How would you mow this bank?

[Snow and Rocks]

The trick, if it can be called that, is to keep the strimmer line parallel to the ground to prevent it digging in, so you need to stand with one foot further up the bank to get the angle right.

I "mow" about 100m of track the same way and can easily achieve a decent finish with a big Honda twin handled brushcutter.

A decent compromise between tightly mown and wildflowers is to plant some spring bulbs and leave it wild until July then strim as normal. You get the best of the wildflowers without it becoming a jungle l, the bulbs look great and it cuts the mowing season in half.

[rodericb]

A good, lightweight cordless electric line trimmer (along with good technique) will take care of that. If you're having to devote a lot of your effort into merely wrangling the tool it'll leave you less to do a good job of it. Something like this - https://www.hikoki-powertools.co.uk/products/cg36d... - but go for whatever brand you have for cordless. You've got a petrol unit you say so I'd go for something pretty light for electric. Keep the line at its fullest length to get the most "whack" from the line and to get a larger swathe. You'll get a nice even trim across that bank in no time.

[595Heaven]

Can’t believe that no one has asked what the switch panel in the photos of your mower is from…

Standards are slipping.

[MaxFromage]

I used pretty much that Flymo on a similar bank and it worked fine. Not the easiest job, but top to bottom worked ok.

[SirCarsAllot]

Back pack strimmers are brilliant for banks, much easier than normal strimmers that are always at the wrong angle.

Ive got the stihl one but for a small amount the budget ones are good.

[Vasco]

That needs flowers or small plants, not grass.

[Bacon Is Proof]

I used to have ~£25 Power Devil wheeled electric mower that would have mown that with ease.
So cheap and light I used it to strim a hedge on more than one occasion.

[Chainsaw Rebuild]

Flowers sound nice. Failing that just get better with the strimmer - once you get the hang of it you can mow a lawn with them.

If your strimmer has a harness, use it. makes it easier to control.

[craigthecoupe]

do you use the strimmer with a harness? that will make a world of difference. as said, one foot up, one down, and keep the string at the same angle as the bank. just take your time, easy peasy.

[Gtom]

Ryobi used to do this

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gM0L-ZADpfk

I’m not sure if anyone else makes one similar?

That would be perfect for a small bank like yours.

[SmithCorona]

Bandit said:

I used to have a really steep bank in the garden. I bought the lightest weight mower going which made it east down run up and down the bank. Think it was a cheap Bosch one.

Exactly the same here - cheapest, lightest B&Q job does my similar bank.

Though we have left everything to go wild this year, to encourage the insects and birds - makes a massive difference.

[rayny]

Deck chair, cool box full of beer. Then watch the grass grow until bob-a-job day.

[mcelliott]

Wild flower bank, the bees need all the help they can get, just looking at the lawn thread on ph is truly awful.

[otherman]

Huntsman said:

I did wonder how a hover mower was able to blow down for hovering and blow grass cuttings up into a box at the same time.

They actually try to hoover up behind themselves if you look at how the air is routed. They're rubbish though, I had one once. The cuttings weigh them down so they can't hover. OK withouth the box on though.

[jrb43]

595Heaven said:

Can’t believe that no one has asked what the switch panel in the photos of your mower is from…

Standards are slipping.

I assume it's from the grp B 6R4 he's undoubtedly rebuilding between rounds of cutting his lawn?

[CrgT16]

Strimmer with harness, 1 minute job

[mike74]

Remove as much of the existing grass as possible and reseed as a wildflower banking, once established will only need cutting once a year (with a strimmer or scythe) after the flowers have set seed.

[SmithCorona]

mcelliott said:

Wild flower bank, the bees need all the help they can get, just looking at the lawn thread on ph is truly awful.

Agreed. Cannot undertand the desire for a perfectly mown lawn - all my land is a wild mess at the moment, intentionally and the amount of insects, flowers, birds and other animals is fantastic.

This really should be encouraged in private properties as it is in fields.

[CrgT16]

Yes agree with you in part. Around the house I like a nice lawn for my son to play but after that it goes a bit untamed, same with woodlands. Now and again a tidy up to keep brambles, etc at bay but try to let nature do it’s thing.

[mcelliott]

SmithCorona said:

mcelliott said:

Wild flower bank, the bees need all the help they can get, just looking at the lawn thread on ph is truly awful.

Agreed. Cannot undertand the desire for a perfectly mown lawn - all my land is a wild mess at the moment, intentionally and the amount of insects, flowers, birds and other animals is fantastic.

This really should be encouraged in private properties as it is in fields.

All I do is cut a strip through my lawn, from May till October I don't touch it, the amount of pollinators it attracts is astonishing, the use of Weed and Feeds and other pesticides should be banned from garden centres.