Keeping track of location doing yardwork

[vavet]

i know it's a stupid question, so hopefully it's An easy solution.
How do you keep track of your location when doing yardwork? My grass is not very thick in most places...trying to get the lawn going. I struggled with this while cutting grass last year and now I'm wondering how I'm going to do while I'm spreading seed, fertilizer, and other treatments. Our total lot size is an acre with about half of that in the front. We are on the inside of a curve so our lot is much wider at the front.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

I apply chemicals at half rate and make two passes. The second pass at an angle to the first (usually perpendicular). This minimizes missed spots and overlap.

 

[LXCam]

Land marks and a good eye. If you don't have anything to site off of then how about some stakes at thre pace intervals when you're seeding.

But like leaf pointed out you could also use some kind of compatible dye in there or even field chalk for dry seed.

 

[ochristofferson]

Another possibility:
Some places sell a foam/dye that you can mix in with your liquids to identify where you've been. Saw something similar used on a gold course years ago - the foam eventually disappears.

 

[chaosracing]

TSC sells a blue dye for liquids to mark where you applied. As for the dry (like seed) your just going to have to try and use a landmark and keep an eye on the width of the spread pattern. You could also get a few stakes and some cheap twine and set up a path system. Put the twine on the center of your spreader for each pass. You just need to figure how wide the spread pattern is.

Since you have a lot that is about 1 acre, you really wont be spending that much on material anyway. So extra coverage isnt really all that bad. You probably really have about 3/4 of an acre for grass if you subtract the house sq. ft, parking area/driveway sq. ft. and any planting beds you might have.

 

[Shadowdog500]

Leave a trail of Breadcrumbs!!

I have had this problem sometimes and wind up looking at landmarks in my yard.

I also thought of using a marker like a marker flag on each end, and I would move one flag each time I got to the end of each row.


Chris

 

[hangfirew8]

Pick a visual destination (fencepost, rock, bare spot), line a wheel up to it (choose right/left side), and head straight towards it.

 

[Hybridss]

Set it up so you can tow the spreader or sprayer while mowing.

 

[ms fowler]

Maybe the main reason i prefer a broadcast spreader to a drop spreader---I hated the lines between the rows--where i missed with the drop spreader. Broadcast is not as clearly defined.

 

[ddawg16]

Leave a trail of Breadcrumbs!!

I have had this problem sometimes and wind up looking at landmarks in my yard.

I also thought of using a marker like a marker flag on each end, and I would move one flag each time I got to the end of each row.


Chris

Mine is beer bottles.....

 

[TractorJeff]

Wheel Tracks?
When I mow or spread, I usually watch the wheel tracks and spread on diagonals.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

This is the perfect excuse to fit your equipment with GPS guidance systems...

Tommy

 

[Cougar]

Section the yard with garden hose.
Do one section at a time.

 

[Badattitude]

If you can't see the tracks where the tires lay down the grass, drag a length of chain behind your rig

 

[vavet]

OP here....I put out the feed and crabgrass preventer tonight. I started by laying out garden hose along the short direction of my yard...about 60 feet. My first drop was along one side of the hose. I set a small flag in the ground next to my right wheel before staring with the hose on my left. Then I went along the hose. At the curb, I turned about the right wheel, put the second flag next to the left wheel and aimed to have my right wheel align with the first flag. At the end of each row, I moved the flags after turning the spreader around.

It took a bit longer, but I feel like it was reasonably effective.

 

[gungatim]

Pick a visual destination (fencepost, rock, bare spot), line a wheel up to it (choose right/left side), and head straight towards it.

that is how I learned to mow straight on my 3 acres of grass in the front field. pick a tree at the opposite end and stare at it while riding. don't wander up or down, keep that spot. you will be nice and straight that way...

 

[CJ7VFR]

Pick a visual destination (fencepost, rock, bare spot), line a wheel up to it (choose right/left side), and head straight towards it.

X2!

This is what I do. My back yard is completely fenced in, so I line myself up with the fence posts and use those as visual markers.

In the front yard I use the trees, or, I sometimes use the tire marks left over from each pass of the spreader as my markers. I try put down my fertilizer/weed killer in the early morning when the grass has dew on it from the night before. My spreader leaves tire marks, so I will often use them as my guide for making my next pass.

Oh, and I use a broadcast spreader as well. I normally make each pass about 5 feet from the last one, and that seems to work for me.

Jim

 

[zkdiesel]

Just hit the foamer on the 60' boom Suzuki samurai gooseneck spray we have. Steal it from dad when I spray my yard, the automatic foamer on end of boom drops big white soap dud balls about every 20 feet

 

[Brian_WK]

I have used THIS in reffing Soccer it makes temporary lines. I'm guessing you could used whipped cream in a can or shaving cream as well.

Brian

 

[toolmiser]

I've read that you can dump in a bag of flour into your spreader. It's cheap, and won't hurt the lawn.
If you wait a few days after you mow, it's easier to see your wheel tracks.

It's also to see when there is dew on the grass.

 

[koditten]

I use " map my walk" app. GPS trail to reference.

 

[DGersic]

Dad used to have a set of attachments for his spreader. Picture a small bucket about the size of a brick next to each wheel. There was a cable that ran up to the push handle from each one. Fill the bucket with flour, if I recall correctly, and flip the handle every few feet. It would leave a dashed line across the grass so he could see where he had covered.

Edit: here's something similar to what I remember:

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[padroo]

I have a professional JRCO spreader that mounts on the front of my TORO mower and spreads 24 feet wide and never have any stripes. The spread can be controlled with a dial from a few feet to 24.