Tuesday, October 6th, 2009
So, I have basically shifted into reverse from where I was last year at this time. If you remember, I got a rear bagger for my John Deere X300. The reason I got the bagger was to suck up all the leaves that fall off the trees. Just to let you know, it does a great job. Last year, this lawn was spotless.
A funny thing happened over the Summer. I did a lot of work in the woods. As I was working, I kept walking over these really soft and fertile areas of ground. At times, I would push the top layer of mulched leaves (this is the area I dumped all the leaves I picked up last year) just to see what was going on. Each time I pushed the leaves off the dirt, I would find this beautiful black soil. I was astounded. The leaves that I had dumped in the woods last year had composted and turned into nutrient packed soil. And, this soil was chock full of worms. You should see it. Maybe tomorrow I will take a picture of it. The worms are HUGE.
So what I have been doing rather slowly over the past few weeks is to dig up the compost and sift it into the wheelbarrow. Then, I go out to various parts of the yard and toss the compost all over the place. From what I hear, that’s good for the lawn. It is a lot of work though.
Let me tell you what has happened since I started using the bagger. I mowed and bagged and mowed and bagged. About half way through the Summer, I had this nagging suspicion that something was wrong. I kept asking myself this question – If I keep sucking up all the grass clippings and leaves, where the heck is the lawn going to get any organic materials from? I did some research and pretty much came to the conclusion that I was removing all the goodness from the lawn soil. They call “soil” with no nutrients in it “dirt.” I tend to trust my conclusion because there are parts of the lawn that are really green and lush. Those parts have better soil than the parts that are all burnt out looking. The dry grass areas have dirt that is really hard and inhospitable for growing grass.
As much as I am outside fiddling around, I do really try to cut the work load down to a minimum. I love working, but I’m not dumb. With that in mind, I did a little thinking and figured that it was foolish to suck up leaves, dump them in the woods, wait for them to break down and then dig up the compost to spread on the lawn. Why not just mulch the leaves and grass clippings right there on the lawn? I did all sorts of research on this idea and it seems to be the wave of the future. Or, at least what people have been doing since the dawn of time, before we all turned into a bunch of pansies and had to have perfectly manicured lawns. Sometimes I just shake my head and wish I was the way I used to be.
When I was a kid, do you know what my father used to say to me when the grass was getting tall? He said, “Get out there and mow the lawn.” I don’t think I ever responded, “But father, what about this month’s application of fertilizer.” We’ve been brainwashed.
Anyway, I figured that all I needed to begin my leaf and grass clipping mulching program was a mulching kit from John Deere. I could have simply mowed over the leaves with what I had (the side discharge chute), but it took a lot of extra time trying to “catch” the leaves. The air coming out from the lawn mower deck blew them all over the place. With a mulching lawn mower deck, the leaves are more contained and a lot of time is saved by not having to drive around in circles all day.
Let me show you some pictures of the mulching kit parts and setup.
-
-
John Deere X300 42″ deck
-
-
John Deere X300 mulching kit
-
-
Underneath the 42″ lawn mower deck – regular blades
-
-
Lawn mower deck with discharge chute removed
-
-
42″ lawn mower deck with mulching kit installed
-
-
The plastic piece is held on with one bolt
-
-
The discharge chute is removed and area is blocked by the mulching kit
-
-
John Deere X300 with 42″ mulching deck
-
-
Front lawn with sprinkling of leaves
-
-
Lawn with sprinkling of leaves
-
-
Front lawn after mowing and mulching
-
-
Mulched leaves in grass
-
-
Mulched grass clippings
-
-
Thicker layer of mulched leaves
The pictures really don’t do this mulch kit justice because there weren’t a lot of leaves on the ground. I basically just wanted to try the mower out. Today, I used my leaf blower to blow out this woodsy area we have. I made a pretty substantial pile of leaves. I rode over it with the mulching deck a few times and you can hardly even tell there were any leaves there. Amazing. I am looking forward to a season full of leaves on the ground that I don’t have to pick up anymore. I am also looking forward to a future with better soil conditions so the grass grows nice and thick.
Related posts
Tuesday, March 31st, 2009
I am sure you are all just thrilled about my new utility trailer. I know I am. I have been having dreams about driving around with it.
Yesterday, I went to Home Depot in Windham to pick up a bunch of supplies. The project was to put wooden sides on the new trailer, so mulch and stuff like that doesn’t fall out. I also wanted wooden sides to kind of shield anything I am towing from bad weather.
I bought a lot of stuff, including plywood, bolts, nuts, washers, drill bits, spray paint, a tarp, a ball for the lawnmower hitch, etc… I have found that purchasing the entire box of bolts is a lot better than buying them individually. I am always looking for nuts and bolts and now I might just have some.
I was confronted with a little issue while browsing for the plywood I was going to use for this project. I went in the store with every intention of getting two sheets of 3/4″ pressure treated plywood. I left with two sheets of 1/2″ non-pressure treated plywood. The reason for this? Well, I was going to seal whatever I got up with Thompson’s Water Seal anyway. I have had good luck with sealing natural wood up and it’s weathered the environment. With the 1/2″ sheets going for about $11 each, I just couldn’t pass it up. Plus, I wanted to keep things light on the trailer. It’s really not intended for heavy-duty towing.
Here, let me show you the photos and then we can talk about them.
-
-
John Deere lawnmower towing utility trailer
-
-
New ball hitch for John Deere lawnmower
-
-
Wooden sides on utility trailer
-
-
Rear view of wooden side on utility trailer
-
-
Tarp covering utility trailer
Okay, the first thing I would like to discuss is how great the trailer looks with the John Deere lawn mower. I bought a 1 7/8″ ball with a 3/4″ shaft yesterday, just for this occasion. I am going to have fun towing stuff around the yard now.
The wooden sides came out better than I thought. I planned on drilling a bunch of holes through the steel and really anchoring the wood down to the trailer. As it ends up, once everything was framed, I didn’t need to do that. I only actually drilled two holes in the steel towards the back of the trailer. Now, all I need to do is to take those two bolts out and the whole wood unit comes right out. It’s as snug as a bug in a rug and rock solid. You really should check it out. Everything is straight too. Wait, I lied…I drilled six holes on the ramp to hold that one piece of plywood all the way at the back. Whoops.
I also picked up a nice heavy duty tarp to cover whatever I have on the trailer. You can see that it is brown. I really hate those ugly blue tarps. They are a disgrace to look at and doesn’t help out the neighborhood if I have to cover something up, like a wood pile. From now on, brown tarps it is.
Home Depot didn’t have any Thompson’s Water Seal. After building this today, I am kind of glad. I decided that I can paint the wood black and things will match much better. If I pop the wood portion out and slop on some black Rust-Oleum, it will look a lot less than some home-made trailer rolling down the road. I will cruise in style.
Just as I was finishing up, Laura pulled in the driveway. I told her I had a surprise for her and held her hand as I helped her in the trailer. She sat down and I hopped on the mower. Then, I proceeded to drive her around the yard. We looked like total idiots, but I will tell you, that stuff is fun. I guess we didn’t look any worse than when she pulled me around the yard right afterwards. Man, I have been trying to get that girl on this lawnmower ever since I got it. Strange how she hopped right on today. Maybe it has something to do with the weather.
I need to pick up that black paint. I’ll take some more pics when it’s all finished and sealed up.
Related posts
Friday, August 22nd, 2008
Well guys, this is what it ends up like. Just in case you weren’t aware of how pitiful things can get when you’re older…yes, we get excited about new lawn mowers.
Gone are the days of comparing skateboards, bicycles, motorcycles and finally cars. Now, we get a pellet stove and a John Deere and have to write home about it. Boy, if I had known this when I was younger, I think I may have done some things slightly differently.
Ok, now that that’s out of the way, guess what??? Yeah, I got the new John Deere X300 today. As I said earlier, this is a hot item. It has a 17HP Kawasaki engine, 42″ cut and cruise control. Add all the other goodies and I think I almost have a car with a mower deck. You can read all the specs here.
What’s more important are the pictures. Just to let you know, this is when it was brand new, with zero hours on it. Now that I mowed the lawn today (in like 100th of the time it normally takes), it’s a little dirtier. After I mow, I blow it off with my leaf blower though.
John Deere x300 right side
John Deere X300 left side
John Deere X300 dashboard
John Deere X300 dashboard
John Deere X300 mower settings and directions
John Deere X300 from behind
John Deere X300 front
What I like about this model is that I am able to put on all different types of attachments and not worry about it. It has a stronger frame than the “100″ series. I can get a snow blower, snow plow, bucket and all sorts of stuff. I really don’t think I will be getting any of that. The only thing I see myself getting in the future might be a small trailer for working around the yard. Those are handy.
The John Deere dealer I got this from comes to your house to do all the maintenance (if you want). It’s pretty cool. If there is a big repair, they will come over and pick the machine up for you and then bring it back after it’s fixed. That’s what I like.
I mowed the lawn today and it was rather fun. I like cruising around and getting the job done without sweating. What used to be a 4-hour job now is a 45 minute one. Now, that is sweet.
Related posts
