Huge amount of grass clippings driving me crazy

[doobin]

To collect regularly on such an acreage I’d look at a ride on mower with a powered vacuum collector. Mine is on a tractor but they are about second hand as just a mower and collector. 

[Grassyass]

If you are going to go back over the grass with a sweeper , just go back over with the mower , start on the top height setting and then lower it slightly on the second pass so your not getting as long a clippings .in this dry weather once you get it down just keep on top of it,

[scbk]

Most of my grass at home is cut and drop, cut it every 1-3 weeks (weather dependant) and it's fine, looks decent, and fine for walking on.

 

Every week if it's sunshine and showers

Every 10days - 2 weeks in "normal" weather

Every 3 weeks if it's a heatwave

 

 

And usually on a friday night when gbx is on the radio, in my ear defenders!

[jamez654]

Have you thought about a robotic mower? Grass is cut so frequently that the tiny clippings just disappear. Some of the commercial Husqvarna models would cope with a lawn that big. An added bonus is that if you go away for a fortnight in the summer you can come back to a perfectly cut lawn instead of a knee high mess.

Edited May 25, 2023 by jamez654

[daveatdave]

stiga park mowers are quite good at mulching you can get different decks to Sute what you want to do 

[Stere]

 

 

Neigbour has being mulch mowing 5 acres of paddocks (least twice a week at this time of yr) for decades with a  tractor - its like a golf course green. Hes  decided to let the next door farmer use it for hay this  year.

 

Think some people must enjoy mowing alot.

 

 

 

 

 

[Willie.]

Just to add to this; I don't think you need to go and buy anything else.  If you have a mower than can cut 1.5acres in 15min...you have the correct mower for the job.

You merely need to increase the cut frequency as other have said.  Your Iseki is ideal, but to keep it short and neat, you do need to cut it at least once a week (Based on my findings in my area).  If it looks like it needs cut, you're too late.

Cut the grass slightly longer than you would normally.  Cut it to about 2.5" or 3", that will give the clippings somewhere to fall into to hide them.  Ideally only cut 1/3rd of the leaf, so that rule should dictate your mowing frequency.  Vary your cut pattern.

If you don't have a mulching deck, try splitting the area into sections and cut it constantly throwing the clippings inward (Onto the uncut grass).  Then do the last few stripes outward to kick it back out.  This means you are constantly chopping the clippings finer and finer.  You may end up with a few heavy strips at the end, if so just lift the deck a click and run over them to disperse evenly.  Don't do massive sections at the start til you get into the way of it and get a feel for how much you can throw in.  

I found this works well to leave a clean cut and clippings evenly dispersed.  In wet weather - its going to tend to clump, so possibly cut more often and discharge onto uncut and live with it!

Grass is 70% moisture, so in a day or so it does wilt considerably.  But mowing twice a week (Possible if its only 15min) should be perfect to maintain it immaculately with no visible clippings.

Going from 2ft tall to 2", not collecting, is just too much grass to hide.  You really do need to get rid of it that first time.  As this was a few days ago, it should be rightly wilted down by now, so you may be fit to run over it again to break up any clumps and it should break down.  But ideally yeah, you'd want to get a machine, or someone, in to remove that inital volume off for you.  If you're on your own and its still lying everywhere, use the Iseki and cut it in such a way to throw the clippings into a few rows, then rake into builders bags or a trailer.  You may need to rake out clumps.  Bit of elbow grease the first time I'm afraid.

After that though, your Iseki is perfect to keep on top of it.

[Doug Tait]

Agreed, little and often and no need to collect. I do close to 10acre of paddocks and ROW, whichever bit isn't being grazed by the horses, with a zero turn no mulch deck.