[Cob] Cob: Washington, DC...Thatching

[Amanda Peck]

I've been reading tool catalogs.  At least one of them says that a nice 
sharp sickle is better than a weedeater for nearly everything.  Since 
vibration sends one of my hands into numbness and buzzing, I'd tend to 
agree.  Glad this worked for you.  Thanks for the book recommendations.
...................
        The best tool for harvesting turned out to be the Japanese grass
sickle. I also tried a scythe and a gasoline powered weed whip with a blade. 
The
scythe would not cut neatly and was difficult to gather after cutting. The 
bush
cutter shredded the bottom of the stem and tended to tangle them up making
gathering difficult.
        The sickle however cuts with a pulling motion so you can bend over 
and
pull the stems toward you and gather them against your body. Ten inch
Wellington boots were perfectly adequate for the environment since the 
phragmites
were growing in 1-3 inches of water and the root mass supported my weight
perfectly.

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