Failed attempt to smooth property, how to correct?

[Dynasty]

I moved onto 6 acres of farm land and built a house. I mowed one Ohio mowing season and quickly realized the ground was uneven and rutted from the farm equipment that worked the land. It was beating me up as well as my zero turn. So, I talked to a local farmer to smooth out the land and put down grass seed for a more traditional lawn look. In fall 2020, the farmer disked, chisel plowed, and used a cultipacker to get the land looking better. Now, spring 2021, I mowed for the first time and I was still bouncing around. My lower back took a beating and the machine was not happy. How can this be?

Prior to the project starting, we discussed the goal of a very smooth surface so I can mow quick and not to slow down due to rough ground. The farmer said "no problem" and can take care of this. We agreed to a price. Prior to work being done, people would roll their ankles trying to walk in some areas of the property due to deep ruts. Now, walking is not an issue so I assumed mowing will be much more enjoyable. In the first few minutes of mowing, I was shocked how rough the ground still was.

With all that said, my question is: how do I correct this rough ground issue even after all the ground was was already performed?

Should I talk to the farmer that did the work and explain my concerns? Would he been in the right by telling me there is nothing more that can be done given he did the diskng, plowing, and rolled in the seed?

Is a big, heavy asphalt roller needed?

I'm open to all ideas. The desire to mow again with the current rough ground conditions is very low. It was not enjoyable for me or the machine.





***EDITED TO ADD VIDEO CLIP***

Note - some areas are rougher and some areas are smoother throughout the 6 acres, but here is an idea of what the mowing experience is like.

 

[kf4uda]

I would ask the farmer to come over and have him take a tour of the property on your zero turn mower. This should limit the explanation needed and show him the problem.

 

[sea2summit]

So call me crazy but you've started threads on what tractor to get and what zero turn etc. Did you ever upgrade your ZT? Mowing 1/4 acre suburban lot you probably have bumps but 1) you don't really get up to top speed 2) you know where all of them are 3) you're done in 10 minutes so you don't notice how bad they are.

6 acres is a whole different monster. Does the lawn appear generally smooth or are there noticeable issues? To fine tune add some dirt to low spots as needed, maybe scrape some of the high ones. Next, what mower? Are you driving too fast? Maybe you need to upgrade to larger wheels (especially gauge/front wheels). Maybe it's time to upgrade to a suspension seat.

Just my thoughts, you could post up pictures and we can probably tell pretty quickly if the farmer didn't live up to his end of the bargain (in your other thread where you looked at that idea more than one person said you'd have to clean up behind the larger equipment).

 

[AWSubie]

U mentioned a cultipacker was used. Was a harrow rake used to provide a final smoothing of the ground ?

 

[ruffdog]

I think a landscape company would understand your goals more than a farmer. I too have about 1 acre that was never fully smoothed after farming but it does get better with time. I wished I had smoothed it out as soon as I could before grass was established.

 

[KennyG]

The correct tool would probably be a land plane. Typical farm implements aren't going to get you where you need to go. You don't show info on what you have in the way of a tractor, but simple land planes are easy to construct. Mine is far from professional, but with a little work it will leave a perfectly smooth surface. (Then my moles will ruin it again.)

The lifting arrange is just me being fancy. It can just be dragged.

 

[jeff9366]

Land Plane would be one good choice.

Another good choice would be a heavy Chain Harrow. Being flexible over entire mat surface the Chain Harrow is minimally influenced by front or rear tractor wheels moving up or down.

Land Plane and Chain Harrow are tractor implements. You cannot operate either behind a ZT.

 

[bcp]

Mow the lawn around the house with your lawnmower.

Mow the fields with farm equipment.

Bruce

 

[mapper]

The correct tool would probably be a land plane. Typical farm implements aren't going to get you where you need to go. You don't show info on what you have in the way of a tractor, but simple land planes are easy to construct. Mine is far from professional, but with a little work it will leave a perfectly smooth surface. (Then my moles will ruin it again.)

The lifting arrange is just me being fancy. It can just be dragged.View attachment 693615View attachment 693616

Couple of hours fabrication on the land plane, couple of weeks for the lifting frame?

 

[Diggin It]

Fields are not pool tables and will not be flat. No matter how much work you do, there will be irregularities from burrowing rodents, erosion, roots, etc. You can try a heavy roller when the ground is soft, or you can just wait a few years and it may get a bit better each season.

In the mean time, maybe a machine with better suspension?

 

[herm0016]

get a load of compost, spread out in small piles as best you can with whatever implement you have and run a harrow over it at all different angles. do this for a few seasons in a row in the spring. my "harrow" is a strong pallet 6 ft x 3 ft with an old cattle panel under it with some pavers stacked in the pallet. chain link is a popular choice as well. old fencing, and old gate, really anything similar and heavy. it will improve the soil and make it much smoother.

 

[KennyG]

Couple of hours fabrication on the land plane, couple of weeks for the lifting frame?

The lifting frame is made from the ribs of an old (very large) satellite dish. I was looking for a way to repurpose it without having to trash it. Took less time than the land plane, because it is aluminum and just bolted.

 

[jeff9366]

Couple of hours fabrication on the land plane, couple of weeks for the lifting frame?

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Wingfield ED3PT57 (TPH/Framed/Lift) --- CHAIN HARROW ---

Wingfield is a producer of tractor implements specializing in Chain Harrows. I have Wingfield's model ED3PT57 "Econodrag" framed Chain Harrow. ED3PT57 is 67" operating width. Outside to outside width of my R4/industrial tires is 62". Width is just right for my use, which is trail grooming...

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[JethroB]

get a load of compost, spread out in small piles as best you can with whatever implement you have and run a harrow over it at all different angles. do this for a few seasons in a row in the spring.

Or use sand. That’s what athletic fields use for low spots. Just add gradually so it doesn’t kill any established grass. Six acres is a lot to deal with though.

 

[rademamj1]

These are ruts a tractor pulling a finish mower will not notice, but a zeroturn will definitely observe such minor terrain issues. From my experience working one summer during college on a golf course, the best landscape solution is to bring in several truck loads of clean sand, and dump it nearby the job site. Don't let these dumping trucks create ruts in your project area. Using a lightweight subcompact tractor and FEL, distribute the sand around your project area in piles. Then grab a heavy gauge welded wire sheet cut to 5' x 10' and tow/drag it through the sand piles repeatedly around your project area until everything is fully smoothed out. This could take many hours effort. The sand will fill in the ruts and smooth out your field. Spread grass seed and drag it into your sand and start watering, and be very careful to avoid any equipment on that field when its wet. Two months later, you should have a smooth and green lawn for first mowing. Later you can repeat sand distribution and dragging if your looking for a putting green type surface. But six acres will take maybe six truckloads in total. You decide when it's smooth enough.

 

[Snobdds]

When I worked at the golf course at age 16, we would plug aerate every fall. Then we would have around 15 loads of sand dumped around the course. We would mix in a 50 pound bag of grass seed per load. We had a dump spreader that we would fill up and drive the fairways and tee boxes letting out a thin layer of sand. Then we have a golf cart with a piece of heavy carpet to drag afterwords. It made for a very smooth course.

This is something that must be done each year and it takes a few years for the sand to build up enough to compact solid and smooth. Do it in the fall so it can bed in and it won't sandblast your blades. After this sanding, the mechanics put on old rotary turn blades so the new ones would not get all pockmarked.

 

[dodge man]

My yard is very rough and I went around and filled in the low spots with top soil. It’s better but not much. Part of the problem is I share my yard with the moles.

 

[Jchonline]

Mow the lawn around the house with your lawnmower.

Mow the fields with farm equipment.

Bruce

Pretty much sums up my thoughts. Father has 2 acres around the house and 150 of pasture. I would never be caught on the ZT in the pasture...and it really isnt that bumpy on the field tractor. Not sure you will ever get it where you want it, but if you are committed do 1 acre at a time. The farmer’s mistake was telling you he could get it smooth. It was smooth enough for his tractor but dont guess he had been on a ZT.

Sand sounds like a good idea, but it is going to take a lot of attention to get it how you want.

 

[CalG]

Roll the turf each spring for the smooth surface you desire. THERE IS A REASON THAT ROLLERS ARE MADE AND USED>
(and yes, I am yelling on the internet!)

 

[sixdogs]

It could be the ground is smooth but the grass is not. Grasses are two types, spreading and clumping. With the spreading types, holes in the grass "canopy", that naturally develop, usually get filled in over the winter or next spring as the roots spread. One plant fills in around it and spreads to make more plants. Think fescues.

There are also clumping grass varieties like tall turf fescue that are one seed means one plant and no spreading. If the grass dies out around it, it won't fill in. The lawn will slowly fill in if blended with some spreading fescues. Also, tall turf fescues are hard to start when planted and need extra time in the fall to develop and survive the winter.


Last year in Ohio was a fall drought when your seed was likely planted and winter was tough so if tall turf seed did not get an early start (pre Sept 10th) and a pleasant fall (it didn't), it was damaged over the winter. Check your seed and see if it's tall turf fescue and advise. If it is, and since tall turf fescue is the rage these days, my guess is the seed was tall turf fescue, got a late start from the drought and then the cold winter damaged some of the grass that did start. The lawn isn't established enough to rebound this fast so there are holes and bumps when you mow.

For my own lawn, the dirt is smooth as can be but this year I have lots of holes in the grass cover from the dry summer/fall and mowing is as rough as you describe. I just grin and bear it till it recovers.


Edit--Grass benefits from fertilizer in the fall after things are dormant. In Ohio, that's just before it snows and in the early to mid November frame. Grass roots develop over winter and in early spring. A high nitrogen one like 32-4-10 works well at 250 lbs per acre if you are experienced and 150/acre if not.. No spring fertilizer until around May when the initial burst of growth is over. That's something like a 21-2-10 or similar. A smooth lawn is dependent on fertilizer and fall is most important.


Here are pics from my yard today showing the pockets of no grass. Ground is flat as can be but grass isn't.