Mowing the Lawn

I had to mow the lawn this evening.  It was due and I don’t think I’ll be in the mood to mow it for a few days since I’ll be celebrating our nation’s birth. 

For the record, I HATE lawn work.  It’s a pain in the keister and I sneeze through the whole process.  Perhaps it’s because my parents had some rental property when I was growing up and I spent many a weekend mowing lawns.  In any case, I’m perfectly content with our lawn looking decent.  Not great.  Not perfect.  Not horrible.  Decent. 

So what do you think of the folks with perfect lawns?  I think one of two things. 

1) The homeowner doesn’t have anything better to do.

2) The homeowner has a lawn service. 

I know I’m biased on this, but I can’t help myself.  Lawn care sucks. 

1. The man of our house extends his “dittos”, Owen.  He thinks it sucks, too.  He does it to get it done, but it will never be perfectly striped, dandelion-free or forever green.

   And I keep feeding him Allegra tablets.

   Posted by on July 03, 2008 at 2017 hrs




2. 2/3rd acre lot.  For last 9 years my neighbors two kids have done the mowing, each while in Jr. and high school.  It ain’t perfect but it’s pretty, if you squint a little.  Don’t know what I’m gonna’ do in two years when th ekids agr gone.

   The eldest neighbor “kid” graduates from UWM next year with a BS in civil engineering.  Go Erik!

   Posted by on July 03, 2008 at 2032 hrs




3. I try and keep the lawn as neat and trim as I do my suit and my hair cut.  Not sure why, maybe just the AF or the way I was raised.  It’s not always fun, but it feels good when we drive home and see the edged curb in front

   Posted by on July 03, 2008 at 2041 hrs




4. I HATE lawn work and would love to move into a condo to avoid it. Unfortunately, we have two large dogs...so until they aren’t around any more...we’re stuck here.

   I usually hire someone to mow...but there is still the damn weeds to deal with.

   Posted by on July 03, 2008 at 2125 hrs




5. I’m with you - lawn care is a chore.  I"ll do it, but I don’t like it.  Give me a few years and a modest increase in pay and I’ll happily pay someone else to do it.

   My next door neighbor has the perfect yard.  Everything just so. He’s retired and he seems to really enjoy the time he spends doing it.  I suspect he’s always been like that.

   I try and keep the lawn as neat and trim as I do my suit and my hair cut.

   Ah!  But you likely don’t cut your own hair or dry clean your own suit ....

   Posted by Brian Dunbar on July 03, 2008 at 2238 hrs




6. Two acres and a nasty sidehill here, and yes I despise it all.  The sidehill can only be mowed (rider-style) by me doing my best sailing impression and hanging butt cheek off the left side of the mower ala a Hobie-Cat trapeze rig.

   Posted by on July 03, 2008 at 2325 hrs




7. 1) The homeowner doesn’t have anything better to do.

   Or the homeowner has OCD (raising my hand)

   My old house in West Allis had such a small yard that it was REALLY easy to have a fantastic looking lawn.

   And to be honest, I don’t think it takes any longer really.  If you have to cut it, why not cut it in a nice diagnal pattern.  Throw some of Milwaukees finest Milorganite on it once a month and you’re golden.

   My new house doesn’t have the landscaping done yet, so I can’t claim to be spending any time on it so far.  But I will say that if you ask my neighbors they will for sure say I have too much time on my hands considering that the boat and the truck are in the driveway getting washed and waxed once a week.

   I see the married couples running around in and out of the subdivision shuttling kids around every few minutes it seems and I KNOW they must be thinking I have nothing better to do.

   The sidehill can only be mowed (rider-style) by me doing my best sailing impression and hanging butt cheek off the left side of the mower ala a Hobie-Cat trapeze rig.

   lol great visual.  Now you gave me flashbacks to the last time they put me on the trapeze and we nosed down into a breaker and it sent me flying around the mast like a tetherball and smack into the port side pontoon.  We then proceed to turtle the damn thing.

   After that I realized I liked boats with motors way better!

   Posted by on July 04, 2008 at 0914 hrs




8. We have one of the better lawns in our subdivision, and we don’t have a lawn service.  My wife does have a touch of OCD with it, and has to get the lines perfectly straight. 

   Here’s some tips that I use that keep me from doing much more than mowing once or twice a week depending on weather.

   1) Scotts with Halts crabgrass preventer, around Memorial day.
   2) Fertilize no more than once a month, and I usually use Milorganite.
   3) Mow your grass taller.  This was the hard one with my wife, cutting the grass at 2-3” instead of 1-2”.  Once we got it all uniform grown out, it really makes it look better.  It helps it withstand weeds and drought a lot better.
   4) Aerate.  I do this in the spring and in the fall with a pull behind core aerator.  Helps the roots breathe and un-compact the soil.

   Posted by on July 04, 2008 at 0934 hrs




9. Growing up we had an 8 acre lot in Pewaukee, that my brother and I had to mow with 2, 36 inch lawn tractors. THAT SUCKED. It took us all weekend and part of Monday too.

   Finally when Steve and I were in about 6th grade Mom finally opened the wallet and let Dad buy a BRAND SPANKIN’ new John Deere tractor with a 60” deck. Dad Steve and I would actually argue over who got to cut the Lawn.

   Then when I was in 10th grade Mom and Dad started a lawn service and with that came purchasing not 1 but 2 John Deere F935 series mowers with 72 in decks which meant that we could mow all 8 acres in about 4 hours.

   We still have the 2 935’s and in fact Tomorrow I will be mowing the lawn at my new 4 acre spread in Pewaukee.

   I can’t wait!!!

   Posted by on July 04, 2008 at 1836 hrs




10. I would agree with that Jason.  It really doesn’t take much more time at all to keep a lawn really nice.  The growing it taller is key!  keeps moisture in also.  The grass shades the ground and other grass more.

    Also inportant to not let it grow too long so you aren’t cutting too much.  If it gets tall it goes to seed and then it sucks.

    I’ve never aerated but obviously if you do, thats great for it.

    Posted by on July 04, 2008 at 2116 hrs




11. I was surprised at how little extra maintenance is involved once you get rid of most of the weeds / crabgrass, and then prevent them with allowing your grass to grow taller.  I do mow more frequently, usually it’s about every 5 days or so, but our half acre doesn’t take long, with a push mower and rider with a 42” deck.

    The neighbors next to us and across the street from us use Tru-Green, and my lawn looks better.  The guy next door is always giving me a hard time to find out my “secret” but I keep telling him it’s in the length.  He cuts once a week at most and scalps his lawn when he does.

    I also don’t water my lawn, so far this year, I haven’t seen anyone around here need to do it.  I’ll let it go dormant, and wait for mother nature.  We’re on city water, and I’m not paying my hard earned money just to be green.

    Posted by on July 04, 2008 at 2325 hrs




12. I happen to like lawn care, but I definitely don’t have much time and I don’t have the money to pay someone else to do it. Therefore I just get it in when I can make time. Fortunately I have a small yard so its not too hard on me.

    Posted by Blades Lawn Care on July 22, 2008 at 2156 hrs