Soil screening question

[StrangeRanger]

My back "yard" needs work. The guy that originally did it did a horrible job. It's spotty grass, weeds, who knows what and a bazillion rocks. The rocks range in size from pebbles to gigantic pumpkin sized. I've tried a lot of approaches like power rakes, landscape rakes, my box blade etc. All w/ limited to crappy success.

I know, the rocks will simply return every spring, but I'm thinking of basically digging up the top X inches of soil, screening it, and replanting grass. I'm thinking if I can get some grass growing and clear the top X inches of most of the rocks it will at least slow their return to a manageable rate.

But my question is this, since I do have some grass/weeds/crud how well is a screener going to work do you think? Will I simply get big clods of grass and dirt balls rolling around on the screen? I'm betting I'm going to have to do a fair amount of "hand work" to get the clod balls off. Do any of you have any similar experience? Do you have any pointers for me?

Thanks,
j

[boogerman2000]

I have similiar issues. Our home was finished back in May of 06' and the contractor's rock hound kept stalling his bobcat and I just decided on him giving me a cash credit and I would handle the task myself. I bought a york rake and used it with my BX23 which seemed to work well. Fertilized, Limed, Planted, Strawed and watered and by the time the grass grew, I had a ton of rocks back up on the surface. I paid my nephews to go through the entire yard and throw the rocks over the hill. Some of the areas came in like golf course grass and others where like a barron desert with just spotty grass. The following year I purchased 40 tons of raw topsoil and 20 tons of screened. I respread the raw topsoil over part of the the existing back lawn and I top coated the desert parts with the screened soil. Replanted and watered. Things seemed to come in a little thicker but still I had spotty coverage. All along I never did a thing from the first planting on the front of my home. The front seemed to growing in thicker by the day. In the fall, I core aerated with a lowe's aerator, limed and overcast seed. This spring I aerated again, limed and fertilized with weed and feed and wholey moley is the grass growing nicely. We've been getting plenty of rain but everyone kept telling me that it takes several years to establish a thick lawn. There are still some places that could use some topcoating and seeding but I'm very pleased. I have a very compacted clay base and I read somewhere that it takes 10 to 12 inches of topsoil to get a good lawn growing over a base like that. Well I have about 4 to 5 inches down and things are looking up. I'm having to cut each week and the dogs and deer love it. With all this said, as I cut, I still find myself bending down and flicking rocks out of the ground and over the hill everytime I mow, however with the grass getting thicker, it does not seem to be as much of an issue as it was.

I don't think I really answered your question, however this was just my experience and it's been very frustrated.

[StrangeRanger]

Originally Posted by boogerman2000

I don't think I really answered your question, however this was just my experience and it's been very frustrated.

LOL exactly what I was thinking, but I'm glad to hear I'm not alone in the lawn battle.

Our soil here is not clay, but it's shale w/ a lot of loose rock thrown in for good measure. It's said that VT is know for growing rocks and maple trees.

I've got some areas that have come in very nicely over the past couple years, but the back area is simply too rocky for anything to survive and get established. And I can't afford to have truck load after truck load of top soil brought in. So I'm trying to do the best w/ what I've got. Plus it's a great excuse for some serious seat time.
j

[offcamber]

I can't answer your question either but...I think you were on the right track with the kandscape rake.
When my leach field was replaced I was ina similar situation....however the landscape rake really worked for me....anyone that lives here in NH will tell you that the rocks grow right out fo the ground....first cut of the season I raise the deck to about 3" that way I save my blades and can see the the new rocks.

Since buying the BX I been on the war path with the bigger rocks I couldn't dig out or move before.

Good Luck

[seapea]

I repeatedly read on TBN about people that remove rocks from the surface of their yard, only to find new ones emerging the next year. Is there some physics involved here that cause rocks to move upwards in the soil, or are these just rocks that were just below the surface, worked their way loose for whatever reason, and are now on the surface.

[ChuckinNH]

It is the freeze / thaw cycles in the northern climates that causes rocks to work their way to the top. There is moisture in the soil, and the soil "heaves" when it freezes, and eventually moves the rocks to the surface, and sometimes makes a mess of the secondary paved roads. "Frost Heaves" are a way of life up here, and can be pretty brutal on vehicle suspensions, and steering components.

[LonghornSam]

I have had a pretty decent bluegrass lawn for the last few years however the last two years we manually detchatched the lawn each spring and did the core aeration treatment as well. I can say without a doubt that my established lawn went from good to spectacular with the core aeration and dethatching. That along with regular fertilization on cycles throughout the year put mine over the top.

[seapea]

Originally Posted by ChuckinNH

It is the freeze / thaw cycles in the northern climates that causes rocks to work their way to the top. There is moisture in the soil, and the soil "heaves" when it freezes, and eventually moves the rocks to the surface, and sometimes makes a mess of the secondary paved roads. "Frost Heaves" are a way of life up here, and can be pretty brutal on vehicle suspensions, and steering components.

That's good to know, since I'm about to clear a 1 acre field of small stones to use for sports. No freeze/thaw concerns here.

[boogerman2000]

What do you guys feel is a good fertilizer cycle and what works the best for you? I know multiple people told me you can never have enough lime.

[StrangeRanger]

Seapea, frost/thaw cycles are so bad that if you don't dig foundations/pilings deep enough they will move buildings never mind simply rocks. I've seen a lot of poorly built decks for example that rise and fall up to about a foot over the winter. People think they'll save a little money on their footings only to have to replace the deck and/or parts of their house a year later.

As for the rocks, as I said, I know they'll be back and in force, but if I could just get the lawn started it will slow that process. Slow it to the point where it won't be too bad to pick them out as I go along mowing now and then. But right now it's literally a sprinkling of grass, a lot of weeds and straw and millions of rocks. If I could find my dang camera I'd show what I'm up against.
j