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Letting a yard 'go'...

Posted by bjacket zone 6 Mid Tn (My Page) on
Sun, Sep 11, 11 at 19:43

I have about 2.5 - 3 acres of lawn and am losing interest in upkeep and maintenance. I am thinking of just letting all of it but the front yard and a small area around both sides and the back return to a natural state. I have small farms both behind me and to my left and a wooded lot to the right of me. In other words, I don't have a subdivision and homeowners associations to deal with.I have contemplated doing this for a few years but haven't had the guts to pull it off. The property looks nice when freshly mowed and raked but I am losing interest in fighting the battle. Any thoughts? ideas? Anyone here ever tried this? I appreciate any and all suggestions - I am most interested in how long before it looks "natural" vs. "neglected".


Follow-Up Postings:

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RE: Letting a yard 'go'...

By natural do you mean not mowing it and letting a bit of a forest grow?

Also, what is it like right now? Is it mostly grass or just whatever grows?


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RE: Letting a yard 'go'...

It's grass. there's also quite a few hardwoods on the property so I spend a lot of time with leaf removal. By natural, I mean to quit cutting/raking/maintaining and letting whatever decides to grow take over the unmaintained areas.


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RE: Letting a yard 'go'...

If you neglect the area completely, it'll probably become an impassable tangle of undesirable weeds, trees, vines, and fallen branches. A middle ground would be to cut back drastically on the frequency of mowing, and leave the clippings on the ground. The grass will decline, and eventually it'll turn into a mowed "meadow" of weeds, including weedy wildflowers in some seasons. You could get away with only a few mowings per year, if you have a robust enough mower.


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RE: Letting a yard 'go'...

bjacket I understand not wanting to maintain 3 acres of lawn, it is a PITA.

Not familiar with TN wild flowers and grasses, but if I were you check with your local extension offices and find out what type pasture grasses and wild flowers grow will there.

Do you have a tractor with brush hog, or a really heavy duty lawn tractor to cut with?


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