I have not tended to yards or lawns ever since I helped my parents back when i was a kid. Having lived in city apartments, lawncare was a moot point and my previous home had a lawn but the landscape contractor retained by the neighbourhood association took care of all landscaping work.
I moved recently and have to take care of a decent sized yard. I need some basics, what is a good lawnmower, what is a good weed killer etc etc.
so i think I will post in bazaar talk for lawnmower recommendations and here for lawncare tips.
Honda, Scott and Toro make good lawn mowers. You can buy a decent horsepower for about $300. Don't go cheap on this. it pays of investing a few more bucks. Things to look for;
Horse power - at least 5 hp
Self propelled- push mowers are a pain to push for a decent size yard. you might save $50 by not buying a self-propelled but you will pay the chiropractor for your shoulder strain.
Gas operated of course. Anything electric outdoors is a recipie for disaster.
You dont need a bagger- bagged mowers collect mulch generated from mowing in a bag which can later be transfered to a garbage bag and then disposed of. But I dont use a bag to collect the mulch. Just let the mulch serve the purpose of fertilizer for your grass. Meaning, dont bag it. Almost all mowers have this option where u can recycle mulch.
You will also ned a edger. Buy a gas operated edger. WARNING: Do not buy electric. They suck. You will be using that 100 ft extension cord and winding and rewinding it is a pain. Also, electric edgers go bad frequently.
Buy long gardening scissors / trimmers if you have any bushes for landscape.
This last item is usually looked over by most desis but if you wana keep your american neighbors happy, buy a blower to blow off the grass remains on footpaths in front of your home and around your driveway. Its not important but good to have.
Also, wear sunglasses (or protective glasses), hat, sneakers and pants while mowing. Take breaks and drink lots of water.
fraudy : best thing is to pull the weeds out constantly but also using a weedkiller hlps... just get anny that says weedkiller on lawns.. in uk u can get this sandy material which u spread out.. it is a feritliser (sp) and a weedkiller so its gd.
lawn mower.... there r ones that float on air.. get that if ur lawn is not level
get the rotary ones (like the ones mali use) (where the blade spins forward) but the lawn HAS to be extreemly LEVEL ... we have tried liek 3 different types of lawn mower and the best one is the floating one trust me... its easier to use.. cheaper and lighter. gd luck :p
The type of lawnmower depends on how big your yard is & how often you will have to use it? The bigger the yard the higher the horse-power, and it usually translates into less time outside. I don't know how much it rains in Chicago, but here down south, if you don't mow the lawn every weekend from April to Nov, the neighbors won't like you. The rest of the year it's about once a month. So, investment in a good lawnmower is always a wise thing to do.
The only tip in yard work is being regular, otherwise it becomes a pain.
Oh and when cutting overgrown grass, cut it with a lower blade first before going to the lowest. Otherwise your lawnmower will start pulling grass out.
thanks for the info there, i will keep that in mind. The reason I am buying a mower now is because I just moved and now have to take care of my own yard. It will snow in a bit but until then I have to take care of it. plus off season I can get good deals on the mowers. waleed got it right .
The yard is not uneven at all, but its not level on one side, a little hilly.
roshnie
I did not get an automqatic sprinkler system put in yet. I want to put an underground irrigation system which is more effective than the usual sprinkler systems but its a double edged sword to put it in before you have done your landscape planning because where the diff types of plants/trees are going to be dictates how you layout the system. it is cheaper to put it in before you get sod put in, but on the other hand, having to rip it up to readjust it because the way you set it up did not mesh well with the landscaping is a pain and gets more expensive.
I do have pipes and various sort of sprinklers to water the yard which i will use until next spring when I am planning to put in an underground irrigation system.
I need a tutorial on diff types of plants, and what are the best times to plant them. these could be flowering plants, fruit trees like peach or plum as well as weeping willow types.
I was told that october is a great time to plant fruit trees. I guess I should go buy a book on gardening :)
I thought I'll never say this, but FG was on the dot with this. Just like to add few cents.
-Make sure it's a self propelled, rear wheel drive mower, especially if you have a hill.
-My electric powered Black&Decker hedge trimmer has been working fine but come to find out, cordless is more efficient. Dragging that cord around has been a PIA. Check out the rechargeable one's out there. I don't recommend gas powered trimmer and blower cause it gets messy.
-You can get a descent mower from Sears, I got a 6.5 Horse power Briggs&Stratton for about 299 and change. Make sure it has a mulching option as most of them do.
If I didn't have to do all the back breaking work, priceless. If it was up to me and financially feasable, I'd get rid of anything green with a growth potential.
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*Originally posted by Gabrujawaan: *
If I didn't have to do all the back breaking work, priceless. If it was up to me and financially feasable, I'd get rid of anything green with a growth potential.
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ya..many desis in the Uk did just that, concrete over the garden..to a point that goodness gracious me poked fun at it in one of their skits titled "bharat homes"
