I have a paddock <> a half acre. I have been cutting it with a iseki 323 48 inch cut.
I have decided to reduce the area of grass and have some wild flower and veg areas.
I got a good offer for the Iseki today so I let it go.
I'm wondering what would be best to replace it with.
I'm not worried about having a bowling green, just reasonably presentable grass areas between the wild flowers etc.
Would I be better served with a cutter which mulches rather than picking the grass up?
I think your idea of mulch makes sense.
The wild flower meadow likes poorer soil so mulching the rest of the grass will feed it and keep the wild flowers from spreading. Wild flower meadows are hard work to establish - you need to kill the grasses and wild flowers can be a bit fickle. You may get the wild effect by just letting the grass grow with a just a of wilding, or plan some more ornamental grasses. Veg areas are also hard work especially May time, about 40% of the garden growths during the month of May!
The iseki seems ott for 1/2 acre and certainly for 1/4 acre, you could use a normal mower with self power, but not need to sit on. The meadow you want will look most effective if surrounded by cut grass and cut paths through it, otherwise they tend to look like unkept rough ground.
My father has the full works with Webb/Atco cylinder for his billiard table lawn, but I find a largish 20 inch Mountfield rotatory mower (honda engine) that has mulch and collection box, works for me, and I can do 1/4 to 1/2 acre without need to sit on. The key thing to get mulch to work, is to not let the grass get long, but regular cuts. if it gets long either cut and collect, or lower the grass in 2 short goes. Especially if your live in damp Irish climate. Having the ability to pick up is handy, you can get ones with attachments that allow for both, although its important to have a good mulch designed if say you have a party or the kids do, and you dont want the grass. However if you finely chop the mulch it goes in a couple of days.
You will want to mow the meadow once a year or so and maybe collect the hay of it. You could potentially hire a mower for that one of job.
When I first made a vegetable garden from an old paddock/orchard, I used a hired rotavator to do the initial digging. one day and its saved a huge amount of back ache. Go loads of horse manure delivered each spring for first few seasons to get the soil going.
