I need to get some advice from my farmer neighbors, or from you all here,

courierguy wrote:

Super-Maule wrote:Hello Backcountry Pilots,

I put 400 pounds of nitrogen fertilizer on my runway again this spring. Got a good deal on the fertilizer at $14 per 50 pound bag. The turf is really getting better, but still have a lot of rock picking parties. Very happy with my Ford 8N with a 4 foot John Deer brush hog. Just closed on the Clear Creek house last week. We are very blessed.

James
Clear Creek, Idaho
Picture May 2014:

I need to get some advice from my farmer neighbors, or from you all here, as to what I can do to my native grass strip to pump it up a bit. NOT looking for a lawn, just something that would encourage what is already there. What that fertilizer due to any weeds, encourage them or does the stronger grass keep them down? I notice a bare spot later in the season, where I touchdown every time. I don't like seeing that as I am concerned with erosion as it is on a slope. The good thing is the slope has a dual fall line/ side slope, so it runs off to the south and not straight down the length of the strip. 18' wide and 400' long, so I can probably afford to fine tune it a bit. I've got a nice little spray rig for the Kubota, with a PTO driven pump, 50 gallon tank, and 10' of coverage. So far I've just used it for killing grass in town at my crane yard.

I have initiated a new procedure the last few landings, rather then aim for the same spot every time, I am landing way short and then fast taxiing up to the hangar, on the theory that it's the tires touching down initially that causes the wear, not so much the rolling afterwards.

courierguy wrote:
I need to get some advice from my farmer neighbors, or from you all here, as to what I can do to my native grass strip to pump it up a bit. NOT looking for a lawn, just something that would encourage what is already there. .

SkySteve wrote:Oh boy. Horse drawn mower. Steel wheels. I've spent a LOT of time riding one of those behind a tractor. Don't forget to use the Dump Rake.

TxKiger wrote:Hey guys,

I've been mowing our 2,200 foot 100 foot wide grass runway with a Ford 8N tractor and a brush hog. Unfortunately each time I mow it the trailing wheel rips up chunks of the ground so its been difficult keeping a nice runway so I decided to go another route which may or may not have been a good idea. I picked up a Toro 3100 Fairway Mower at auction for a really good price. I'm not sure how well this will maintain a runway, but I figure if it can mow fairways all day then it can handle my runway. Thoughts?.... I'll be using it sometime this week so I will update you with my first impressions. Here's a picture of a similar mower.