anyway, a metal brush cutter blade may work better.

[TT86]

As suggested I'd kill it off and start again fresh in the spring.

Looks like pure weeds to me. It'll just clog the mower up.

Glysophate (I buy Gallup) will sort it out. It won't linger and can re seed when it warms up.

[ATG]

Simpo Two said:

Grande Pedro said:

I gather the previous owner took his gardening seriously so I'm reluctant to use chemicals on it.

The word 'chemical' covers a lot of things. Glyphosate breaks down on contact with the soil; it's non-residual. It works best when when sprayed as opposed to a watering can.

It doesn't break down on contract with soil. It binds to soil particles and gets broken down by microbial action typically in about 6 weeks, but can take up to 6 months. The byproduct of that breakdown also tends to bind to soil particles. That binding behaviour is good news as it tends to stop the stuff from getting transported into waterways.

[dudleybloke]

Another vote for nuking it.

[Evanivitch]

Grande Pedro said:

I'll be moving into a new house, but most likely not until late November, so after the usual grass-cutting season. The grass is very overgrown and needs tidying as soon as I have the keys, but will a mower on the highest setting do this, or should I buy a strimmer?

What's the rush? Whatever you do now is just going to leave the ground in a worst condition come spring. I'd leave now until probably March, smash it back then and you can rotovate and reseed in the right conditions without leaving it degrade over winter.

[ATG]

Glyphosate only kills stuff that is growing, so it isn't really a nuclear option. Anything that is already dormant won't be harmed and that includes the entire seed load in the soil, so, come the Spring, there may be a resurgence of weeds even if you give them a good dosing now.

[bimsb6]

Borrow a goat for that !