A sulky is a stand attached to a lawnmower that you ride on as you mow the lawn. It is used for walk-behind or push-style lawnmowers.

How Is It Used?

You will need to attach the sulky to the back of your lawnmower. Depending on the type, you will either sit or stand on it as you mow your lawn. If lawn mowing is not an activity you enjoy, a sulky may be just what you need. In addition to ensuring you mow the lawn faster, it will significantly reduce the exhaustion you feel after pushing your machine around. You can detach the sulky whenever you need to.

What Types Are Available?

There are three types of sulkies for lawn mowers. The single wheel sulky is fitted with one wheel at the center of the platform you stand on. Even though it is quite simple in design and highly functional, it is more prone to accidents compared to the other two. It is also quite difficult to use on a steep slope due to stability issues.

On the other hand, the dual wheel sulky is fitted with two wheels, strategically below each foot on the platform. Thanks to the two wheels, it is more stable, hence more reliable than the single wheel sulky. However, you will have twice as many wheels to worry about in terms of maintenance, which is expensive in the long run.

The third type, which is quite rare, is the platform style sulky which has no wheels. It is made in such a way that it slides across the lawn as you mow. It is the most convenient type because of its stability. Additionally, the cost of maintenance is low because it has no wheels. Though rare, it is the most affordable among the three types. The only disadvantage is that you cannot ride it on the pavement.

What Brands Can I Look Out For?

The most common brands of Sulkies are from Velke, Oregon, and Bradley. These companies mainly deal with wheeled Sulkies. The platform Sulkies are majorly manufactured by Novae Corp.

Regardless of the brand, you settle on, there are several factors you need to consider when buying a sulky. For instance, you need to ensure you buy a good quality sulky based on the materials used in construction, the quality of the suspensions, how easy it is to attach to the lawnmower, and how close the controls are to you you have mounted. You will also need to get a sulky that auto retracts from the mower to ensure easy storage.

It is important to ascertain that the mower can handle the additional weight brought about by the sulky. While you’re at it, check the suggested weight of the rider for purposes of safety.

Bottom Line

A sulky is a very convenient tool if you have a lot of lawn mowing to do. Remember not to ride barefoot and ensure you maintain the highest level of safety by inspecting the sulky before every use.

We all admire a well-maintained lawn. It is a harbor for beautiful herbal borders. It also becomes a feeding ground for birds and a few animals. Caring for the lawn aids in lush growth. It is important to remove weeds that choke the grass. There are seven ways in which you can care for your lawn. 

1. Water the Lawn

It is important to water your lawn with an inch of water weekly. You can use rainwater from your butt or greywater from your washing bowl. A sprinkler can better do the job since it keeps the lawn hydrated throughout.

When watering your lawn, ensure that you place a measuring cylinder in the yard. It helps to determine the 1-inch watering level.

2. Weed the Grass

Weeds choke and kill lawn grass. It is crucial to control weeds growing on your lawn. Ensure that you often remove all the weeds on the lawn with their roots. Common weeds that inhibit grass growth include:

• Plantains
• Dandelions
• Yellow medick
• Clover
• Buttercups

It's easy to remove weeds. Most of them can be picked using a hand trowel or grubber. Avoid using weed killers and other chemicals. Most of them don't get rid of weeds; instead, they enhance the growth of the unwanted plants.

3. Remove Compacted Grass

When your ground gets compacted, your grass does not grow well. Instead, you get patches during summer and muddy baths in winter. For healthy grass, ease the compaction, and aerate the soil. You can do this by inserting a garden fork into the soil. Rock the fork back and forth to open up the soil. This allows the grassroots to breathe and creates space for growth.

4. Edge the Lawn

Edging your lawn gives it a neat look. Edging stops the grass from growing beyond borders. You can use simple pieces of equipment such as shears to edge out the grass. If your grass surpasses borders, you can reshape it using a half-moon edger or a spade.

5. Feed the Lawn

Like humans, your grass needs food to stay healthy. Feed your grass with organic fertilizer. Time the rain forecast and to do your fertilizing. The rain washes down the fertilizer to the grassroots. If you own a big lawn, use a lawn feeder to spread the fertilizer. It does a fast and clean job.

6. Fill the Bare Lawn Patches

If your lawn has bare patches, ensure that you fill them up with grass seeds. You can also fill them up with new turf. Bare patches steal the beauty of the lawn. To fill up a patch, cut out a square around the area with a hand trowel. Dig up the soil, and lay the turf over the patch. Finally, firm the turf down to prevent any gaps from arising again.

7. Mow the Lawn

Have a habit of mowing your lawn. In fact, don't let your grass grow beyond about 5 cm long. Get a good machine and cut the grass at the right height. If you cannot do this on your own, hire a grass mower who will do it for you at an affordable cost.

If you follow these seven lawn care basics, you will see results in the quality and appearance of your grass.