What next? Trail through grassland

[fatbassman]

Some of my property has thick, "old growth" grassland. Some is the root balls are 2-3 feet wide, and the grass grows 7+ feet tall.

I cut a three pass path (about 1/4 to 1/2 mile) with my brush hog. I'd like to clear and smooth a 6-7 foot wide walking path. My elderly mother cannot walk across the uneven ground and grass roots left behind from the initial cut.

I have a box blade with scarifiers, I was planning dragging it through there a bunch of times, but I thought I'd ask if there is an easier way to accomplish what I am trying to do. Thanks!

 

[3Ts]

I would think a rototiller would work for that. You'll have to pack it back down again after tilling it.

I've had lots of hog damage with the resultant clumps of sod and roots. Lots of attempts to fix it and finally tried rototilling it all, a little regrading with a drag, and pack it down by driving a tractor over it (with lawn tread tires) to pack it back down. Worked quite well. I found that if I didn't chop the grass up to much it would re-sprout pretty quickly which is what I wanted.

 

[EddieWalker]

What is the name of the grass? I'm familiar with a few types that do this and some will just rot away if you keep it mowed, others will need to be removed by something like a backhoe, excavator or maybe the front bucket? Depending on size and the roots, this can be a lot of work.

 

[BHD]

my thoughts, I would think a chisel type plow pulled through it a few times to break up the root balls and to spread some of the mounds and stuff out, (my experience with sod and a blade is that the root balls will build up int he blade and dig trenches under the blade), I would think when the surface is broke up some one could come back in and drive over it or if one has a roller packit down smooth,

I have not done either one but when we farmed we would chisel plow and it would break up the surface of the ground and pull things around,

I made a small chisel plow the width of the tractor, (three point) to use to break up soils so my box blade could get some soil on hard earth, mine is similar to this in look but mine is much heavier, https://www.ebay.com/i/173919045518?chn=ps I would think if one just went a few inches down, you would not destroy the grass plants and they would continue to grow from the roots, to finish the path out a small tandem disk would further break up the soil and smooth it out, then pack it down, Mine is similar to this but 50 years old Sweet Farm Equipment - New & Used Farming Tools & Equipment | Tractor Equipment, Implements

instead of a packer or roller one may be able to use a tire drag harrow, to smooth and pack the trail down
tire drag Harrow - Google Search

 

[Egon]

Roto tiller. Passes several weeks apart.