Weedwacking Sucks
 

Gotta do it, the fire dept requires it and its just common sense. I have to have it done by June 1, and I have been traveling a lot for work. I got back from Montreal late last night. I used to hire my gardener to do it for $350, but he was stealing from me so I fired him. The new gardeners want $950, so I'm doing it myself. I won't hire unlicensed gardeners, only those with workmen's comp, insurance. The last thing I need is a day laborer getting bitten by a rattlesnake and suing me. I bought an Echo line cutter for $200 (the best IMHO, BTW) and find I'm able to do it for about 2 hours at a time; I'm 59 and its all up hill. Heavy boots, ear plugs, N95 dust mask, long pants and shirt. I'm gonna move in about five years, this is getting to be too much effort.

This is what it looks like in the Winter and Spring. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/673609-i-love-my-backyard-time-year.html

Nice and green. This is what it looks like this time of year.

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Can you plant some kind of ground cover that will keep the grass from growing, like juniper bushes?

Juniper burns hot as hell. Juniper and mesquite (brush) smell like they want to burn (lots of oils). Some of my neighbors plant Rosemary as ground cover which is madness), it too has lots of hot burning oils). I keep a 5 gallon pot of Rosemary for cooking seasoning. I'm in heavy brush fire country in SoCal. I've got 18 acres. Its an odd relationship between me and mother nature. I need the grasses in the Winter for erosion from rain, I wack them down in the Spring and the seeds grow again.

Hire Labor Ready. I've been using them for over 10 years for all unskilled work on jobs. I suspect it'a bout $18/hr these days, but fully insured and withholding. 4 hour min. No like, No problemo. They will replace a lazy worker.

You can use a couple of guys with one rental weed machine and yours. Let them do the tough parts. Set goals based on what you can do. Let them know you will and tip them if they achieve the goal. Give them water and some food. 10 min break every 2 hours, 1/2 hour lunch. If they have to use a bathroom. let them use the motorhome.

Keep an eye on them. I've never had a problem except for drinking.

Thanks Zeke. I'll check them out.

Some of that looks like it can be mowed which would be faster.

PGR's are chemical control products used to slow down growth of plants but not for all applications. Worth looking into

Milt's idea of using a labor force might also be a viable option.

Other than that.....I still take care of my grounds myself - as do many others here. Welcome to the club. :)

Just finished doing some weed wacking myself. I have five acres and bite off a little at a time. I usually get out there without a shirt, shorts and sunglasses. I know there are rattlesnakes around but in the twenty years I have been here I have not come across one.

Go find the folks with the "Will work for food" signs and...
OFFER THEM WORK. Watch them make excuses.

No snake boots?

Pay someone to do that.

This is the only weedwacker worth buying, IMHO :D

http://www.saintarnold.com/images/be...weedwacker.jpg

you need a teenager


... or some goats

I've hired high school kids before, they don't work much. I've got too many coyotes for goats. Although I guess I could buy/hire goats and stand out there with a rifle.

maybe you own too much land

Yep, but someone has to preserve the environment. You know, carbon dioxide sinks and all that for fighting global warming .

I'm facing the weed whacking scenario myself shortly. I let the grasses turn so the seeds drop, since I want the grasses for soil stability. After that I choose between my 5 weedwhackers (three electric, one 34cc gas, & one Huskvarna 45cc whacker, cutter, general demolisher), If I can't get it done with one of them, I've got the DC brush mower. Though I'm glad I'm getting things organized & manicured down to where it's decently manageable. This coming week is when I get started.

Hugh, you might check out a push weed whacker. Lightweight and should be able to push it around that hill. Would save your back a little

Gave up weedwacking years ago. What a PITA. Running out of li ne, hard starting, etc. Life is too short. Get some Total Vegitation Killer (like Roundup) and spray where you don't want grass. Along flower beds (spray carefully and not in a strong wind), driveway, etc. You'll get about a 2" wide dead area along those areas, but sheesh...who cares? Haven't started a weedwacker in 3 years.

Hire a herd of goats.

Look at it this way, its all part of living in paradise. I just got done for 1400 bucks. Without the pretty natural hill side, you may encounter other issues such as otheer home owners.

Hugh, just say to the naked starlets hanging around the pool "If you want that part in the next movie you get your skinny butt up that hill and start weedeating..."

Hugh,

Have you bought a harbor freight water pump and fire hose set? If that was my yard I would have a pump that's gas powered in case the electricity goes out and I need to defend my house from fire.

Oh, Goats and option .308 Come late fall I'll be up for the BBQ goat.

It would cost him more in chemicals than labor. And he needs the vegetation to come back. For erosion, of did you catch that?

Dammm Jim you beat me to it. If it were me, I would have a generator, water pump, 1 1/2 inch fire hose and that foam stuff that you cover the house with. I would also have at least one chain saw to cut those trees down if the fire was coming my way. There was a San Diego region member that was a county sheriff that lived out on highway 94 past Dulzura and when the fires hit in 2003, the foam saved his house and it was fed from the water pump at his pool. If I remember correctly he used 3 55 gallon barrels total.

I former customer of mine was a fireman up in Arcadia. He got in trouble for driving a firetruck through a fence to get to a pool. He told the review board that it saved his crew.

For you guys that live in fireville if you have or your neighbors have a pool and you're told to bug out. PAINT POOL on your garage door It might save your house.

How many hours of weed whacking is that? You don't whack the entire 18 acres, but just the part within some radius of the house, right?

I have to weedwack about 200 feet from the house, pretty much what you see in the pics. I work on it about two hours at a time. I have to have it done by June 1. A few hours a day on the weekend and again after work. I should get it done it time. I should look into a firewater pump or put sprinklers on the roof.

With your traveling schedule I would hire a geek to wire it up so that you could do it remotely

Hire some CSU cheerleaders and put them out to graze. The coyotes won't touch them.

We have to do a lot of fire break work this time of year too. I use the big Stihl line trimmers with fixed heads, running that thick line. Can cover lots of ground. Also use a Billygoat field mower too.

1973 911 T MFI Coupe, Aubergine

Steve

Like BAZ sez, you could do most of that with a mower.....

I have a similar hill on the county road outside our neighborhood. Only five neighbors and I'm the only one that cares....I used to weedwack it, now do 90% with a riding mower and only wack where the mower won't go....Do it all in about 2 hrs - Do it twice a year in the spring.

Plant some Kudzu, by the end of Summer you'll have most of Southern California covered.

Weed wacking sucks, there is no way around it. If you are going to do it right, I would suggest the best one you can afford, a straight shaft with with a harness to support it and allow to swing back and forth without holding the weight entirely with your arms. I bought a professional back pack leaf blower years ago and it is by far one of the best investments I've made. This would work: FS 310 Bike Handle Trimmer - Professional Use Grass Trimmer | STIHL USA Mobile

Having been out to NorCal a few years ago, I was really disappointed in how lifeless everything did look in the summer coming from the lush green woodlands of PA. It looked like our winter here.

Correct. Didn't catch that. Was only referring to the periphery. Yep....goats are your answer. Or English Ivy.

Vinca major - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You can't kill this stuff, it is manageable, and won't wipe out the state like kudzu does

Hugh just look at the alternative - you could be living in Canada and be in a deep freeze for half a year. Consider your cup is half full rather than half empty. Take the advice of the above and just do it.

I know you get earthquakes, wildfires, high taxes etc etc etc. But you do live in a beautiful part of the world, great climate too. That is why many of us come down during the winter and enjoy it. :)

It need water. Hugh doesn't have water.

If your topography allows it, a "field & brush mower" is about 10 times as quick as a weed whacker. The extra expense is well worth it & a good one will outlast the string trimmers. BTDT,,,,,,and my WWer is a good bike handle Stihl.

The local Stihl guru recommends the Billy Goat.

We have a billy goat for some of the slopes on our property. That would work well for Hugh I bet...

Goats are available for rent in Portland to thin out blackberries.

West Side Goat Girl - Greater Seattle & Portland Areas