Clumps of sod

[Hooked_on_HP]

I decided to redo my back yard, level it off and slope it the way I wanted it. It's about 1.5 acres. It also gave me a reason to buy a tiller. I tilled every thing last week and tilled it again yesterday. TodayI hooked up the landscape rake and started leveling. My problem is small clumps of sod about the size of tennis balls that wont break up. It makes it a pain in the @$$ to level off. Does anyone have a solution.

 

[Investorguy]

I had the same problem. Turned out my sod was too well-developed to till. Only fix for me was to plow, then till.

Might try getting or borrowing a nice little 2 bottom plow.

 

[Egon]

Give the sod a little time to dry and then try tilling again.

If the sod is in clay balls it could be interesting and turning them under, as previously mentioned, may be the easiest solution.

Egon

 

[AKfish]

I have "reinstalled" a number of lawns over the years. The last 3 yard "redo's" at my place were necessary after house remodels and the concrete trucks and dump trucks had basically wiped out large swaths of the lawn.

Egon suggestion to let the clumps dry out a bit and then retill is a good one. They should break up easier and the dirt should fall off the roots better making the old grass easier to reincorporate into the soil by tilling.

Setting your landscape rake to only skim the surface (1" or so) of the ground should help windrow up the clumps as well.

I have also used a home-make drag to skim off the clumps. I made it from a section of chain link fence material fastened to a couple of 2x6 at each end. I hooked a length of small chain to the front 2x6 and dragged it behind my ATV with a turnbuckle on the hitch. Worked good if dry but needed an old tire in the middle (extra weight) if the ground was a little wet. I also used a couple of masonary blocks (either on the front or rear 2x6) at times to keep the fence down when the clumps started piling up.

Ya hafta rake and haul off the windrow clumps by hand, though.. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

If I was to do this again would I be better off killing the grass fiirst with something like roundup. If so how long would it take for the roots to die.
Thanks for the help.
Bill