Safety while gardening on steep hill
melody-s
11 years ago
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pat_tea
11 years agoRelated Discussions
Mowing on steep hill
Comments (9)Make it into a nice rock garden, before you chop off a foot! Knowing of which i speak, altho i lost my foot in war, there are certain draw-backs to doing a lot of things! for one--wading in the ocean is next to impossible-think about it--! Two, if ya lose the right one, it means having to change the gas pedal on your vehicles from right to left side of the operators position! Three--long hikes aren't recommended, without a backup driver to pick up yer bones and take ya home! Four: Make sure you have a dependable vehicle when ya go out on a day-long fishing trip to yer favorite spot! Walking home is not an option! And, wading in bare feet is definitly a no-no! And, rocks don't need mowed!...See Moresteep hill, bumps & holes, 50-year old woman
Comments (8)I've bought and sold on ebay, with mixed results. Look for something local so you can avoid shipping, because that's a terrible thing to have to deal with on mowers. For your purposes, make sure you're buying a non-self-propelled mower. Lawnboys are going to lighter than any Snapper or Toro, I think. If you find a decent one, it would be a good bet for you. As far as other wheeled mowers, look for one with either a flathead engine (i.e., not overhead valves[OHV]), or a Honda GCV160 (which has overhead _cams_ [OHC]). These are the lighter 4-cycle mower engines still being used. They are all around 25-27lbs (engine only!), which is about 10lbs less than the big OHV engines. Actually, a staggered-deck Lawnboy with the Tecumseh flathead might still be pretty light and might survive a few seasons on that hill. If there is a non-self-propelled Honda with the Xenoy (plastic) deck, maybe it would be pretty light. I don't know of any light big-wheel mowers, but I agree that for push-only mowers the large back wheels make sense. The problem with almost all 4-cycle engines is that as they tilt too far on a slope, their oil sumps don't keep oil near the pick-up or splasher and their bearings can run dry; and/or they can get oil sloshed up to the top end of the engine which siphons into the carb or hydrolocks the engine. So there's always a chance of low engine life. Looking at Eastman Industries, it appears they sell their 19" hover mowers with either the Suzuki 2-cycle or the Honda 4-cycle. This version of the Honda is supposed to be optimized for hillside use of up to 45 degrees according to Eastman. I was asking about this engine earlier, but nobody knows anything about it. I'd take them at their word, I guess. Anyway, the Honda has more power and only weighs 3lbs more than the Suzuki (37lbs vs 40lbs), so I think either would be a good solution for you, ann13820. If I had your constraints on mowing, I'd call them and find out if any dealers are anywhere near you. I'd also ask them how one moves the mower into a garage or shed, as discussed above. It would be a pain to have to do that with it running, but maybe you could use a low platform on casters, like a rolling platform for big potted houseplants, and just "park" the mower on that outside and then roll it inside. Here is a link that might be useful: Eastman Industries mower site...See MoreGarden tractor safety on a sloped lawn
Comments (24)" Believe me, I thought about it. But about a year after I moved in the county took it upon themselves to dig out the trenches to improve stormwater flow. I'd hate to put all that money and time into planting ground cover or putting stones down, only to have them come out with a mini excavator and tear it up. So while re-grading it, I made sure I dug it out deep enough before putting sod down, so they would have no reason to ruin it." You did right by digging it out deeper but I would have put down rock rather than sod. Nice place by the way. "I must have dug that thing out once a month. I did the brickwork immediately after moving in to keep my driveway from getting washed out. By the time I had sense to stop trying to grow grass in sand and put sod down, the labor involved in mowing the ditch (which was graded specifically so that it would be possible with the tractor) was nothing compared to constantly digging and raking the washouts. Mowing it with the Deere is really no problem at all. Maybe I'll post a video when I suck up the leaves in a month or so (which ALL collect in the ditch). It definitely pushes the tractor to its limits, but as long as the grass isn't wet (and I never cut it wet), she grabs the turf and climbs out every time." Nice job on the brick work. I saw your video. Make sure you don't turn over/ flip. I saw at the end you had the tires off the ground. Would your town let you connect pipes upto the one that goes under your driveway along your property and then just fill dirt over the pipes so you have flat ground ? - Kris...See MoreVERY steep hill in backyard...need suggestions pls
Comments (9)The shrubs growing on the slope look that they have been there quite a while and seem to be growing straight up. (Sometimes, if there is a bend like an old-fashioned walking stick handle in the stem near to the ground, that bend can indicate that the land is slumping.) About the tree roots showing: there's not a great deal of topsoil from what I could see so the roots have probably spread out to forage for food and water. A number of tree species have suface roots - some quite gnarled and obvious. Think swamp cypress for a start. Unless the trees are very tall and your local prevailing winds are fierce or unpredictable you aren't likely to get windthrow. On a slope such as yours I'd be looking for grooves cut by runoff from the top as the precursor to shallow gullying - and that didn't seem to be happening. Personally, I wouldn't spend on 'posh plants' for such a slope. I'd ask for 'pioneer-type' shrubs - preferably native to your area. If you have a native plants nursery near you - pick their brains. Grasses, creepers, low-nutrient environment shrubs and sub-shrubs. That soil is obviously not rich - it hasn't been colonised by much at all. If you need clues and there are cuttings at the sides of your roads check there for what will establish and thrive and stay seemly. (No one needs a slope covered in fire risk weeds!) When you visit with the plant place/s ask for SPECIFIC guidance on how to plant up a steep slope. If it has a high clay content - let them know because it will change what they will advise. If there is any better soil available on your lot, and you can spare some - mix it in with the slope soil when planting but don't bother putting in fine compost. All that happens is the plants grow out to the limits of the top grade environment and then either sulk or die. Think about buying your reveg plants in 'root trainer' tubes rather than big cans or baggies. They'll be younger and better equipped to strike out, rootwise. Hear you when you say you're budget-constrained. See if you can legally collect native seedlings of suitable plants, grow them on, then plant out. Sometimes a neighbour can be a good source. Under the bird feeder, in a garden, can be another - but expect a lot of berry-producing plants ;-) And, as the slope is a bit of a challenge - could you devise a ladder to get you upslope for planting? Or a scaffoldiong arrangement. Something with wide enough treads so you don't end up with anguished feet!...See Morenil13
11 years agoCalamity_J
11 years agoSuzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b
11 years agorosiew
5 years ago
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