New Lawn on 3 acres in Central Ohio with Compact Tractor

[fried1765]

Need to know more where you live. Ohio has multiple climates. In most all places, you will likely regret a spring lawn because it will take you years to try to get it right. You could do it if you were more experienced and had black dirt to work with, the right equipment, knew how to use it, had experience with it and the right seed blend. Odds are bad on a good day. With no dozer grading, you will be double-dog in trouble and spend more than it would cost to hire it out.

Grading with a dozer is more than just flattening; it's adding accent to a landscape and making sure water goes the right way. A good dozer guy can make a house in a low spot look like a house on a slight hill. Make the view and landscape look like it "belongs" and accent the lines of the house. Esoteric things. Like the difference between quality and poor quality brickwork on a house.

An alternative is to plant cereal grain rye in the spring. It's green, cheap, will grow anywhere and can be mowed a few times before it dries out. Keep seed 5 ft away from buildings or corners, mow it, spray kill what's left in July and then get to work on the lawn. You better let it settle or you'll spend 10 years filling sinkholes.

You are heading down a path I've seen lots of times, and was regretted in almost every instance, but are driven by the same inner compass. I won't do a spring lawn and often have people talk to prior victims if they need to. Ohio looks like a dry and hot spring and summer--see below-- and not a good combo. Good luck. :dog:

Here's the far-out weather forecast.
Climate Prediction Center - Seasonal Color Maps

^^^^^^The ONLY advice to follow!

 

[ruffdog]

Harley rake....start the video 5 min in:

Harley 72" Power Box Rake, PTO Driven, 3-Point Hitch - YouTube

 

[Tonyinohio]

Thanks. This was very close to the plan we were thinking. After the till, we planned to broadcast seed at 1/2 rate, drag one direction, broadcast seed the second 1/2 rate, drag opposite direction, and be done. We were going to roll in, but there was advice to not roll or pack the clay. Thoughts?

I wouldn't drag. If you half rate in 2 directions consider sliceseeding @ 90 degrees to each other. Broadcast the fert afterwards.