I just moved and the back of my property is about 1/4 acre and I had to rent a brush mower to mow it down. The grass was a combination of grass, some blackberry bushes, holes, crevices, and bare patches in areas. It basically looked like a field and this was the first time I was able to mow it since moving here.
If it was level, or somewhat less bumpy, and was grass and not a bunch of brush, I could use my mower to do the job; but I don't have that ideal lawn and have to work with what I got. :-)
I want to get away from having to rent a brush mower to mow a field and want to find an alternative.
What I would like is:
1) Eliminate the small patch of blackberry bushes so they do not get overgrown again and cause problems later.2) Level the land a bit so there is no crevices and holes on an otherwise level piece of land.
3) Be able to use a lawnmower, or riding lawnmower, to maintain the back 1/4 acre.4) Do not want to go overboard with putting in fertilizer, sod, new grass; as we are not sure if we are going to build back there or not. If bringing in some dirt and planting seed is the best option, then I can do that though; but I didn't want the weeds/brush/blackberries to interfere with the new growth.
First thought, not a gardener by any means, is to now clean up the grass clippings from the brush mower work that I did today so it is somewhat clean. Then get a rototiller, or bobcat with attachment, to till the soil. Then have a bobcat move the dirt around to make it a bit more level. Bring in dirt if necessary, but it wouldn't be much dirt to bring in to make it more level and easier to maintain in the future.
But with my above idea, I have to wonder if I am only postponing the obvious in that as soon as the freshly tilled land gets sun and water; those little seedlings of grass/blackberries/brush/weeds/etc... will just grow again. I want the grass, but not the other stuff. :-)
I am not sure what I should be doing with that area, but I know I don't want to use a brush mower every time it needs mowing. I would rather go buy a riding mower once I have something easier to cut and easier to drive on.
Can anyone offer suggestions on a direction I should go to maybe make this area manageable?