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re: What to do with my ditch or as the HOA refers to them as servitudes?
Posted on 8/10/14 at 12:29 pm to GeeOH
Posted on 8/10/14 at 12:29 pm to GeeOH
And, if you are in the back, I would have at least part of the ditch covered. If anyone saw the equipment, they would think it was the town doing the work. Sod on top of it as soon as they finish...profit
0
Posted on 8/10/14 at 12:49 pm to 633tiger
quote:Erosion.
Other than it's good looks and ease of grass cutting - 0 reason to fill in your ditches.
Posted on 8/10/14 at 1:04 pm to Geauxtiga
quote:
Other than it's good looks and ease of grass cutting - 0 reason to fill in your ditches.
Erosion.
This..and insects, snakes, animals, etc and hazard for kids, SMELL, property value...should I go on?
Posted on 8/10/14 at 1:38 pm to GeeOH
We are at the back of the subdivision and have a corner lot with servitude. They said we could get a culvert and sod over it and extend our yard. We decided against it for 5k for an extra 10ft. Hoa was actually trying to help us. Seems strange yours wouldn't want something like that.
Posted on 8/10/14 at 1:48 pm to 633tiger
Ditches look like crap, I can't imagine any decent neighborhood having them unless it was built on low land
Posted on 8/10/14 at 7:03 pm to LSUOFFSHORE
If keeping the ditch uncovered is something you have to do maybe a walk behind string trimmer is the answer.
Why not try a light walk behind string trimmer.
Sweeney and Husqvarna way too heavy which weight due to the pivot in it and it's larger to move in a tight space.
A lighter one made by Cub Cadet might be easier to handle.
It is light along with moving it in tight areas is easier than a small walk behind mower.
You would walk it down the hole like a walk behind but it is a trimmer.
Why not try a light walk behind string trimmer.
Sweeney and Husqvarna way too heavy which weight due to the pivot in it and it's larger to move in a tight space.
A lighter one made by Cub Cadet might be easier to handle.
It is light along with moving it in tight areas is easier than a small walk behind mower.
You would walk it down the hole like a walk behind but it is a trimmer.
This post was edited on 8/10/14 at 7:08 pm
Posted on 8/11/14 at 9:15 am to johnnyrocket
diesel is the only answer.
Posted on 8/11/14 at 10:03 am to LSUOFFSHORE
Wow that is a lot of ditch.
With that much you may want other options.
The cheapest is probably diesel or roundup but clearly not permanent and looks bad and is a continual cost.
Next would be a walk behind string trimmer or even an old light 19-20" push mover.
Then maybe just pay a neighborhood teen to weedeat and/or spray just the ditch on a 2-4 week schedule
More permanent solution but still compliant with the HOA would be to re-grade the ditches to a level that your ZTR mower can handle. The tractor work is going to be a bit costly though. You can save some money by renting a sod cutter and cutting your current sod and stacking it to reuse as long as it does not sit stacked more than 2-3 days.
My initial suggestion was to create concrete ditches with vertical walls. This would allow you to backfill and sod up to the edge and then mow right up to the edge with the riding mower and would still give a clean appearance with less maintenance. That is still an option but it is going to be VERY expensive with that much ditch. In plywood alone you will need 78+ sheets of 1/2" and 700 2x4x8 if you wanted to form it all up at once. Of course you could create the forms and pour it in sections. You will end up needing 35+ yards of concrete for a 2ft deep by 2 ft wide U shaped concrete ditch with wall thickness of 3".
With that much you may want other options.
The cheapest is probably diesel or roundup but clearly not permanent and looks bad and is a continual cost.
Next would be a walk behind string trimmer or even an old light 19-20" push mover.
Then maybe just pay a neighborhood teen to weedeat and/or spray just the ditch on a 2-4 week schedule
More permanent solution but still compliant with the HOA would be to re-grade the ditches to a level that your ZTR mower can handle. The tractor work is going to be a bit costly though. You can save some money by renting a sod cutter and cutting your current sod and stacking it to reuse as long as it does not sit stacked more than 2-3 days.
My initial suggestion was to create concrete ditches with vertical walls. This would allow you to backfill and sod up to the edge and then mow right up to the edge with the riding mower and would still give a clean appearance with less maintenance. That is still an option but it is going to be VERY expensive with that much ditch. In plywood alone you will need 78+ sheets of 1/2" and 700 2x4x8 if you wanted to form it all up at once. Of course you could create the forms and pour it in sections. You will end up needing 35+ yards of concrete for a 2ft deep by 2 ft wide U shaped concrete ditch with wall thickness of 3".
Posted on 8/11/14 at 10:45 am to LSUOFFSHORE
That's bullshite that they deem it a servitude and won't maintain but still restrict what you can do with it. I'd let it grow for about a month and see what they think about it. We've got servitudes like that in my neighborhood but the HOA maintains the ditches as part of their landscape plan.
Posted on 8/11/14 at 11:44 am to Bleeding purple
Appreciate the thoughts folks. I sprayed it this weekend with a home made weed killer (vinegar, salt & soap) and will follow that with diesel for this season. HOA President is a lawyer so I have to stay within the charter even though it is BS. Will fight the battle at the next HOA meeting... 1st world problems.
Posted on 8/11/14 at 1:01 pm to Hu_Flung_Pu
quote:
We are at the back of the subdivision and have a corner lot with servitude. They said we could get a culvert and sod over it and extend our yard. We decided against it for 5k for an extra 10ft. Hoa was actually trying to help us. Seems strange yours wouldn't want something like that.
They did want to work...the problem was the city and how they zoned the subdivision at inception. If it is open ditches zoned, it takes an act of Congress to get a permit to close the ditches. Understanding why they want open ditches is an important part of the equation.
By all means, the HOA wanted everyone to be able to cover their ditches.
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