How to create a dog pasture?

[GabeTX]

I bought my place because I wanted to fence off a few acres for dogs (I like sighthounds, and they like to run...). I'm currently working on the fence (only ~50 or so more posts to tamp!), and starting to think about the rest of the lot.

It's currently a real mess: there are large patches that are very sparse, almost just bare mud. Heavy black expansive clay mud. There are parts that are all weeds. There are parts that have some unknown grass. And there are pieces of the former owner's HVAC business lurking in the muck. And there are wheel ruts, some several inches deep, all over the place. Oh, and there are tons of rocks, of all shapes and sizes. And small tree stumps that have been sawed off at ground level.

What I'd like to end up with is a smooth surface with minimal rocks and a groundcover that will prevent erosion and be dog-friendly (nice on pads, no burs or other coat-damaging items, etc.). What I don't have to worry about, compared to a real pasture, is grazing and manure.

I'd like to begin by taking out the wheel ruts, so I'm guessing I'll need a dirt scoop and something to spread the fill with (back blade? Landscape rake? Box blade?)

After that, I'm not quite sure what to do or exactly what kind of implements I'll need. I know I can't use a tiller with my Jubilee--can I get by with just a disc?

If it turns out that I need a ton of implements to do it right (plow, disc, drag, spreader, etc.), do I have any options for just fixing the worst of the ruts and putting *something* down on the bare patches to stop the erosion until I can afford to do it right?

 

[GabeTX]

My most pressing question is how to deal with the wheel ruts: I want to take care of those soon (within a week!) because some of them are on my neighbors property and were caused by the drilling rug that put in the post holes. I cleared driving down the fenceline with them before I did it, but I want to patch it up quickly.

I think I'll have to buy a landscape rake no matter what, for cleaning up the smaller rocks and debris (though I don't know how big of one--could my Jubilee handle 7'?). Would that work for spreading screened topsoil in the ruts? Or do I need to get a back blade?

 

[hudr]

I would think a box blade and some fill dirt would do the most good in the least amount of time. Maybe make a drag out of some old chain link fence or old tires to smooth it out afterward as well.

 

[Cliff_Johns]

One thing you need in dog "pastures" is shade.

Another is two dog pastures. The reason for this is you need somewhere to put the dogs when you are repairing damage, like the strip of mud around the perimiter of the fence, and when you are using ANY sort of chemical application like weed or fert. to keep the grass happy. While one pasture is healing, the other is being used.

Mostly, the dogs will be happy and burrs will be minimal if you mow it down to 6 inches or so. But you will still probably want to get the thistle etc. out every few years with some kind of weed killer.

Cliff

 

[Investorguy]

My sod was so old that I eventually had to plow it under to even it out. Of course, it's really nice right now. It was a lot of work though. I was making a playfield though, not a dog pasture; probably pretty similar needs.

 

[tlbuser]

If you want to be able to turn the rake around, 5 foot is the largest a Jubilee tractor will handle without having to take it off and put it back on.
And, it will work reasonably well for spreading and dragging topsoil.
And, if you found a rototiller in the 4 to 5 foot range, for a reasonable price, I would get it and use it. Just add an over-running clutch to the tractor pto shaft. You'll end up with a pretty short implement pto shaft but it will work.

If you didn't know yesterdays tractors is a pretty good site too. Not like here, but

 

[GabeTX]

Thanks for the advice!

The dogs have the house for "shade" (and air conditioning...), so they should be set there. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I hadn't thought about having to use an herbicide to control the weeds--guess I'll also have to look into sprayers. Would a carry-all work for mounting the ones designed for ATVs? They seem quite a bit cheaper then the ones designed for tractors.

I could borrow a box-blade from my neighbor to do some cleanup, but I was worried that it would do additional damage. Can you use a box blade to spread stuff without engaging the ground with the scarifiers?

tlbuser, I thought that the ground speed of the older fords at PTO speed was much too high to use a tiller?