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I cut three acres in 2 hours with a 48 in SCAG–$3000, and should last a lifetime. M
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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I need some help. We are considering buying a house that has 2.77 acres and there are no trees on it at all. I recall seeing a catalog that advertised "no-mow" grass. It was a bent variety of fescue. It reminded me of the sort of grass golf courses use for greens and greens approaches. But I would think that much green would be rather boring. Just get a batch of prairie wildflower and wild grasses seeds an let ‘er rip.
I found the catalog of the source. It is Prairie Nursery, P.O. Box 306, Westfield, WI 53964; (608) 296-3679. No known email address or web URL. You need to watch your zone. No-Mow is intended for the cooler, medium rainfall areas of the Upper Midwest Northeastern US and southern Canada. Their map suggests the latitude of the California/Oregon line is as far south these bent fescues will thrive. — John Ferman Minneapolis, MN
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If there’s 2.77 acres you can keep a proper lawn on between 3/4 and 1 acre around the house, leaving you with something around or just under 2 acres of "other". You can mow the "real lawn" on a lawn tractor in under an hour each week and keep it looking very nice/manicured – figure an extra 1/2 hour on trimming/edging general puttering. If you leave the rest in grass/weeds you can probably get away with mowing that once a month – unless you really want it to look like a 2 acre "lawn". Should be able to do that in about an hour. The idea is to keep on top of it so that weeds never go to seed. Over several seasons you’ll have less and less weed and more and more grasses. So you’d be talking perhaps an hour every week (or perhaps 10-14 days, depending on season) for the lawn and another hour once a month for the field. Heartily recommend a mulching mower so you’re not constantly going back to what would be a VERY large pile of clippings. It’s also good for the lawn itself. I’d get the riding mower even if the only mowing is you’re 1 acre lawn around the house. Get the widest mulching deck you can, and get one that’s easiest to drive. It’s worth the money. Other things to do with the remaining ~2 acres: 1) pasture for some sort of critters. (some critters are easier than others) You could of course keep it as pasture w/out critters, and avoid the not insignificant cost of fencing and shelters/barns. 2) Fruit trees (these can be lots of work if you want a crop. If you let the fruit fall you’ll have lots of critters come by – including yellow jackets.) 3) Nut trees (around here the hazelnut groves are really nice, and there’s no mowing under them – and if you bother to care for the trees you have a crop for yourself or even to sell) 4) Timber 5) Nursery – you could plant a few rows of various seedlings and grow them to a size to sell to a nursery. Alternatively, a xmas tree farm (which you could limit to friends and family). Also attracts critters like deer/racoon/birds. 6) Ponds 7) Extensive gardens (you’ll be spending far more time on this than just mowing it). 
Tennis/basketball court. Putting green (this one is *real* work). Sorta depends on where you live, what the surrounding neighborhood is like, and what kind of lifestyle you want. Also consider what impact your choice will have on the value of the land – a future owner may not want to have to go through the trouble of clearing the lot. The nice thing about keeping it as pasture (critters optional) is that it can be easily transformed into something else later when you make up your mind or the next owner comes along. Something to think about. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I need some help. We are considering buying a house that has 2.77 acres and there are no trees on it at all. It is fairly flat and has a nice lawn….[snip]
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I need some help. We are considering buying a house that has 2.77 acres and there are no trees on it at all.
I recall seeing a catalog that advertised "no-mow" grass. It was a bent variety of fescue. It reminded me of the sort of grass golf courses use for greens and greens approaches. But I would think that much green would be rather boring. Just get a batch of prairie wildflower and wild grasses seeds an let ‘er rip. — John Ferman Minneapolis, MN
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I need some help. We are considering buying a house that has 2.77 acres and there are no trees on it at all. It is fairly flat and has a nice
Hi, I saw your post, and have read many replies. Perhaps I have another perspective to share that may be of value to you. I do commercial grass cutting for residential properties (SW PA). This area of grass should be no problem for somebody doing commercial work (I would welcome the work!). Two observations, mostly about other comments: 1. Don’t buy animals to graze the property, just for the sake of keeping the grass growth under control. Buying animials must be done primarily because you want animals, and are willing to care for them. Fences, vet bills, acquisition and disposal, daily care, feed costs, etc are all very important considerations. I am sure a mower is less costly anyway. 2. If you wish to do the mowing yourself, you must be willing to commit the time on a regular basis. If you really don’t want to spend the time, nor have the interest in operating equipment, then the chore will quickly become a drag, and your property will look terrible, decreasing in the value you paid for it. I don’t know how important a good grass cutting job is to you. Unfortunately, many people don’t recognize a good job when they see one, and feel that ‘cutting the grass’ is merely driving the tractor around the property. I’ve see so many residential properties that look terrible, although the owner doesn’t think so. Often the owner spends many hundreds of dollars each year for an outside contractor to fertilize the grass, keep the weeks under control, etc, yet is willing to use a cheap lawn tractor for mowing, and, further does not know how to use it. The result is a good stand of grass, well fertilized, but poorly cut, leaving a terrible looking lawn. I n other words: a. An adquate piece of eqiupment in the hands of a good operator can produce pretty good results. b. A good piece of equipment in the hands of a poor operator can produce poor results. c. A good piece of equpment in the hands of a good operator can produce excellent results. What I am suggesting is that a commerical contractor probably can do a better job at making the grass look very good. This is not always the case – some have poor operators, and don’t maintian their equipment very well. If you choose a contractor, be sure of the following: 1. Mowing schedule; some will do the cutting on a regular period, whether it needs it or not (avoid this!), others will work with you to keep an interval that is mutually agreeable. 2. How the edges are cared; the trimming should be done each mowing. 3. What equipment will be used and the experience of the operators; good equipment in the hands of a poor operator will produce bad results (see above), and can easily tear up the turf. If you choose to buy your own equipment, buy good quality. Yes, the initial cost may be more, but the longevity and usefulness will be well worth the money. Buy a hydro, if you need flexibilty and manuverabilty. Don’t go the local hardware store, but rather go to the store that offers equipment for contractors. Maybe you don’t buy the contractor quaility equipment, but they will be able to guide you into the high-end home owner models, and will be able to provide service. A 60" mowing deck is fine, if the terrain is very flat. If not, a 48" deck will cut that size in a timely fashion. I use a 36" walk-behind mower (notice that few commercial folks use riding equipment – they are too slow, lack the manueverabilty to do a good job). I would not hesitate to cut 2.77 acres with my machine, and would estimate 3 hours of mowing time. I would be walking about 3.5 MPH. I have a couple of customers that have nearly 2 acres. I use a 36" machine because it allows me to get through gates into backyards. A 48" walk-behind mower should be able to cut your property in about 2 hours. I hope this helps … If you want more info about walk-behind mowers, I am willing to share. Roger Ehrlich
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If you live in an area zoned for agriculture I would also recommend livestock. Invest in good fences and a frost free water system. We have geese in our back yard and mow maybe 3 times a season. Goose eggs are great for baking and in the fall we take the 5 month old birds to the poultry butcher. (It is cheaper and tastier than a LAWNBOY) In out pastures (1.5 and 1.75 acres) we have beefalo. They eat everything and the meat is ultra lean. On the fence lines I tether the goats. Delightful animals. We had sheep once. I like the meat but they are loud and empty headed. Naomi Counides Associated Beefalo of Idaho
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I need some help. We are considering buying a house that has 2.77 acres and there are no trees on it at all. Can you keep sheep on it? Sounds like a waste of good pasture land otherwise. —- Rodger Whitlock Victoria, British Columbia, Canada on beautiful Vancouver Island
build a pond!
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I need some help. We are considering buying a house that has 2.77 acres
snip snip hear from some people on the net as well.
I suggest that you have not a large "lawn" but rather a pasture, hay field, small sod farm, athletic playing field, or perhaps (with some plantings or benign neglect) a wildlife habitat area. One alternative would be to do little or nothing- that is, let it be; let nature take over by succession. It would take a while, but it would interesting to watch. Another option you might consider, if the resources are available, is to create a pond or wetland area. That would certainly take up some space, not need mowing, and could create a rather beautiful and unusual setting. John Shakula, Draper, Utah
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I have a serious suggestion…rent a goat or sheep…..no really! They’re hooved locusts, and will give your grass a nice clipped area (with a few incidental deposits to be sidestepped periodically….or tossed when dry). Stake themon a chain far enough away from desireable trees, shrubs and plants, and do the edging yourself. David D
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I need some help. We are considering buying a house that has 2.77 acres and there are no trees on it at all. It is fairly flat and has a nice lawn. We can either buy a tractor and mow it ourselves or have a lawn service come in to mow it for us each week. We need to figure out how much it will cost to do either of these options and if we buy the tractor, how long will it take to mow each week? If you can give me some estimates, I would be very grateful. I’ve already called some local landscapers and they are going to give me some estimates but I’d like to hear from some people on the net as well. A long term question I have too is what should we plant to fill in some of the area so that we don’t have to mow it forever? What fast growing, attactive trees/plants are available? Please e-mail responses and post here too if you like. Thanks, Alice
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About 25 years ago we bought a 200 yr old stone farmhouse on almost 7 acres of land, very few trees—nearly all the land had been farmed even though it "rolled" over the top of a hill. Our solution to the mowing challenge was to plant, quite literally, thousands of evergreen tree seedlings of mixed species. Of course, we had to mow around them for years, but after 10 years we had really nice trees, and now we have a ring of forest all around the house. The White Pines drop needles yearly and keep the weeds and all else from growing under the pine canopy. We have been careful to plant in a manner consistent with the appearance, age, and style of the house and have resisted getting too "uptown" with the place. As we are now retired, it was lucky that we didn’t plant things in a manner that required a lot of trimming. We use a 40" John Deere mower and mow the place in sections. It does take a long time to mow, but not as long as it used to before the trees matured! Recently we have tried to allow a portion of the property to grow into a "meadow", this is an experiment that has yet to prove itself. One thing I’d avoid, if I had it to do over—-don’t plant Autumn Olives. They self seed and spread like crazy. Carol in PAz5
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I need some help. We are considering buying a house that has 2.77 acres and there are no trees on it at all. Can you keep sheep on it? Sounds like a waste of good pasture land otherwise.
Don’t even consider sheep or goats unless you plan to cross fence it into at least 3-4 paddocks. If you don’t have enough sheep to eat an entire paddock down in about a week (or 2 max) they will continue to eat the new grass in the areas they have already eaten and leave the longer, older grass. Also, if you plan to start trees, flowers or vegetables, you will have to fence them off from the animals. They love new growing shoots. Remember, goats are related to deer. On the subject of mechanical lawn mowers; if you do decide to purchase, get the largest width of mower you can. If you have a 60" cutter you can do the job in about half the time of a 36" cutter. Consider what your time is worth. If you have kids, from about 7 years of age, riding a lawn tractor may be attractive enough to get them to willingly take on the responsibility until they reach the age when they can get behind the wheel of a car. Plan your garden areas and tree planting so you don’t have to do any edging, or at least so that you can minimize it. Sharon
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I need some help. We are considering buying a house that has 2.77 acres and there are no trees on it at all.
Can you keep sheep on it? Sounds like a waste of good pasture land otherwise. —- Rodger Whitlock Victoria, British Columbia, Canada on beautiful Vancouver Island
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Wow, wish I had that much land. If your land is fenced, why not keep some animals that eats grass. Like rabbits, goats, geese, chickens ? I have a garden and keep guinea pigs, never had to mow the lawn. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I need some help. We are considering buying a house that has 2.77 acres and there are no trees on it at all. It is fairly flat and has a nice lawn. We can either buy a tractor and mow it ourselves or have a lawn service come in to mow it for us each week. We need to figure out how much it will cost to do either of these options and if we buy the tractor, how long will it take to mow each week?
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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I need some help. We are considering buying a house that has 2.77 acres and there are no trees on it at all. It is fairly flat and has a nice lawn. <snip A long term question I have too is what should we plant to fill in some of the area so that we don’t have to mow it forever? What fast growing, attactive trees/plants are available? I would start with a wild-flower meadow, and convert it to ‘forest’ and perennial beds as time/money allowed. Chris Owens
Hi I would recommend that you _not_ consider one of those "meadow in a can" deals but I would heartily recommend a meadow/prairie. The "m i a c " is not the proper way to establish a self-sustaining meadow and will ultimately be a big waste of your time and money. I would like to suggest that you either buy or get from your local library 2 books- "Noah’s Garden" and "Planting Noah’s Garden" both by Sara Stein, you will find all the information and resources you need to establish and maintain a lovely meadow/prairie full of wildlife and peace. Good luck — Polly M. Law Upstate NY/ Z5 Insolitores Res Contiguerunt To send email, remove * from address.
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I need some help. We are considering buying a house that has 2.77 acres and there are no trees on it at all. It is fairly flat and has a nice lawn. We can either buy a tractor and mow it ourselves or have a lawn service come in to mow it for us each week. We need to figure out how much it will cost to do either of these options and if we buy the tractor, how long will it take to mow each week? If you can give me some estimates, I would be very grateful. I’ve already called some local landscapers and they are going to give me some estimates but I’d like to hear from some people on the net as well. A long term question I have too is what should we plant to fill in some of the area so that we don’t have to mow it forever? What fast growing, attactive trees/plants are available?
Alice, We mow about 3 acres on a 18HP Wheelhorse tractor. We have lots of trees scattered about and it takes 3 hours. When we first bought the place (10 years ago), we paid $50/mowing so we figured it was more cost effective to buy a tractor. We have wound up using the tractor for all kinds of other projects too. If you plant trees, here are the mistakes previous owners made on our property- forgot to guage full grown size of trees. We have many that are puny or squeezed out by bigger trees. Don’t plant anything too close to the house. We have to periodically get on the roof to cut back branches. Watch out for trees with surface roots; tough on the mower. Make a mowing circle from mulch right off the bat. Watch out for trashy trees- lots of debris, suckers etc. We have 2 huge (and beautiful) weeping willows that are constant work. Plant trees the birds like- things that have fruit or berries. Good luck. — Judy Scott Ithaca, NY
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Alice, It would help to know what zone or area you are in. You need to establish some beds, groundcover areas, walkways, and possibly other hardscape to get rid of some of that grass. There are some general tips at my web site under Low Maintenance Landscapes. — – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I need some help. We are considering buying a house that has 2.77 acres and there are no trees on it at all. It is fairly flat and has a nice lawn. We can either buy a tractor and mow it ourselves or have a lawn service come in to mow it for us each week. We need to figure out how
Response:
I need some help. We are considering buying a house that has 2.77 acres and there are no trees on it at all. It is fairly flat and has a nice lawn. We can either buy a tractor and mow it ourselves or have a lawn service come in to mow it for us each week. We need to figure out how much it will cost to do either of these options and if we buy the tractor, how long will it take to mow each week?
This is just about the size of our lawn — it takes about 2 hours to mow. We are outside of Phila., and typically mow every five days when the grass is growing and the rain has been right. In mid-summer with high temps, it can go as long as two weeks — but then you need to mow back any weed heads. I don’t have any idea on what the pay back would be for your area (original tractor cost + annual tractor maintenance – weekly mowing expense for outside service). A long term question I have too is what should we plant to fill in some of the area so that we don’t have to mow it forever? What fast growing, attactive trees/plants are available?
Keep in mind that it’s faster to mow a large, unobstructed area, than to mow around beds and trees. We keep our trees mulched to the drip lines so that reduces the number of weeds we have to mow, and makes the turning radius’ much better to deal with. Before any recommendations can be made for trees, we would need to know where you’re located. Anita
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I need some help. We are considering buying a house that has 2.77 acres and there are no trees on it at all. It is fairly flat and has a nice lawn. We can either buy a tractor and mow it ourselves or have a lawn service come in to mow it for us each week. We need to figure out how much it will cost to do either of these options and if we buy the tractor, how long will it take to mow each week? If you can give me some estimates, I would be very grateful. I’ve already called some local landscapers and they are going to give me some estimates but I’d like to hear from some people on the net as well.
A tractor is going to cost your around a grand to buy, and about $200 per year in maintenance, exclusive of the gas. Personally, I would go with a lawn service, as long as they don’t do anything but mow. [The ones around here won't . . . it's a 'care package' or nothing.] A long term question I have too is what should we plant to fill in some of the area so that we don’t have to mow it forever? What fast growing, attactive trees/plants are available?
I would start with a wild-flower meadow, and convert it to ‘forest’ and perennial beds as time/money allowed. Chris Owens