Advice on smoothing, leveling a field

[Number15]

Ok I took some more pictures to try and convey what I am dealing with. I have a very large section of land that just undulates like a sine wave. I don't know if it's from erosion or some other means.
I used a level and some blocks to try and give an ideal on how deep these are. It's basically 8-10 inches to the bottom of the level in these pictures and it is not even at the top. Some are 30 yards long, some go on for much longer. And it is like this for a very large area.

 

[jeff9366]

So we have about a 3 acre field that is currently a mixture of grass and weeds. It is was a tobacco field that still has ridges left in place from the previous owner. They are not terrible but bad enough we need to mow slow or it makes you sea-sick going over them.​

What is the best implement to smooth and even everything out?
Once done I will use a cultipacker to smooth and press the dirt then spread new grass seed.

Mow as short as possible: "scalp."

Few with Disc Harrows adjust them after putting them to use. If you first process the field two or three times (depending on the weight bearing on each of your disc pans) to loosen ridges, then adjust gang angles less aggressively in increments, the disc may meet your needs solo. Effective discing requires moist soil.

Shorter Top Link = more weight on front gangs.

More weight on front disc gangs throws dirt OUT. Use on ridges.


Longer Top Link = more weight on rear gangs.

More weight on rear/wider disc gangs gathers dirt in. Straddle the swales.

The faster you disc the more dirt is moved.

As the field is smoothed, adjust hydraulic Position Control so disc is in lighter contact with the soil.

Your last past should be a moderate speed, pans sunk 2" to 3" in soil, front gang adjusted moderately, rear gang adjusted less aggressively than front gang, but not "straight", weight distribution about equal between front and rear.

To prevent erosion you may need to disc your Tennessee River land in strips, then go over the process flattened strips with a cultipacker to firm soil and prevent erosion.

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Just got the tractor back from Kubota of Chattanooga. They set the tractor to its widest stance, 72", a gain of 8".

Another implement to consider is an 84" Harley Rake/Power Rake. Using a Harley Rake you would drive down one ridge, windrowing dirt into one swale, return on the same ridge, windrowing dirt into the opposite swale.
Harley Rake does NOT require brisk tractor speed to move dirt.

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Before you seed I highly recommend a <$10.00 soil test and soil amendment per test result(s). You need to inform testing agency what variety of grass you intend to plant for optimum amendment results. Without a soil test 20% to 33% of the fertilizer you apply may have "0" effect.

Review Post #7.​

 

[oosik]

Second set of pictures shows that it's not that bad. I would suggest a box blade. Use it to create more gentile slopes going into your depressions and to fill the little rivlets.

The picture with your white van. Sure hope you don't want to fill those undulations. The ones with yellow level - box blade will smooth that all out.

Hey - you moved out into the country. Did you expect to create a pool table out of your land.

 

[coobie]

3 point rotiller would smooth that out or this option followed up with disk.

 

[Number15]

Second set of pictures shows that it's not that bad. I would suggest a box blade. Use it to create more gentile slopes going into your depressions and to fill the little rivlets.

The picture with your white van. Sure hope you don't want to fill those undulations. The ones with yellow level - box blade will smooth that all out.

Hey - you moved out into the country. Did you expect to create a pool table out of your land.

Yep those are the ones I am talking about. I don't expect billiard table smooth, just want to be able to mow it easier. Otherwise it will gwt neglected and look like junk.

I do appreciate all the suggestions. I have a lot to think about including if I want to hire that pro.

I like the look of the power rake. Costly but looks like it can handle it. Really pondering this.

 

[airbiscuit]

You need to more precisely define what you mean and want for smooth and level. If you more easily want to mow what you havem then top dressing will make it smoother to mow, although you will still have the gentle dips and hollows.

If you want a golf course fairway, then you are back to square one, re tilling the soil. using a land leveler, and reseeding. No small or inexpensive task.

You need to more precisely define what you mean and want for smooth and level.

 

[airbiscuit]

Or this

 

[Number15]

You need to more precisely define what you mean and want for smooth and level. If you more easily want to mow what you havem then top dressing will make it smoother to mow, although you will still have the gentle dips and hollows.

If you want a golf course fairway, then you are back to square one, re tilling the soil. using a land leveler, and reseeding. No small or inexpensive task.

You need to more precisely define what you mean and want for smooth and level.

Gentle dips are fine, I am not looking for a golf course. Just want something easier to take care of. If the undulations were more gentle it would be fine. It's so hard to convey with pictures what this looks like and how bad it is.

 

[Egon]

Just cultivate the area with whatever implements you have. Follow up with a drag from multiple angles and then reseed.

Simply put; you need loose soil that you can move into a smooth profile.

 

[airbiscuit]

Number15, what do you think you will end up doing?​

Your grass looks too good to till and start over, yet you dread mowing it,​

Let the farmer roll it and see what happens?​

Till it it up and level and re-seed it?​

Top dress it?​

Or ,,,?​

​

Maybe the problem is mowing it with a zero turn. You have a 55hp CUT with a cab. Why not buy a batwing mower and call it a day?​

 

[airbiscuit]

 

[Number15]

Number15, what do you think you eill end up doing? Your grass looks too good to till uo and start over, yet you dread mowing it,​

Let the farmer roll it and see what happens?​

Tillit it up and leve and re seed it?​

Top dress it?​

Or ,,,?​

​

Maybe the problem is mowing it with a zero turn. Ypu have a 55hp CUT with a cab. Why not buy a batwing mower and call it a day?​

I mow that area with the tractor with a RC or flail. Not sure what I am going to do yet. Trying to absorb as much info as I can before I make a decision

 

[JerryG]

If you really want to level 60 acres or even a large portion of it it will be very expensive. It looks like given you said that one contractor wanted $2000 an hour your serious. I have done a lot of leveling over t he e years but this is to much for your tractor or even any light equipment. You need a contractor that does large areas such as building like poultry houses etc. They will have graders, bulldozers, scapers and road graders. They would use this equipment to get you where you want. Get you an estimate for such a contractor.

 

[jeff9366]

one contractor wanted $2000 an hour

$2,000 per day.

 

[shooterdon]

Wow, I did not realize you had to do 60 acres. And once you have it levelled you want to mow it regularly...That is a lot of seat time.

Maybe step back and think about what you want to do with that much land.

Back when I was a kid we had 240 acres. One parcel as a 100 acre farm we rented out and the other 140 acres was mostly woods with about 40-50 acres in fields. Our neighbor next to the 140 acres was a farmer and my dad let him use the land for crops. I think he charged the farmer $100 a year to use the land and the farmer did a great job.

But we had no use for the land except for hunting, so it was a win-win.

If you have no use for the land, spending a lot of money/time to make it look nice does not make a lot of sense. Maybe someone close by needs more acreage and can utilize it for crops.

 

[Number15]

Wow, I did not realize you had to do 60 acres. And once you have it levelled you want to mow it regularly...That is a lot of seat time.

Maybe step back and think about what you want to do with that much land.

Back when I was a kid we had 240 acres. One parcel as a 100 acre farm we rented out and the other 140 acres was mostly woods with about 40-50 acres in fields. Our neighbor next to the 140 acres was a farmer and my dad let him use the land for crops. I think he charged the farmer $100 a year to use the land and the farmer did a great job.

But we had no use for the land except for hunting, so it was a win-win.

If you have no use for the land, spending a lot of money/time to make it look nice does not make a lot of sense. Maybe someone close by needs more acreage and can utilize it for crops.

It's 60 but I am concentrating on the front~20 right now. Of that only the portion on 1 side has those ruts so its not like the whole 60 acres looks like that.

Also I agree about stepping back and thinking about it all. That is partly why this thread exists, so I am not making decisions in a vacuum.

 

[Cougsfan]

Leveling your 60 acres, even just 20 acres, on a 50 hp tractor seems like a pretty daunting chore no matter what implements you use. Particularly on steep ground. If the soil is heavy clay base, the chore will be even harder. The biggest thing you will need is a lot of patience.
Not trying to talk you out of it, but just suggesting it is not a few days or even few weeks job.

 

[Number15]

So I went to the co-op today (so funny to me that I say that)* and they pointed out something that should have be obvious to me. I need to see how deep my topsoil is. I might be in a situation where I can't really move to much of the topsoil and expect to grow grass. I will be digging some test holes today. I will also send a sample off as Jeff suggested.

Their opinion was to use a box blade or a land plane and a landscape rake providing I have enough top soil.

Leveling your 60 acres, even just 20 acres, on a 50 hp tractor seems like a pretty daunting chore no matter what implements you use. Particularly on steep ground. If the soil is heavy clay base, the chore will be even harder. The biggest thing you will need is a lot of patience.
Not trying to talk you out of it, but just suggesting it is not a few days or even few weeks job.

I have patience and time. I retired early and as of right now this property is one of my only jobs so to speak.

* I say that as a person who grew up in NYC. Growing up if you had asked me if one day I would own a tractor and belong to a co-op I would have looked at you like you had 3 heads

 

[TractorGuy]

I was working a patch today. Till, rake, drag,,,, till, rake, drag.

Tried tying my drag to my rake this morning. Worked pretty good. One more round of tilling and raking and it should be good enough.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I see a wiper in one pic and that means a cab maybe AC too. What is all the complaining about? Use this old Long 510, or this 58 Power Major and when you get back in your comfy climate control rig it won't seem quite so bad.