removing 'ditches'?

[prof fate]

the horse pasture (about 12 acres) has ditches in it - been there 20 plus years before we got the place. No clue why they are there.

Now that i'm brush hogging I want them gone. How best to do that?

All are dry.

All but one are maybe 10-12" deep, more like a long V plowed across the field.

I have a loader, box blade to work with.

Thinking of maybe straddling the ditch and dragging the box blade .. should shallow the ditch some but not sure this is the best option. Better Half says maybe plow beside them to loosen the dirt, then ? There are 6 of them, maybe 1000 feet long each. Want something more effiecent than trucking in dirt and loading it bucket by bucket...

 

[Redlands Okie]

Place I am at had furrows that would bottom our the Tahoe from an old pumpkin patch. Had limited equipment originally to flatten it up some I used a box blade and rippers. Since it was the whole 10 acre field I ran at a angle to the ditches roughly 30 to 45 degrees. First pass was a lot of ups and downs but made a huge difference in leveling up. If you ditches are far apart you could still run at a slight angle sort of a S or snake pattern back and forth over the same ditch but keeping the tires on each side.

Grader blade on the 3 point would be really nice.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

Better go through a wet season before you take them out, you may do all that work and have to put them back in....

 

[Gary Fowler]

If you have a 3PH disk harrow it will work well to fill in a ditch. I would disk it with the front gang and back gang cutting equal so as to get some loose dirt.
Then lengthen the top link so the rear is about the only one cutting. This will pull the soil from each side over into the ditch (note all work is while straddling the ditch). Most likely if the ditch was put in with a grader blade, the dirt was spread over each side so the disk should pretty much level it up. It may take several passes to accomplish this and it may not totally fill in the ditch but at least is should smooth it out a bunch.
After you do this, wait till a heavy rain to see where water is standing so as to determine any remaining high spots.

 

[RNeumann]

I know this sounds sarcastic but I’m thinking you have 12 acres to figure it out.

In one soil the loader would blow through everything and in another soil it’s multiple passes with the box and rippers down.

The box going backwards will cut well with the proper angle.

 

[prof fate]

Never used disks..a double bottom plow and disks are on the lilst..figures a plow would be the first..but you say disks will dig enough and I can see them moving the dirt due to angle..Hmm. Probably have to hit up youtube to see disking in action.

thanks

If you have a 3PH disk harrow it will work well to fill in a ditch. I would disk it with the front gang and back gang cutting equal so as to get some loose dirt.
Then lengthen the top link so the rear is about the only one cutting. This will pull the soil from each side over into the ditch (note all work is while straddling the ditch). Most likely if the ditch was put in with a grader blade, the dirt was spread over each side so the disk should pretty much level it up. It may take several passes to accomplish this and it may not totally fill in the ditch but at least is should smooth it out a bunch.
After you do this, wait till a heavy rain to see where water is standing so as to determine any remaining high spots.

 

[Fuddy1952]

My extra land I bought last Fall has ditches, only they are really sinkholes leading to a deep spring which runs into a creek.
I was afraid of flipping my tractor so the largest one I use for tree stumps. The smaller VW beetle size ones my neighbor and I filled, he used his bobcat, me the JD loader. Rocks, dirt, then good topsoil, seeded. We've had really hard rains, so far so good. In pictures you can see lighter green new grass and stump pile.

 

[AWSubie]

Place I am at had furrows that would bottom our the Tahoe from an old pumpkin patch. Had limited equipment originally to flatten it up some I used a box blade and rippers. Since it was the whole 10 acre field I ran at a angle to the ditches roughly 30 to 45 degrees. First pass was a lot of ups and downs but made a huge difference in leveling up. If you ditches are far apart you could still run at a slight angle sort of a S or snake pattern back and forth over the same ditch but keeping the tires on each side.

Grader blade on the 3 point would be really nice.

What Redlands Okie said is what I would do. Assuming you have shanks on your box blade you'll be done pretty quick.

What

 

[nybirdman]

I would be concerned with a big rain event;they were there for a purpose.Maybe add some drain tile and cover.

 

[jeff9366]

the horse pasture (about 12 acres) has ditches in it - been there 20 plus years before we got the place.

All but one are maybe 10-12" deep, more like a long V plowed across the field.

These "ditches" may be plow furrows made with a 12" or 14" Moldboard Plow.

"Normally" 10" to 12" plow furrows would be reduced after plowing by pulling a Disc Harrow over the field once with the Disc Harrow gang angles set fairly aggressively, a second time with the Disc Harrow gang angles adjusted to a less aggressive angle.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...ing-three-point-hitch-mounted.html?highlight=

Then the field might or might not be dragged, then seeded.


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