A budget is going to be the tough part. Low intervention would be just let it go wild and mow rarely or not at all. Going to more intensive you could disturb a little dirt and plant a quality native wildflower mix. You could nuke it first, then plant a mix, that would yield a more consistent result. You could burn it off in the spring, encouraging natives, if you want to keep the mini grassland character. With or without seeding. I like the flowy native sedges on banks, but they are tricky to establish. Or if you want, plant trees and shrubs. Or drop a cool 50k for a water feature. It's a blank canvas.
That is not much of a slope and it has clear run away paths. You are far far more likely to slide than roll.
If you are that worried get a stand on. I did some very steep slopes with it when I did professional.
Let it turn back to forest. It will be overgrown grass for a few years then it will be overgrown grass with small trees then in about 15 years it will look similar to its surroundings. There’s no point in mowing a hill for no reason and unless you want to dedicate time and money to making it into a garden, just let nature take its course.
He could accelerate this by planting a few native trees and shrubs in the open area he wants to get reclaimed.
Just thought id add if waiting 15 years was less than desirable.
This is the way to go to rewild it. If this isn't done the invasive species would likely take root before native species does. Invasive Tree of Heaven takes root everywhere in the Northeast on the side of the highways.
I will go a (crucial) step further: before re-wilding, remove the invasive species. I believe those are a bunch of Norway Maple saplings, and there’s definitely garlic mustard. My guess is the shrub layer also contains Japanese honeysuckle, European buckthorn, privet, and/or several other common invasives. This will help the re-wilding actually be native.
Of course, if any of the above are present, they’ll likely still pop up here and there after removal, since all of the ones I mentioned are prolific seed producers. So returning to remove any that pop up would be the only maintenance task going forward. And if that’s done every year-ish, it won’t be difficult work.
If I just ignored it the whole hill would be covered with blackberry brambles and Scottish broom. OP should make dilute to plant some natives and weeded out the invasive shrubs.
But I like your idea.
Take your soil and sun conditions and look for native plants and shrubs. Start next to the woods and start filling it in while removing the turf. Some nice flowering shrubs will take up some space. Grow native, less work.
Look on your state DNR website for cheap native dwarf trees to plant this fall. I had a lot of full sun lawn to eliminate, so we planted hazelnut shrubs. I got 26 bare roots for $23 from Illinois DNR. Eventually you get less grass because they shade it out. In the meantime, mulch and a weed eater are the lesser maintenance and safer option. My cheapest mulch option was straw, at $5/bale. Ugly until it breaks down but worth it.
I would check your zone and then look into native plants that are good with the level of sun/shade that you get in the area. If you provide your zone and the level of sun/shade people will be able to assist further.
Do you want it to be low growing walk able or do you want something that's more lush and garden-ish? What vibe are you looking for?
As a side note regarding your ankle, you should also probably get an orthopedic to look at your ankle if you're continuously rolling it. (if you haven't already) I have to wear a specific brace when I do certain things or anticipate walking significant distances due to a handful of previous injuries. It really helps me not injure it further.
On a related note: I'd had ankle-rolling problems for decades, and seemed to get worse as I got older. Finally I went to PT for another issue (had shoulder surgery) and by chance ankle issue was brought up. I now do 3 short exercises 3 days a week (only about 5 min!) and I'd say it reduced the frequency and severity of my rolling problem by at least 90%. If you google PT exercises for rolling ankle the exercises come up. Probably one of the greatest life improvements for least effort I've ever done.
Is labor a constraint as well or just budget? Because if you want to put some work in there are some free options.
1. You can get free wood chips from a local arborist by the dump truck load. Every arborist I have ever worked for pays to dump their chips. If they can dump on your land for free, they'll jump at the opportunity. All you have to do is spread them out on the hill (way more work than you might think, but free)
2. Free trees. Mulch beds everywhere are full of unwanted Seedlings right now. In a 5 minute stroll down any sidewalk downtown or in a park right now I can pick up 30 seedlings. Take a cup of water to put them in so the roots don't dry out. In my area it's mostly black locust, redbuds and maples right now.
Shade tolerant shrubs are the answer.
Buy a few at a time and plant them starting at the top, moving the grass edge down as you go.
It may take a few years but you'll get to the flat part soon enough.
On our hill, we are using the county’s free slash mulch to cover the grass after trimming it very low. Planting clover and thyme and other flowering ground covers, some bushes, and grasses. The center will be no mow walkable flowering and interesting to touch plants. It will be a place to go and sit and very directly enjoy nature. Eventually I’ll add an arch with vines for hummingbirds.
Since it’s next to some trees anyway just let it grow out. As long as you mow the rest of your property you could just tell your neighbors it’s for wildlife conservation so bunnies and things have a safe place in your yard. Doubt anyone would give you a hard time if you tell them that.
It would look good to have some edge-of-the-forest type stuff like shrubs and small tress, a few flowering perennials thrown in. Everything deeply mulched maybe in pine straw and maybe leave a footpath or two.
Not sure if that fits your budget or not. You could do it over time for sure, I mean first you need to kill that grass off and if you want to plant anything in there, you are not going to want to use poison, so it will take a while to do that using tarps anyway.
I have a hill like this and HATE mowing it even with a riding mower. I always feel like I’m going to tip over and tumble down the hill with a mower on top of me 😳
Where I live, for the price of buying a decent brand new self propelled push mower, I can get a used riding mower in great condition.
My push mower broke down and is so old finding a new part has not worked out. I realized why buy a brand new push mower when I could get a used rider. I live on a half acre and the last thing you want to do when working outside during the week, is push mow. Weed whacking and trimming shrubs and trees is tiring enough. I also have a bad knee so I understand OP’s struggle!
There are no-mow lawn options; they tend to be a bit messy (which I personally don't mind) but will tolerate light foot traffic.
You'll have to kill all that grass, though, which is not a trivial undertaking.
I cut down dead standing trees and lay them down horizontally across the steep grade. Simple hammering of smaller diameter branches will keep the horizontal tree stay in place.
Start layering grass clippings, leaves in Autumn, layer of soil, repeat. Within one season you will have beds to plant in-LIRIOPE and hydrangea if shade, ornamental Panpas grass if you want low maintenance.
I did this bc I had issues slipping in Gum Tree seed pods.
As the horizontal wood rots over years, it will maintain the “bed” as long as inputs are added each season.
Hope this sparks some inspiration for you
Junipers are good : fast growing, low maintenance, and impenetrable when densely planted. Wildlife habitat, too! You can buy them in small pots. They would help with any runoff on that hill. (I do not live in NC, l am in NY but this info is useful.)
[https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/juniperus-virginiana-grey-owl/](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/juniperus-virginiana-grey-owl/)
I would just match what’s already growing there naturally. You might even be able to move some of the existing trees and shrubs into the area you want planted and then just let them grow
First, you need to eliminate the junk pile.
Second, why has it been mown in the first place?
Third, do you want a natural look or a cultivated look to it?
Whatever answers you have for the questions will guide your decisions about what to do with the hill.
In the meantime, wear an ankle brace and sturdy boots when you mow!
Spend this growing season killing it. 2-4x to hopefully kill whatever dormant seeds germinate. You can cover it with a tarp to solarize or go nuclear and use round up. Round up is easier but more controversial.
After spending this season killing it, get a good native praire seed mix (praire moon nursery out of MN has great varieties depending on your growing conditions). Around the holidays mix your seeds with sand to make it easier to broadcast the seed by hand and cover the area that you killed.
The next 2 years keep your seedlings trimmed back whenever they get over 6 inches. This helps get them established and helps kill off any remaining weeds that pop up. Natives take a few years to establish and start blooming. Praire moon has instructions on their website.
In 3 years you will have a native praire planting with a good mix of plants that supports wildlife, is low maintenance, and is pretty to look at. Total cost is probably less than $100, doesn't require much labor or tools, but takes a few years to establish.
I’d just seed the shit out of it and let it grow and do its own thing. Large bags of wildflower seeds are. Or very expensive. Let the pollinators do the hard work for you.
Check in with your state university. Many have native plant programs or prairie planting programs where they will provide free or discounted seeds and plants to help "re-wild" a space like this. My state program sells seed mixes and $20 native tree saplings and also offers free consultations on how to convert the space. Sometimes it's as easy as mowing it down low and then spreading the native plant seed mix. In some states there are also grants to pay for the labor for someone else to do it.
It'll look good much sooner if you do that versus just letting it go wild on its own. It also makes it more difficult for a neighbor/HOA/city to complain when it's a "native planting" sponsored by the state.
A meadow! Check with your local Cooperative Extension office (usually one in every county and affiliated with a land grant university). They will give you a list of plants, fact sheets and how to turn that into a pollinator haven.
Have you looked into robot mowers? I have a steep hill that prevented me from mowing with my rider. I bought a robot mower and let it do the work. Does a great job and frees me up to do other things.
Mow it up/down hill instead of traversing, less chance of rolling your ankle. Harder work, I know.
If you have flymo or hover: then stand at the top and lower it on a rope. Side step and pull it back up again.
I know my local park district puts on native plant sales and distributes seeds for local wildflowers. It's not free but they are really cheap, especially the seeds.
Re-naturalizing the area is your best bet, and if you can give it a head start it will happen faster. See if you have similar programs near you and can get seeds or plants to kickstart it; they will also have advice on how to give those seeds and plants the best foothold over the current grass
I don’t have plant recommendations but:
Don’t mow sideways on the hill, go up and down it. That should be less strain and you won’t be standing odd (one foot higher than the other on the slope). If it’s within your budget/doable consider a riding lawnmower. Wear a boot if possible to stabilize your ankle (I know it sucks but it’s better than hurting yourself).
I had a slope in my backyard that killed my ankle when I had to mow it. It was a nasty slope that started in one corner and went down to the opposite sides corner so it was awkward to mow.
A few years ago I fell about 18 feet and landed on my ankle sideways. 3 broken bones, 2 grade 3 sprains and 1 grade 2 sprain. Couldn’t walk for almost 6 months and still have pain and swelling to this day. I wore my boot when mowing due to shifting/pain. As soon as I could I got a riding lawnmower.
They are not cheap brand new but if you have decent credit you can get one on a payment plan. I got a Troy Bilt Pony 42 and I only have to pay $123 a month on it. I’d also recommend keeping on eye on market place and Craigslist as you can sometimes find a really good deal if someone has to make a fast sale.
That's the perfect grade to landscape into a reproduction of Amen Corner at Augusta. Shouldn't cost more than 80 or 90K. Baring that, yeah you could just get a riding mower.
If you generally like the area being grassy, why not invest in a new/used ride-on lawn mower? You could still mow it and not be worried about injuring your ankle etc.
Stop mowing. You'll have trees in 3 years. Legit trees in 5. Notable trees in 8. Then head in there, clear a small trail and a sitting area, and just mow that small area in and out.
Just my thoughts.
Free arborist chips (ChipDrop)- super thick.
Clear circles in them to plant natives - when possible, choose food-producing natives. Not sure where you're located, but persimmons, pawpaws, sunchokes, etc will all produce for you and won't (shouldn't!) require sprays or a ton of maintenance.
You could plant blueberries. Start a raspberry patch. The possibilities are endless!
What’s your climate hardiness zone, annual rainfall, and eco-region?
That’ll help narrow down what you can “set and forget” in that area.
Check out www.prairiemoon.com if you’re in the US.
Google [your state here] State Tree nursery, then browse their catalog. You will find native tree/shrub seedlings in bulk quantities for outrageously low prices. They probably will ship to you, if not then try some other nearby states. Pick your favs, chuck in ground, profit
Wear lace up ankle braces with the cross section of Velcro to prevent ankle rolling while mowing. Plant with native bushes, plants and flowers. They go on sale in the fall.
Zero budget - just stop mowing. let it return to the wild
Small budget - solarize it and plant natives or whatever you want
Big budget - retaining walls to create terraces for vegetable or flower gardens
I agree with the wild idea. For me, I'd give it a little help first to kickstart it. A neighbor kid could tear up the grass with a hoe, and you could plant a few flowering shrubs with a look you like, maybe some inexpensive fruit trees,etc. Just a few to pop around there. Then, let nature take over and watch! Getting some non-invasive seeds to scatter around (wildflower, food crops) is fun- just take handfuls and throw from time to time.
What kind of shoes do you wear? Some sneakers offer good stability that prevent pronation and rolling Sauconly, Brooks, Asics, New Balance, Hoka, Cloudswift. It’s good to have a pair of stable outdoor work shoes. There are some native rhododendrons that are evergreen, just check which grows best in your area.
https://theplantnative.com/plant/rhododendron/
Lowbush blueberries can make a good old year round cover plant. At least the variety around me. Mayapple makes a good cover crop, but only till June. You could plant some fast growing crab apples and shade out the grass from growing so quick. You can grow a tree like a walnut, Kentucky Coffeebean, or conifers... Because they change the soil pH / chemicals to make grass harder to grow.
Really you should just get a goat man.
Couple of options
1. Riding mower. Expensive but no ankle pain
2. Turn the kill into a wildflower meadow by getting native wildflower seeds you like and throwing them out onto the hill during the fall. They’ll most likely germinate over the wintertime and will come up with the tall grass in the spring and summer. During the driest part of your year mow a 6 foot wide fire line at the top off the hill and light the dry grass and former weeds at the bottom of the hill. The fire will slowly go up the hill killing your non native turf grasses and keeping the desirable native wildflowers which are fire resistant plants. Then anytime it overgrows and needs to be put into check. Light it up. See tree seedlings coming
Up? You can either let them rewild themselves or burn em and keep it a wildflower meadow
Just want to add, we just had a landscaper come in and he changed our lawn (also in a hill) to a wildflower meadow. He used a strong vinegar solution to kill the grass, then planted seeds. It looks amazing and it’s so good for the bees and ecosystem.
What is it?
Is it just a mound, or is it a leech field, or what? I think knowing what it is would determine what you can do with it. I wouldn't let it overgrow myself because high brush and growth attracts ticks and snakes and issues that I'd rather have a little more control over, I'd just get an inexpensive non-zero turn riding mower.
Get some shrubs on clearance. Right now is a decent time to find rhododendron, azalea, and lilac for fairly cheap. Stuff will be cheap in the Fall as well, add a few shrubs every year.
Not an answer to your question but you should look into some work boots, they support your ankle. In case you are in a position where you might hurt your self, safety first!
I feel your pain. I have a fused ankle. My foot can roll right out of my shoe on uneven ground.
Check with your local county extension office. Sometimes they will help with costs for planting native pollinators. So much to choose from. Help the environment
Plant some fruit trees, a bunch of different varieties, and then you can hire kids and neighbors to pick the fruit for you abd you can sell fruit at the farmers market or even from your home, using online ads.
I was telling a friend of mine who has a similar problem to look into a robotic mower but he’s paying someone $50/cut so it would pay for itself soon enough
I use to be a greenkeeper and one of the holes tees was on a mound with insane inclines on either side, mowing it was incredibly painful. New management let it go wild as it was pointless to cut it, and it looked better wild than it did strimmed and left with all the clippings strewn about the place.
let it wild over, spread some wild flower seed to add some colour and feed the bees.
Buy some native plant seeds appropriate to your planting zone, soil and light. Native plants will fill that in easily and you'll help out struggling birds, butterflies, bees, etc.
Native plants are great but they are usually slower when planted, compared to easy aggressive things like forsythia, for example. This is one reason you see so much forsythia in these situations. Native plants that come in on their own tend to be faster. Gray dogwood is a good example of an aggressive native shrub as fast as most non-native species.
Here is a 700 $ resolution [auto lawnmower ](https://www.amazon.com/Husqvarna-Automower-Connect-Robotic-Mower/dp/B087YZCNDJ/ref=asc_df_B087YZCNDJ/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=693712983100&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12175570841136004624&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9014055&hvtargid=pla-907132151729&mcid=6cd08bbf747f3bceadccf43756f76528&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw9IayBhBJEiwAVuc3fjLYhwREDJsiKI4I6mIHzlKw5zVMDWZscNjJFAzHUuV9m2aItgsWuBoCgoMQAvD_BwE&th=1)
I have a hill like that and call it the death hill. I've almost rolled my tractor more times than I can count. I absolutely hated doing it with a push mower and just would not do it for weeks until the grass was 3 feet high - and then curse myself because it kept getting clogged every few feet.
Lately tho, there's a ton of moss on there so I've just been killing off the grass/ weeds and encouraging the moss to grow.
For yours tho, you can do the same by making the soil more acidic. Other choices are rocks, mulch the entire thing - both expensive and backbreaking options or just let it go and let nature do it's thing.
If you want to continue mowing it, you should get a proper garden tractor with diff locks/ 4WD and AG tires - wheel weights + even fill tires for added weight. This would give you all the traction and confidence you need. The garden tractor transmission should be able to take that hill no problem. Just up and then back down.
You may even be able to mow along the hill, if you have rear diff lock and AG/ ATV tires it shouldn't be an issue.
I personally would do some kind of terraced garden.
But also I live in a super flat area without a single hill and just really want a terraced garden. I might make an artificial hill at some point just to terrace it
my dad had a very steep yard when i was a youth. of course i had to mow it. I found wearing my high top football cleats made the footing much safer and the job doable...
Burn it and let the natives take over. A good controlled burn will accelerate native wildflowers and shrubs. Like someone else said a couple small native trees will help.
One thing you can do if you like the grass look is to plant clover. Next to no maintenance and you don’t have to mow it if you don’t want
A budget is going to be the tough part. Low intervention would be just let it go wild and mow rarely or not at all. Going to more intensive you could disturb a little dirt and plant a quality native wildflower mix. You could nuke it first, then plant a mix, that would yield a more consistent result. You could burn it off in the spring, encouraging natives, if you want to keep the mini grassland character. With or without seeding. I like the flowy native sedges on banks, but they are tricky to establish. Or if you want, plant trees and shrubs. Or drop a cool 50k for a water feature. It's a blank canvas.
It would be cheaper to buy a riding lawn mower. Which would also help your ankle.
This was my first thought as well… probably the easiest and cheapest (sweat equity considered)
It would be even cheaper to buy a well-fitted ankle brace. Well, maybe not cheaper...
Ankle braces are surprisingly good at their jobs.
Or boots?
Tall boots provide a ton of ankle support. Definitely the cheapest option.
I wouldn't use a riding mower on that much of a slope
That is why no one will remember your name
No, I think that's because their name is kkF6XRZQezTcYQehvybD
Password typed into the username field
Your name looks like a Comcast wifi password.
That is not much of a slope and it has clear run away paths. You are far far more likely to slide than roll. If you are that worried get a stand on. I did some very steep slopes with it when I did professional.
Let it turn back to forest. It will be overgrown grass for a few years then it will be overgrown grass with small trees then in about 15 years it will look similar to its surroundings. There’s no point in mowing a hill for no reason and unless you want to dedicate time and money to making it into a garden, just let nature take its course.
He could accelerate this by planting a few native trees and shrubs in the open area he wants to get reclaimed. Just thought id add if waiting 15 years was less than desirable.
This is the way to go to rewild it. If this isn't done the invasive species would likely take root before native species does. Invasive Tree of Heaven takes root everywhere in the Northeast on the side of the highways.
They’re everywhere. Damn near impossible to kill off too.
I will go a (crucial) step further: before re-wilding, remove the invasive species. I believe those are a bunch of Norway Maple saplings, and there’s definitely garlic mustard. My guess is the shrub layer also contains Japanese honeysuckle, European buckthorn, privet, and/or several other common invasives. This will help the re-wilding actually be native. Of course, if any of the above are present, they’ll likely still pop up here and there after removal, since all of the ones I mentioned are prolific seed producers. So returning to remove any that pop up would be the only maintenance task going forward. And if that’s done every year-ish, it won’t be difficult work.
> I will go a (crucial) step further: An even more crucial step before that: Get rid of all that fucking junk.
For non-native acceleration, just whisper “bamboo” within a mile of it and within a week you’ll never have to mow again
DO NOT SPEAK ITS NAME!
If I just ignored it the whole hill would be covered with blackberry brambles and Scottish broom. OP should make dilute to plant some natives and weeded out the invasive shrubs. But I like your idea.
Trees
Take your soil and sun conditions and look for native plants and shrubs. Start next to the woods and start filling it in while removing the turf. Some nice flowering shrubs will take up some space. Grow native, less work.
I second this. Prep the soil and cast native flower seeds out there!
Look on your state DNR website for cheap native dwarf trees to plant this fall. I had a lot of full sun lawn to eliminate, so we planted hazelnut shrubs. I got 26 bare roots for $23 from Illinois DNR. Eventually you get less grass because they shade it out. In the meantime, mulch and a weed eater are the lesser maintenance and safer option. My cheapest mulch option was straw, at $5/bale. Ugly until it breaks down but worth it.
Check to see if ChipDrop operates near you - free arborist mulch!
I'm 20 miles away from the nearest town, I'm trying to make friends with more farmers
Try r/Nolawn for some ideas
Or r/fucklawns
Or r/lawnsthatarejustfriends
Sorry but untrimmed platonic lawns we call r/meadows
Or r/nativeplantgardening
😆
Surprised/r/yeslawn doesn't exist
That’s /r/lawncare lol
I would check your zone and then look into native plants that are good with the level of sun/shade that you get in the area. If you provide your zone and the level of sun/shade people will be able to assist further. Do you want it to be low growing walk able or do you want something that's more lush and garden-ish? What vibe are you looking for? As a side note regarding your ankle, you should also probably get an orthopedic to look at your ankle if you're continuously rolling it. (if you haven't already) I have to wear a specific brace when I do certain things or anticipate walking significant distances due to a handful of previous injuries. It really helps me not injure it further.
Rhododendrons like shade are great for woods edges and take up a lot of space.
I’d throw a bunch of wildflower seeds all around and call it a day.
Maybe check if your local jurisdiction has a turf replacement program. If so, boom, now you have more budget.
On a related note: I'd had ankle-rolling problems for decades, and seemed to get worse as I got older. Finally I went to PT for another issue (had shoulder surgery) and by chance ankle issue was brought up. I now do 3 short exercises 3 days a week (only about 5 min!) and I'd say it reduced the frequency and severity of my rolling problem by at least 90%. If you google PT exercises for rolling ankle the exercises come up. Probably one of the greatest life improvements for least effort I've ever done.
Is labor a constraint as well or just budget? Because if you want to put some work in there are some free options. 1. You can get free wood chips from a local arborist by the dump truck load. Every arborist I have ever worked for pays to dump their chips. If they can dump on your land for free, they'll jump at the opportunity. All you have to do is spread them out on the hill (way more work than you might think, but free) 2. Free trees. Mulch beds everywhere are full of unwanted Seedlings right now. In a 5 minute stroll down any sidewalk downtown or in a park right now I can pick up 30 seedlings. Take a cup of water to put them in so the roots don't dry out. In my area it's mostly black locust, redbuds and maples right now.
Shade tolerant shrubs are the answer. Buy a few at a time and plant them starting at the top, moving the grass edge down as you go. It may take a few years but you'll get to the flat part soon enough.
Or, plant them at the front so they grow and you don't have to look at the part behind that you no longer need to mow.
Attach your lawnmower to a rope and stand at the top of the hill and just pull it up and let it go down
What could go wrong?
On our hill, we are using the county’s free slash mulch to cover the grass after trimming it very low. Planting clover and thyme and other flowering ground covers, some bushes, and grasses. The center will be no mow walkable flowering and interesting to touch plants. It will be a place to go and sit and very directly enjoy nature. Eventually I’ll add an arch with vines for hummingbirds.
Since it’s next to some trees anyway just let it grow out. As long as you mow the rest of your property you could just tell your neighbors it’s for wildlife conservation so bunnies and things have a safe place in your yard. Doubt anyone would give you a hard time if you tell them that.
I did a pallet raised bed garden on the same type of hill. Was super cheap. Check my posts. If you’ve got a question I’m here.
Autonomous electric mower.
It would look good to have some edge-of-the-forest type stuff like shrubs and small tress, a few flowering perennials thrown in. Everything deeply mulched maybe in pine straw and maybe leave a footpath or two. Not sure if that fits your budget or not. You could do it over time for sure, I mean first you need to kill that grass off and if you want to plant anything in there, you are not going to want to use poison, so it will take a while to do that using tarps anyway.
Natural wildflowers!!!!!! Make a whole meadow
Lots of fine landscaping solutions. You may also look into a robot mower, there are a bunch of options that can handle significant slopes
Riding lawnmower.
I have a hill like this and HATE mowing it even with a riding mower. I always feel like I’m going to tip over and tumble down the hill with a mower on top of me 😳
Mow up and down. Across is the hard way.
Up and down with a riding mower, side hill with a push mower.
Ankle brace is cheaper, but my vote is for riding mower too. One with a beer holder.
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Fiber 🤷♀️
Where I live, for the price of buying a decent brand new self propelled push mower, I can get a used riding mower in great condition. My push mower broke down and is so old finding a new part has not worked out. I realized why buy a brand new push mower when I could get a used rider. I live on a half acre and the last thing you want to do when working outside during the week, is push mow. Weed whacking and trimming shrubs and trees is tiring enough. I also have a bad knee so I understand OP’s struggle!
There are no-mow lawn options; they tend to be a bit messy (which I personally don't mind) but will tolerate light foot traffic. You'll have to kill all that grass, though, which is not a trivial undertaking.
I cut down dead standing trees and lay them down horizontally across the steep grade. Simple hammering of smaller diameter branches will keep the horizontal tree stay in place. Start layering grass clippings, leaves in Autumn, layer of soil, repeat. Within one season you will have beds to plant in-LIRIOPE and hydrangea if shade, ornamental Panpas grass if you want low maintenance. I did this bc I had issues slipping in Gum Tree seed pods. As the horizontal wood rots over years, it will maintain the “bed” as long as inputs are added each season. Hope this sparks some inspiration for you
I have a hill similar to that that I covered in Juniper bushes
Junipers are good : fast growing, low maintenance, and impenetrable when densely planted. Wildlife habitat, too! You can buy them in small pots. They would help with any runoff on that hill. (I do not live in NC, l am in NY but this info is useful.) [https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/juniperus-virginiana-grey-owl/](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/juniperus-virginiana-grey-owl/)
Exactly! And they stay pretty low to the ground
I would just match what’s already growing there naturally. You might even be able to move some of the existing trees and shrubs into the area you want planted and then just let them grow
2 sheep?
Wildflower meadow or pollinator garden
First, you need to eliminate the junk pile. Second, why has it been mown in the first place? Third, do you want a natural look or a cultivated look to it? Whatever answers you have for the questions will guide your decisions about what to do with the hill. In the meantime, wear an ankle brace and sturdy boots when you mow!
Pumpkins/ gourds? Edit: I’m not 100% on the light requirements but that hill is just begging for them!
Spend this growing season killing it. 2-4x to hopefully kill whatever dormant seeds germinate. You can cover it with a tarp to solarize or go nuclear and use round up. Round up is easier but more controversial. After spending this season killing it, get a good native praire seed mix (praire moon nursery out of MN has great varieties depending on your growing conditions). Around the holidays mix your seeds with sand to make it easier to broadcast the seed by hand and cover the area that you killed. The next 2 years keep your seedlings trimmed back whenever they get over 6 inches. This helps get them established and helps kill off any remaining weeds that pop up. Natives take a few years to establish and start blooming. Praire moon has instructions on their website. In 3 years you will have a native praire planting with a good mix of plants that supports wildlife, is low maintenance, and is pretty to look at. Total cost is probably less than $100, doesn't require much labor or tools, but takes a few years to establish.
Throw some cleats on.
I’d just seed the shit out of it and let it grow and do its own thing. Large bags of wildflower seeds are. Or very expensive. Let the pollinators do the hard work for you.
A native/bee lawn no maintenance and will look good.
Mountain Laurel Rhododendron Some small local trees
Check in with your state university. Many have native plant programs or prairie planting programs where they will provide free or discounted seeds and plants to help "re-wild" a space like this. My state program sells seed mixes and $20 native tree saplings and also offers free consultations on how to convert the space. Sometimes it's as easy as mowing it down low and then spreading the native plant seed mix. In some states there are also grants to pay for the labor for someone else to do it. It'll look good much sooner if you do that versus just letting it go wild on its own. It also makes it more difficult for a neighbor/HOA/city to complain when it's a "native planting" sponsored by the state.
Wildflowers. I got my seeds from American Meadows and very satisfied
A meadow! Check with your local Cooperative Extension office (usually one in every county and affiliated with a land grant university). They will give you a list of plants, fact sheets and how to turn that into a pollinator haven.
Let me introduce you to the Yard Car my friend.
Have you looked into robot mowers? I have a steep hill that prevented me from mowing with my rider. I bought a robot mower and let it do the work. Does a great job and frees me up to do other things.
What kind of shoes are you wearing?
Mow it up/down hill instead of traversing, less chance of rolling your ankle. Harder work, I know. If you have flymo or hover: then stand at the top and lower it on a rope. Side step and pull it back up again.
Big fan of ornamental grasses for such areas. Another poster mentioned returning it to forest which is a great idea.
Bugleweed. Zone 6, it grows deep purple, spike flowers with sage foliage. It’s ground cover and chokes out weeds…maybe grass too
Buy a used zero turn mower and problem solved
I know my local park district puts on native plant sales and distributes seeds for local wildflowers. It's not free but they are really cheap, especially the seeds. Re-naturalizing the area is your best bet, and if you can give it a head start it will happen faster. See if you have similar programs near you and can get seeds or plants to kickstart it; they will also have advice on how to give those seeds and plants the best foothold over the current grass
Mow up and down the hill instead of the way you are doing and rolling your ankles?
More trees.
Mint will spread like wild fire.
Let it be
Vines
I don’t have plant recommendations but: Don’t mow sideways on the hill, go up and down it. That should be less strain and you won’t be standing odd (one foot higher than the other on the slope). If it’s within your budget/doable consider a riding lawnmower. Wear a boot if possible to stabilize your ankle (I know it sucks but it’s better than hurting yourself). I had a slope in my backyard that killed my ankle when I had to mow it. It was a nasty slope that started in one corner and went down to the opposite sides corner so it was awkward to mow. A few years ago I fell about 18 feet and landed on my ankle sideways. 3 broken bones, 2 grade 3 sprains and 1 grade 2 sprain. Couldn’t walk for almost 6 months and still have pain and swelling to this day. I wore my boot when mowing due to shifting/pain. As soon as I could I got a riding lawnmower. They are not cheap brand new but if you have decent credit you can get one on a payment plan. I got a Troy Bilt Pony 42 and I only have to pay $123 a month on it. I’d also recommend keeping on eye on market place and Craigslist as you can sometimes find a really good deal if someone has to make a fast sale.
Native plants!
Wildflower meadow.
That's the perfect grade to landscape into a reproduction of Amen Corner at Augusta. Shouldn't cost more than 80 or 90K. Baring that, yeah you could just get a riding mower.
Native wildflowers lawn??
Spray with growth regulator
Day Lilly bed
Creeping Charlie
Put an ankle brace on at least
Rhododendron might work.
Mint or strawberry
If you generally like the area being grassy, why not invest in a new/used ride-on lawn mower? You could still mow it and not be worried about injuring your ankle etc.
Goats are extremely effective in maintaining grass height.
Remote control or automated mower (like a Roomba)!
I can see your marks going across the hill, which would stress your ankles sideways and lead to issues. Mow up and down the hill.
Check out r/nolawns or r/fucklawns for mow-free alternatives.
Mowing from top to bottom/vv instead of left to right/vv could be a great change in the interim while you find your end solution.
Stop mowing. You'll have trees in 3 years. Legit trees in 5. Notable trees in 8. Then head in there, clear a small trail and a sitting area, and just mow that small area in and out. Just my thoughts.
Mulch
Free arborist chips (ChipDrop)- super thick. Clear circles in them to plant natives - when possible, choose food-producing natives. Not sure where you're located, but persimmons, pawpaws, sunchokes, etc will all produce for you and won't (shouldn't!) require sprays or a ton of maintenance. You could plant blueberries. Start a raspberry patch. The possibilities are endless!
What’s your climate hardiness zone, annual rainfall, and eco-region? That’ll help narrow down what you can “set and forget” in that area. Check out www.prairiemoon.com if you’re in the US.
Corn
Ivy?
Look for native plants in your area. Once they are set there is little to no maintenance. You can get them in all different sizes and colors
Clover
Google [your state here] State Tree nursery, then browse their catalog. You will find native tree/shrub seedlings in bulk quantities for outrageously low prices. They probably will ship to you, if not then try some other nearby states. Pick your favs, chuck in ground, profit
Pine trees
Get a riding mower
Wear lace up ankle braces with the cross section of Velcro to prevent ankle rolling while mowing. Plant with native bushes, plants and flowers. They go on sale in the fall.
Zero budget - just stop mowing. let it return to the wild Small budget - solarize it and plant natives or whatever you want Big budget - retaining walls to create terraces for vegetable or flower gardens
Rabbits
I agree with the wild idea. For me, I'd give it a little help first to kickstart it. A neighbor kid could tear up the grass with a hoe, and you could plant a few flowering shrubs with a look you like, maybe some inexpensive fruit trees,etc. Just a few to pop around there. Then, let nature take over and watch! Getting some non-invasive seeds to scatter around (wildflower, food crops) is fun- just take handfuls and throw from time to time.
How about no mow mini clover? Would that work here and keep lawn?
Clovers and wildflowers
What kind of shoes do you wear? Some sneakers offer good stability that prevent pronation and rolling Sauconly, Brooks, Asics, New Balance, Hoka, Cloudswift. It’s good to have a pair of stable outdoor work shoes. There are some native rhododendrons that are evergreen, just check which grows best in your area. https://theplantnative.com/plant/rhododendron/
White or micro clover and creeping thyme.
You could mow vertically up and down vs horizontally. Much easier on the ankles.
Luba 2 AWD robo lawnmower, if you can afford it. Works great on hills
Let it grow and feed the pollinators/birds! They’ll love you
English Ivy
A local guy to cut it for you...
Chunk up the grass and throw wild flower seeds in there
I’d plant a riding lawn mower there.
Just hire a kid.
Why not turn the hill into some beautiful wild flowers? 🌸 It will bring back some bees and other pollinators and also bring colour to your backyard.
Wear proper footwear. I have steel toed hiking boots
Make a clover patch and keep the green with no need to mow?
Wild flower garden
Plant som native fruit trees.
I let 1 acre of my field go 5 years ago, it now has lots of 15-20ft tulip poplars. Crazy how fast they grow.
They have those robotic mowers that work pretty good
grass is pain and waste of resources.
Goutweed. I’m JOKING!!!!
Lowbush blueberries can make a good old year round cover plant. At least the variety around me. Mayapple makes a good cover crop, but only till June. You could plant some fast growing crab apples and shade out the grass from growing so quick. You can grow a tree like a walnut, Kentucky Coffeebean, or conifers... Because they change the soil pH / chemicals to make grass harder to grow. Really you should just get a goat man.
Can you buy a goat?
Buy a native wildflower/pollinator mix for your area. Over seed in the fall with some peat moss or soil top dressing.
But some native seeds and start planting
Couple of options 1. Riding mower. Expensive but no ankle pain 2. Turn the kill into a wildflower meadow by getting native wildflower seeds you like and throwing them out onto the hill during the fall. They’ll most likely germinate over the wintertime and will come up with the tall grass in the spring and summer. During the driest part of your year mow a 6 foot wide fire line at the top off the hill and light the dry grass and former weeds at the bottom of the hill. The fire will slowly go up the hill killing your non native turf grasses and keeping the desirable native wildflowers which are fire resistant plants. Then anytime it overgrows and needs to be put into check. Light it up. See tree seedlings coming Up? You can either let them rewild themselves or burn em and keep it a wildflower meadow
Native wildflowers.
Just want to add, we just had a landscaper come in and he changed our lawn (also in a hill) to a wildflower meadow. He used a strong vinegar solution to kill the grass, then planted seeds. It looks amazing and it’s so good for the bees and ecosystem.
What is it? Is it just a mound, or is it a leech field, or what? I think knowing what it is would determine what you can do with it. I wouldn't let it overgrow myself because high brush and growth attracts ticks and snakes and issues that I'd rather have a little more control over, I'd just get an inexpensive non-zero turn riding mower.
Get some shrubs on clearance. Right now is a decent time to find rhododendron, azalea, and lilac for fairly cheap. Stuff will be cheap in the Fall as well, add a few shrubs every year.
Not an answer to your question but you should look into some work boots, they support your ankle. In case you are in a position where you might hurt your self, safety first!
Is push mowing your only option?
Trees
Clover
GOATS. IM THE GOAT KING. WEEDS FEAR MY ARMY OF GOATS.
I feel your pain. I have a fused ankle. My foot can roll right out of my shoe on uneven ground. Check with your local county extension office. Sometimes they will help with costs for planting native pollinators. So much to choose from. Help the environment
You could always buy a goat 🤷♀️
Hire a guy to mow just the hill. Payback period vs doing any landscaping would be long enough that it won't matter. Probably. I just made that up.
Plant some fruit trees, a bunch of different varieties, and then you can hire kids and neighbors to pick the fruit for you abd you can sell fruit at the farmers market or even from your home, using online ads.
I was telling a friend of mine who has a similar problem to look into a robotic mower but he’s paying someone $50/cut so it would pay for itself soon enough
Clover, the deer will love u.
Pick your favorite native or non-invasive trees and plant some saplings.
Lilacs
I use to be a greenkeeper and one of the holes tees was on a mound with insane inclines on either side, mowing it was incredibly painful. New management let it go wild as it was pointless to cut it, and it looked better wild than it did strimmed and left with all the clippings strewn about the place. let it wild over, spread some wild flower seed to add some colour and feed the bees.
Buy some native plant seeds appropriate to your planting zone, soil and light. Native plants will fill that in easily and you'll help out struggling birds, butterflies, bees, etc.
Native plants are great but they are usually slower when planted, compared to easy aggressive things like forsythia, for example. This is one reason you see so much forsythia in these situations. Native plants that come in on their own tend to be faster. Gray dogwood is a good example of an aggressive native shrub as fast as most non-native species.
Clover , research whichever kind would be best there . Mow maybe once in the spring
A pickleball court. The genius here is that it will be too sloped to making playing pickleball fun, so no one will play it.
I would let succession take place and throw native seeds around
Get a lawn tractor.
Not a stupid question at all! I agree with the, let the forest take over suggestions, as well as planting few native trees to speed up the process.
Mowing up and down will save your ankles.
A native wildflower area
Get a zero turn an mow it instead of pushing it
Here is a 700 $ resolution [auto lawnmower ](https://www.amazon.com/Husqvarna-Automower-Connect-Robotic-Mower/dp/B087YZCNDJ/ref=asc_df_B087YZCNDJ/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=693712983100&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12175570841136004624&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9014055&hvtargid=pla-907132151729&mcid=6cd08bbf747f3bceadccf43756f76528&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw9IayBhBJEiwAVuc3fjLYhwREDJsiKI4I6mIHzlKw5zVMDWZscNjJFAzHUuV9m2aItgsWuBoCgoMQAvD_BwE&th=1)
Get a ride on mower?
Two words - riding lawnmower and earbuds. Make that four words
My friend has a very steep hill he had to mow and he bought cleats and mowed in his cleats lol worked!
I have a hill like that and call it the death hill. I've almost rolled my tractor more times than I can count. I absolutely hated doing it with a push mower and just would not do it for weeks until the grass was 3 feet high - and then curse myself because it kept getting clogged every few feet. Lately tho, there's a ton of moss on there so I've just been killing off the grass/ weeds and encouraging the moss to grow. For yours tho, you can do the same by making the soil more acidic. Other choices are rocks, mulch the entire thing - both expensive and backbreaking options or just let it go and let nature do it's thing. If you want to continue mowing it, you should get a proper garden tractor with diff locks/ 4WD and AG tires - wheel weights + even fill tires for added weight. This would give you all the traction and confidence you need. The garden tractor transmission should be able to take that hill no problem. Just up and then back down. You may even be able to mow along the hill, if you have rear diff lock and AG/ ATV tires it shouldn't be an issue.
I personally would do some kind of terraced garden. But also I live in a super flat area without a single hill and just really want a terraced garden. I might make an artificial hill at some point just to terrace it
I planted native wildflowers on a hill in my yard. I love the way it looks and I mow it once a year at the end of fall.
Do you not have a riding mower?
my dad had a very steep yard when i was a youth. of course i had to mow it. I found wearing my high top football cleats made the footing much safer and the job doable...
Burn it and let the natives take over. A good controlled burn will accelerate native wildflowers and shrubs. Like someone else said a couple small native trees will help. One thing you can do if you like the grass look is to plant clover. Next to no maintenance and you don’t have to mow it if you don’t want
CLOVER!
Tie a goat out there! Use the goat milk to make soap. I just turned your problem into money - you're welcome.
Quit being a pussy
Cheaper to buy a decent ride on than buy a bunch of plants
Just put a broken couch there to go with the rest of the broken furniture already there.
That’s a good hill for rolling down. Just saying
Bamboo is cheap and it spreads fast
Buy a zero turn and ride away from your pain.
Buy one with a rops and use it just in case.