How do I smooth my pastures

[MBDiagMan]

If I understood you correctly this is hay meadow. For future reference, the way hay meadow gets rough is by getting impatient and raking hay too soon after it has been rained on. When the field is soft, the haying equipment will rut it up. I'm an impatient person, so don't ask me how I know this.

 

[blueriver]

If I understood you correctly this is hay meadow. For future reference, the way hay meadow gets rough is by getting impatient and raking hay too soon after it has been rained on. When the field is soft, the haying equipment will rut it up. I'm an impatient person, so don't ask me how I know this.

Or gophers ...

 

[Haoleguy]

In looking into this problem myself over the past few days I thought that one of the do-it-yourself suggestions on this message board was to plow(1 direction), disc(2 directions), and then chain/screen(1 direction). My impression from others here would be that this process would even out small depressions without moving lots of material. Is this one way you can do it. My own experience with boxblades is they are great for moving material in sand/gravel areas without vegetation, hence why many have them for driveway applications.

 

[Johnbro]

If you don't want to/can't (due to lack of plows and harrows, etc) chew up your pasture, you can use sand or fill dirt to bring up the hollows. Forgive me for assuming you don't know how to do this stuff:

Back blading: dump your material, then go backwards over it with the back of the loader working like a scraper blade. usually I'll let the loader float and keep the angle of the "blade" to the material pretty non-aggressive.

Box scraping: the key to the box scraper is the angle (set by the top bar). BBs work both forward and backwards. going forwards (ie dragging behind the tractor), if the blade is down at the front it will dig, if it's tilted up at the front it will smooth. You kind of need to drive cocked around in the seat watching what's happening and riding the 3PT lift control. They take some practice and can cause a lot of damage if you're not paying attention.

 

[pitt_md]

I have used a landscape rake with good results on my pastures. The key to them is to use it when the ground is still a little soft after a rain. You may not have that problem with your sandy soil. They do not cause the damage that a box blade can and keep the vegatation intack.

 

[MBDiagMan]

Or gophers ...

Yeah Blue, I guess you've got 'em too. When I came here 24 years ago, gophers were a problem that over time I got under control with a lot of work.

The fire ants came some years ago which were a much worse scourage. A couple of years ago there was talk about putting out a fly that kills the queen fire ants. This year the fire ants have completely disappeared. I guess it was the fly that did it, but the good thing is that they're gone.

As a result of the Mass Exodus of the fire ants, I am now seeing gophers and ticks again.

How is the gopher/fire ant/tick situation in Blue?

 

[Shield Arc]

The problem with any of these attachments is the wheel spacing on the tractor. If the wheels are close, (small tractor) good chance all you'll do is mirror the dips / uneven areas. Ever notice the wheel spacing on a motor grader? Might be 20-feet! One way to help with this is to slot the hole where the top link attaches in your landscape rake, or back blade. Note picture.
This is one reason I really like the chain harrow, pretty much independent of the tractor.

 

[Bartcephus]

Smoothing is one thing, leveling is another. Which do you want to do? If you want to smooth, a drag harrow is the way to go. If you want to level then a box blade is the way to go. But if I was leveling, I would want to disk, plow or something to get rid of the vegitation first. It helps you to see the highs and lows. Practice will help with the box blade. Damage? how does moving the dirt damage it? Just move it back. LOL :laughing: We have had some severe hog damage that I disked and then used a drag of old chain link fence to smooth an area. (not changing the contour, just the "surface" so that mowing did not require kidney pads. Sometimes with less "damage" from the hogs/gophers just draging the chain link fence with a piece of 6x6 lumber on it would be sufficient to smooth it out. cheaper than a comercial chain harrow, not as efficent, but sufficient.

Best regards,

 

[Egon]

For the best finish job start by parking the box blade. Then cultivate the areas well. Then use a home made drag ten feet or so long and go and go over the cultivated area till it is smooth to your expectations. Cultivate again and seed to desired grass and follow with a harrow and cultipacker.

Takes a little more work up front but will produce the best job.:thumbsup:

 

[Qapla]

Or gophers ...

I'm sure in Oklahoma when you say that, you mean little furry critters ...

Here in the sunshine state, when someone says that they have a problem with "gophers", they are talking about a tortoise (some say turtle) - worse part is, they are protected by the state and it is illegal to do anything with them.