Landscape help for my yard

ikline · Sep 8, 2004

I just did the exact same thing this year. I bought about 5 acres of a farmers field and built a house. Tried mowing and it was killing me. I borrowed my brother in laws 8' disc and went over it several times. I let it sit for about a week and did it again. (not sure I had too, but it was fun.) I then rented a rock rake and did the front yard. I was not really happy with the results so I borrowed a friends preseeder. The results are incredible. Very smooth. Now I just have to start killing the darn weeds. But more seat time is OK with me. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

gav64 · Sep 9, 2004

junkman,
I live in Bolton, I feel your pain!!!!!!

Egon · Sep 9, 2004

Think I'd do as Beenthere has advised with a tiller.

Spray it first to kill grass as this will make it easier to till. Lotsa tilling in different directions to help smooth it out.Pick rocks as you go and fill in obvious depressions or cut off bumps after the first tiller pass. Level as has been stated. Wait for several weeks till it all turns green. Till again, seed and harrow.

Add lime and fertilizer as required by soil conditions.

More work up front will make life easier in the future.

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

jeffw · Sep 9, 2004

I'd bush hog it down, then plow it up. You might need to disc it first if plow will not penetrate/turn soil over. Then I'd drag it with springtooh or harrow to smooth it down. Use a speed mover or boxblade if you need to move any amount of dirt. Let set for a couple of weeks then run over it again with springtooth/harrow to kill of new weeds emerging & then plant

ByronBob · Sep 9, 2004

Appreciate the comments. I can buy almost all the things listed here. I have a drag harrow and a tiller. But is the disc or the box blade the thing to start with first? Thats what I don't know. I can get a bottom plow I suppose

Whats a harley rake? Going to look into that

CTyler · Sep 9, 2004

( I still have a 6' diameter crater in the back yard from two rocks that were side by side. )

Sounds like you got a start on your pond /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

KiotiJohn · Sep 10, 2004

( Appreciate the comments. I can buy almost all the things listed here. I have a drag harrow and a tiller. But is the disc or the box blade the thing to start with first? Thats what I don't know. I can get a bottom plow I suppose)
As I posted earlier, if the ground is virgin, and may have a lot of roots, you'll need to break those roots out or your tiller or a disk will bounce up out of the ground on the roots. Therefore, buying the boxblade with rippers, cleaning out as many of the roots as you can first, would make the most sense to me. Some tillers WILL go through the roots, but my experience, limited, has been that the get tangled up in or bounce off of the roots. With a boxblade and tiller, you could do the work and not need to get disks. You would:
Rip the roots out, till, and then level with the boxblade. John