Land Preparation

[laen64]

I have a 5 Acre Wheat feild that needs to become a wonderful Yard with pretty Grass. What do I need to do to change this site? The wheat has been cut and only weeds are their currently. please include all tools needed!

Thanks in advance.

 

[munchie]

I have a 5 Acre Wheat feild that needs to become a wonderful Yard with pretty Grass. What do I need to do to change this site? The wheat has been cut and only weeds are their currently. please include all tools needed!

Thanks in advance.

Not to skirt the question...but local soil conditions and climate would need to be considered, so your best advice would come from the local feed/farm supply outlet.

 

[kthompson]

If it grew wheat well then the soil with probably grow yard grass well as both are grasses, correct? So do you need to level it or there low spots you need to slope or install drain tile in? I would have soil samples test though for fertilizer and any lime needs.

If you are asking about getting it level for lawn, what equipment do you have for this? You will probably need to loosen it which can be a disk or tiller and then level which could be a field cultivator if need be after disk and then landscaping rake or blade. It is not magic on equipment, dirt can be leveled with a lot of different pieces of equipment.

 

[Egon]

feild that needs to become a wonderful Yard with pretty Grass.

You might want to elaborate a bit cause where it stands right now all you would need is a bag of grass seed.

 

[laen64]

It is pretty flat I don't have any equipment as yet I"m budgeting for it aswell as upkeep. that's why I phrased the question that way. yes sir you're correct on the grass I need to get the old weeds out I suppose and get down to the real dirt and prep it for SOD that I will lay myself.
Than you K.T

Yes Real Men Love Jesus

 

[kthompson]

laen64,
So lets back up some.

Still wide open on options. You may be best off to hire the prep work or rent the equipement. If when it is done you will no longer need that equipment, then hire or rent. Bigger equipement normally gives better grading.

I would begin by desciding on the type of grass I want. Then find out what it needs in type of ground prep and mower and any special type of care. Be sure what chemicals can be used on it and which can not.

It is hard to believe you will be sodding 5 acres so assume you may sod some but probably seeding it. Then you don't mean you plan to raise sod on it do you? If you sod it needs watering, if you seed many lawn grasses want more dependable watering than rain will be. Some are very touching on staying moist for the first even four weeks to sprout. Again this varies on type of grass and time of year. Know the temps for this our normal lawn grasses here need to be about May or so for sprouting.

To get the ground ready you need to lossen it with such as roto tiller or disk. Then depending on how that leaves the dirt you will have to use something to do better break up (tiller probably will save you this step) to loose dirt and then having lawn smooth for sod or seed. Have the soil tested and if lime is needed have it applied before you begin working the soil. You don't want that weight on fresh worked dirt.

If you have lots of weeds growing you may benefit by spraying to kill them before you begin working the dirt. Some will recommend spraying and wait about a month and spraying again. Then you turn the dirt and new seeds sprout and to me it seems lost work. I rather have the dirt ready to seed and right before I seed it with my grass seed run over it with landscape rake to loosen and kill the small weed sprouts.

For on going care you will need of course good finish mower, possibly sprayer say 15 gallon size at least and spreader for fertlizer. You have options here as you can go with mower that can pull the others or small tractor and those options. To me that depends on your other needs. If all you will be doing is mowing and growing this 5 acres I probably would skip a tractor. But if a garden or cutting brush area or taking care of horses or such are in my plans I think you should consider tractor and equipement for it.

If you are going to plant the full area in grass and unless you have strong water supply I would probably get the full 5 acres basically ready but only seed (or sod) say an acre and get it going and then move to the next area.

Hope you well. But do suggest you read and study on the grasses for your area and then the one you want before you take next step. I almost went with a grass that would have been real issue on cutting. It would have required a "reel" mower and with my trees would have been a problem.

take care and GB

 

[Egon]

[QUOTEIt is pretty flat I don't have any equipment as yet I"m budgeting for it aswell as upkeep. that's why I phrased the question that way. yes sir you're correct on the grass I need to get the old weeds out I suppose and get down to the real dirt and prep it for SOD that I will lay myself. ][/QUOTE]


In that case consider a tractor in the 20/25 HP range[colour of your choice] with a bucket, rear finish mower/MMM mower, a home drag for leveling, harrows [purchased or home built]and a Tiller. A disk may be substituted for the tiller if that fits your plans better.

Move some dirt around with the bucket to rough level the area, till it, level using the drag, till again, drag it again and do this two or three times several weeks apart. This may allow weed seeds to germinate so you can cultivate them under. Then spread the grass of your choice. For 5 acres hand broadcasting will work. Harrow and wait for the results. You may wish to over seed once or twice at a latter date. Let the grass grow to a minimum of six to eight inches and then start a regular mowing sequence. Mow quite high for better grass quality. Don't forget the soil tests and proper soil augmentation based on those results.

Then start in on the dedicated rock gardens and such things. Here the tiller would suit you best.

Now; that said there, will be a hundred different ways to arrive at the end product. Pick one that best suits your needs and location.

Five acres of sod is a lot of sod. My back aches just thinking on it!

 

[TigerfaninAR]

I think it's been covered on how to prepare the soil. I would look into the cost effectiveness of hydroseed. If your spreading your grass seed, water is of utmost importance. You have a much higher room for error when it comes to watering if you hydroseed.

 

[MarkV]

As Egon mentioned, I would start with a soil test. Your county extension agent would also have the best advice about area grasses, sod farms and fertilizer companies in your area. Most of our Southern land will need lime to balance the soil PH. I just can't imagine sodding 5 acres. That will be several semi trailer loads of sod and way more thousands than I could spend. Be sure to post photos when you start.

MarkV

 

[john_bud]

1) soil test
2) Pay someone to amend soil as test shows
3) Pay someone to till the soil, drill the seed and cultipack it down.
4) broadcast seed to fill in as needed
5) pay someone to spray 2,4-D broadleaf weed killer as needed
6) pay someone to mow