Failed attempt to smooth property, how to correct?

[airbiscuit]

Anything new to report?

 

[Dynasty]

Sorry for the delayed reply. The farmer that did the work came back to see the results at the end of May. I had him take my zero turn for a spin. After two passes, he hopped off and said it definitely should not be this rough. He thinks the freeze/thaw over the winter moved the soil around a lot. He recommened rolling when the property is damp. He said he may be able to get a big (8,500lbs 20 ft long) roller and roll in the fall. I have been looking for a roller of my own, but was wondering what the ideal weight should be? Is 1,000 lbs enough or do I need something that is closer to 2,000 lbs to make a noticeable difference?

 

[Rebeldad1]

field looks fine to me. mower is wrong though.

would use a tractor and flail mower

 

[CH4Ohio]

The big roller that the farmer is proposing is what you need. It unfolds using hydraulics and, because it's so long, will do a much better job than a 5' roller that you might pull around behind your mower. I'd definitely line him up so he can be watching the weather and get in there after a little bit of rain.

 

[JohnnyMX]

Yeah, 1000lb rollers, or standard pull behind, don't take ruts out. Takes good timing after some rain to remove more bumps than the tires put in.

 

[Dynasty]

Yes, the 15,000 lbs tractor he is using to roll might cause more harm than good...

I have been on the search for a 1,500 - 2,000 lbs roller I can hook up to a UTV and pull it with that so less chance of creating large ruts.

 

[airbiscuit]

It never got any better when the grass filled in and after repeated mowings?

 

[Jchonline]

CAT D8 and be done with it.

 

[denchen]

To me it seems the problem is that you want soil off the high bits and moving to the lower bits. A heavy flat roll to some extent would do this, but will compress the tops of the high bits and make them harder than the low bits that the roll does not touch. Perhaps a fine, large area, rigid harrow would actually move the soil and level it better than a roll, then when the soil is even all over, then get out the flat roll.

 

[shooterdon]

To me it seems the problem is that you want soil off the high bits and moving to the lower bits. A heavy flat roll to some extent would do this, but will compress the tops of the high bits and make them harder than the low bits that the roll does not touch. Perhaps a fine, large area, rigid harrow would actually move the soil and level it better than a roll, then when the soil is even all over, then get out the flat roll.

That is something to consider.

i have a half acre that is very bumpy and have been thinking about a drag harrow to groom it a bit. I do not need perfection. But having never used a harrow I am not sure if it would work well especially with the area having 80% grass already.

 

[denchen]

That is something to consider.

i have a half acre that is very bumpy and have been thinking about a drag harrow to groom it a bit. I do not need perfection. But having never used a harrow I am not sure if it would work well especially with the area having 80% grass already.

I'm not an expert, but I would think a rigid lightweight harrow that was big enough to go from one high point to the next, would move a little bit of soil every time it passes. A small one behind the mover, and eventually it might get slightly smoother every cut.

 

[airbiscuit]

TOPDRESSING = Light coating of sand or soil, then drag with angle iron or channel iron drag.

 

[KennyG]

With established grass, I think top dressing with soil and smoothing with something like a drag mat will probably work better than a harrow. I have a heavy roller which helps a little but not as much as filling and dragging.

 

[ktm250rider140]

Starting over with any type of soil disruption equipment would be a lot of work since you have a great start on the grass. Also, compacting with 1000+lbs of equipment isnt going to do the grass any good. Compaction prevents water from getting to the roots. If it were me, Id build or find a 4 x 8-10 foot wide drag. Can be built out of angle iron to pull behind your mower. Get a load of masonary sand and spread in small piles. Then use the drag to smooth the piles. You have to almost scalp the grass before hand and this must be done during the growing season. You might have to do a section a year with 6 acres.

 

[airbiscuit]

Here is a quick clip of the area being mowed. Some areas or worse than this and some areas are better than this.

Even when riding over the property in a Polaris Ranger UTV, rough areas can still be felt.

Here is your own video. What have you done to remedy this since you started this thread three months ago? Did you try a suspension seat? Have you tried any suggestions offered up on this thread? Did it get any better this summer as the grass filled in and with repeated mowings?

 

[Dynasty]

@airbiscuit

Yes, I purchased a suspension seat. It helps minimize the back pain, but it by no means is a miracle. It is a temporary fix. I also air down the machine's tires. Again, less tire pressure makes the ride a little softer, but it's a temporary fix.

I have been mowing less "lawn" this season simply because of the rough ride. In my opinion, the area has not been less rough with the grass, weeds, clovers growing in. Repeated mowings going in various directions has not seemed to improve much either. My neighbor has mowed areas and agrees it's not pleasant using a zero turn. Purchasing a large tractor with various attachments to try to get it solved is not financially possible at this time.

Filling in spots with topsoil/sand seems to be a good idea. It will take a lot of time, effort, and money to get all the acreage covered. This might be a multiple year task to accomplish.

I hope I didn't come across as unappreciative to anyone who contributed to this thread. I truly appreciate everyone's input. I will for sure pass the suggestions in this thread to the farmer and see what he things would provide the best outcome.

At this point, the option of having the farmer that did the work come out with his machinery and big roller seems to be what will happen, unless he has a different plan.

 

[airbiscuit]

I had a friend that did turf at a golf course. They put down a light top dressing of soil with a manure spreader - then dragged it smooth with a "flat" drag. I'm surprised it didn't improve over the summer. Unless it is "tufty" type grass, as it thickens up, grass is kind of self leveling.

Maybe he could spread some actual manure on there as fertilizer and a filler of sorts.

 

[Liquidsilver]

I think that field looks really good, considering how new it is.

I think you'll be chasing it for a few winter/summer cycles and the grass will have to get nice and established before it will feel smoother.

I had a field like that and with years of finish mowing, the clump grass finally gave way to nice turf. Now, if you want it golf course smooth, I'm guessing you'd have to top dress it like some have suggested. That's lots of time and money.

 

[rademamj1]

If it's really just a 1/2 acre your looking at to smooth, bring in 2 or 3 dump loads of clean sand, maybe a one load every 10 days, and spread with a tractor or and drag to level with a fast zero turn. Clean sand and repetitive drags will definitely smooth it out. You don't want to kill the grass, so after each load is dragged, water the turf to encourage growth.

Repeat as necessary, until your happy with the results. I do belive a few years ago, there were a few utube videos on this very method.