Owning a large land plot is different from investing in any other asset class. Planning and maintenance are crucial if you intend to preserve your land’s natural beauty and keep its value appreciating.
From lawn tools for removing weeds to protective safety equipment like ear muffs, you’ll need to be armed with the right items to maintain your plot effectively.
Besides obtaining a few critical pieces of equipment, following a few actionable tips can streamline your care and maintenance plan for the upkeep of your land.
Don’t Let Vegetation Get Out of Control
The prospect of removing weeds and other undesirable vegetation from a large plot of land can be daunting. Luckily, there are several easy weed removal methods, many of which involve prevention, so you don’t have to do the same work twice.
When removing weeds from your land, use a high-powered weed wacker. You can use this helpful tool to target thick patches of tall or thick weeds before using your lawnmower.
A weed wacker allows you to clear problem areas that may cause damage to your mower blades and overwork the engine.
After clearing tall weeds and shrubs, use a lawnmower to cut grass and weeds. If your land is full of thick vegetation that can’t easily be removed with a mower, you may need to use a tractor.
A mulcher attachment can destroy heavy shrubs without risking damage to lighter machinery. It reduces root system damage and soil erosion to keep your plot thriving.
To prevent aggressive forestry regrowth, try covering the ground with mulch. Collect loose leaves, fallen branches, and lawn trimmings and run them through a chipper, and then spread the mulch out on the field.
Unless you plan on planting grass to create a lot for recreation, such as a golf course, mulching improves your soil quality and keeps weeds under control without excessive maintenance.
Plan for Watering/Irrigation
Watering lawns and trees keeps the land vibrant and attractive for investors and visitors. A small excavator can help you dig water line trenches to facilitate sprinkler systems or even a water main.
A sprinkler irrigation system is suitable for grass lawns and sandy soils, while drip irrigation is more efficient for orchards, flower beds, cotton, and herbs.
A drip irrigation system requires tubing, drippers, and a water pump that connects to a control system. A basic sprinkler system doesn’t require a pump; it uses your outdoor plumbing pressure to distribute water.
When installing a sprinkler system for farming, you may need a pump, depending on how far you want water to be sprayed. You should also connect a timer to the pump or faucet for easier, more efficient irrigation.
It allows you to set the irrigation system to start watering your plot in the early hours of the morning. This is the ideal time to water your land to avoid evaporation and UV damage to the plot’s greenery.
Take Wildfire Prevention Measures
In recent years, wildfires have become a more common occurrence. Making sure you protect the trees and buildings on your land from fires should be one of your primary safety concerns.
Apart from a sprinkler system or another watering system, create noncombustible zones that act as buffers to stop the spread of fire. These zones should have weeds and grass cut as close to the soil as possible and be wide enough to stop the fire from crossing the zone.
If you have pine or other evergreen trees on your land, make your fire zones wider. Pine trees are highly flammable, and their resin, needles, and foliage can contribute to the ferocity and expansion of the fire.
Wider fire zones are also recommended for buildings near trees on an incline. Forest fires move faster along steep slopes, and you want to provide an adequate buffer area.
Also, Dingo Traps Online provides a convenient platform for purchasing high-quality traps, helping landowners manage and mitigate dingo-related issues easily and efficiently.
Create a Maintenance Schedule
Setting up a maintenance schedule can keep you on track and make tasks manageable. If you have barns, clean them regularly to prevent insect and bacterial infestations, putting your animals at risk. Buildings need to be aired out and cleaned to prevent mold damage to structures.
Several factors determine how often you need to remove weeds from your land. Average garden weeds can grow up to 3″ every day, so you’ll need to weed and mow your plot every week.
However, depending on the climate and whether you cover your field in mulch, you might get away with clearing your land less frequently. To develop a schedule that works for your plot of land, take note of weed growth in the summer and winter months.
You will find that you’ll be able to schedule your maintenance visits according to the land’s particular conditions. If you plan on maintaining a lawn, water it twice a week.
To avoid traveling to your land that often, you can set your sprinkler system to do this while you’re away. Removing leaves is a seasonal activity that you need to schedule in your yearly calendar.
Wait until a fourth to a third of the leaves have fallen and clear them every week until the branches are clear. Waiting until all leaves have fallen can make removal challenging due to leaf decomposition.
Invest in the Proper Tools
Avoid using your weed wacker as a hedge trimmer or a chainsaw to try to cut rough shrub or thick weeds. This can damage the thread and cause unnecessary wastage.
Trying to cut thick brush using your lawnmower causes your blade to dull and stresses the engine. Ensuring that you have the correct tools for each job streamlines your plot’s maintenance and prolongs the life of your equipment. Some essential plot maintenance tools include:
Hedge trimmer
Ideal for trimming shrubbery and pruning trees.
Chainsaw
Crucial for creating fire zones and removing obstructive or diseased trees. Also, invest in a pole saw trimmer to remove hard-to-reach branches without needing a harness or ladder.
Lawn mower
Opt for a gas-powered ride-on lawn mower for faster lawn maintenance for a large plot of land.
Post hole digger
Necessary for replacing or installing fencing.
Weed wacker
Use the weed wacker for trimming around trees and along the edges of paths and fences.
An old shipping container tucked away in a corner of your land makes for convenient tool storage. Whether you need a concrete mixer for creating a path or a leaf blower for autumn, keeping quality tools on site is essential for maintaining your land.
Care for Your Land
Maintaining your land is critical for aesthetic reasons; it also makes your land safer by removing long grass, weeds, and bushes that can hide dangerous pests such as snakes and spiders.
With a well-maintained plot, you can earn an additional side income by leasing the land to gamekeepers for food plots, hunters, or smallholders for farming. Invest in the proper tools and set a regular maintenance schedule to keep your land in top condition.