farm feild to lawn

[ALPS]

I've posted on this subject before, but it's been a while, and I have checked back in with this forum and read similar posts. But now I'm starting this project (finally!) so I thought I'd post again and get some more opinions and ideas.

I want to turn the 1 1/2 acres of old farm field next to my house into a lawn. I think it was used a a pasture in the past when this farm was operational, but that was many years ago. I've been brushhogging for the last two summers, and slowly removing trees. Well, today I got all the stumps removed so it's all cleared out and ready to go.

My plan was to get my father-in laws two-bottom plow and turn it all over. (It's far too rutted up and unevn to mow as is, though that has been suggested already.) After that , buy or borrow a set of discs, and disc it again and again for a few months -- I'm in NO rush at all -- to kill off any weeds that sprout up. Then drag it with an old chain link fence and eventually plant grass seed.

I have time, a Ford 901, a plow, soon some discs, and a desire for a nice, big lawn for my daughter to play in. Have I forgotten anything? Any thoughts or suggestion from anyone who has done this before? Thanks...

 

[beenthere]

Sounds like a good plan, but I would get it ready for seeding by the beginning of Sept. for a good take before winter.

 

[Slamfire]

A big lawn mower? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Gary_in_Geneva]

Now would be a good time to have the soil tested. You would be able to work the material in as you disk. It can make a big difference.

 

[Panache]

I would start with Round-up or generic. Some pasture grasses are made worse by plowing and discing.

 

[thcri]

As another poster said, get some roundup and kill everything off first. Then you could till it or disc it a few times to get it smoothed out. I am a big fan of seeding in the fall as you get rain, you don't have the high temperatures and your ground has a warmer temperature compared to the spring.

murph

 

[EddieWalker]

Sounds like you have a great plan. You've covered the basics, and the advice to test and amend the soil as you work it is very good also. My soil is high in acid, so a ton of lime is needed per acre. Your soil will have it's own requirments for the grass you plant.

Take some pictures,

Eddie

 

[ALPS]

First, thanks for the replies. I tried to post some pics, but had no luck. I'll try again this afternoon.

Not I big fan of round-up. I know it has it's place, but we try not to use any pesticides or herbicides around the house, yard or garden. I was hoping -- as was once suggested -- that discing for several weeks and keeping the soil "black" would kill off anything that would try to grow back.

Last week I met the guy whose grandfather built this house back in 1906. Maybe I'll look him up and find out what this field has been used for in the past 100 years. He is still in the area and passes by here almost daily. I'm guessing that it was pasture, and if you say what was sown in pastures may grow stronger with discing, maybe I should do a little research.

As for planting of the grass seed itself, is there an attachment that would be useful?

 

[Egon]

The roundup will kill the exsiting grass but the seeds from many years past are just waiting for cultivation to get a chance to sprout.

These latent seeds need time to sprout - cultivation - time to sprout - cultivation and so on. It's sorta a guess as to when its time to plant the seed you desire.

Egon

 

[PBinWA]

I just did two different one acre patches. I used Round-up on one and just "worked" the other one. I don't think the Round up made that much difference. I've sprayed areas with Round up and had the grass come back in a few months so I'm not sure it really "kills" off everything. It can only kill the stuff it touches. Dormant seeds and deep roots seem to still survive. It probably depends on what sort of grass and weeds are growing in the field.

If you have the time to keep turning the soil then you will do just as well as spraying the round-up.

Of course, I still love the chemicals. I will be using the 2-4D products to kill off the weeds that also grew in the new lawn. I just don't think the Round-up step was really necessary if you have the time to turn the soil. It's not cheap either.

My kids love rolling around on the new flat Perrenial RyeGrass lawn and I can mow it at full speed now. It used to be a slow bumpy ride to mow these areas.