keegs
Veteran Member
looks like a dog leg Dave...on which end will you be locating the green? 
Reclaiming a long-lost field
- Thread starter dave1949
- Start date
- Views: 36546
Some before and after dragging pics:
This area has nicer dirt, and deep enough that the dozer could leave it fluffed up. It levels pretty easily. To the left side is after one pass.
This not as nice dirt after one pass. The hump sticking up across the center of the pic is solid ledge with a little dirt sprinkled on it. :laughing:
This is reasonable dirt after one pass. You can see how the I-beam tends to bring stuff to the surface and build up clumps until the beam rolls over it. Pre-gathered.
The plan is to get over everywhere with at least one pass, then pick up the rocks, bigger chunks of wood, and rat's nests of small roots before making another pass with the I-beam. The dirt is dry and loose now, so it's a good opportunity to get it smoothed at much as possible.
This area has nicer dirt, and deep enough that the dozer could leave it fluffed up. It levels pretty easily. To the left side is after one pass.
This not as nice dirt after one pass. The hump sticking up across the center of the pic is solid ledge with a little dirt sprinkled on it. :laughing:
This is reasonable dirt after one pass. You can see how the I-beam tends to bring stuff to the surface and build up clumps until the beam rolls over it. Pre-gathered.
The plan is to get over everywhere with at least one pass, then pick up the rocks, bigger chunks of wood, and rat's nests of small roots before making another pass with the I-beam. The dirt is dry and loose now, so it's a good opportunity to get it smoothed at much as possible.
Last edited:
Larro Darro
Super Member
That is a serious beam Dave. It is doing a good job. {the links 2 posts up wouldn't work for me}
Larro
Larro
wmonroe
Elite Member
Looks good. You're making some nice progress.
scott_vt
Super Member
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2004
- Messages
- 7,748
- Location
- east wells,vt
- Tractor
- 1986 MF 1040, 1942 Farmall A, 1949 Farmall Super A
Good Morning Dave,
That I beam is doing a nice job !
Im thinking good thing that you have the weight of that back hoe for traction !
Now it comes down to how much bouncing around your body can take on that tractor out in the field in the hot sun ! I happen to know a little about that !
That I beam is doing a nice job !
Im thinking good thing that you have the weight of that back hoe for traction !
Now it comes down to how much bouncing around your body can take on that tractor out in the field in the hot sun !
I happen to know a little about that ! Good Morning Dave,
That I beam is doing a nice job !
Im thinking good thing that you have the weight of that back hoe for traction !
Now it comes down to how much bouncing around your body can take on that tractor out in the field in the hot sun !
Yep, the backhoe weight makes it a totally different tractor when I have it on. The rears are loaded, but for bucket work or traction the hoe still makes a big difference. IIRC the hoe weighs around 1700 lbs.
I mowed the yard this morning, greased and fueled the tractor, and after having some lunch I am going to go bounce and eat dust. There is a nice breeze today at least. Yesterday if I was going with the wind direction, the dust cloud was moving along with me.
rd_macgregor
Veteran Member
- Joined
- May 14, 2008
- Messages
- 1,875
- Location
- Prince Edward Island, Canada
- Tractor
- Kioti DK45SC, Kubota B2650
You took on a pretty big job, but the result is looking good. Even if you don't get it to the point of planting your final intended cover (pasture/hay?), you'd do well to seed some sort of cover (maybe annual rye?) to stabilize things over the winter and keep spring erosion to a minimum.
Bob
Bob
Thanks. That's a good point and erosion does concern me. I had good luck here with winter (cereal) rye the one time I used it in a small patch. It can be planted as late as early frost they say. That gives me about three weeks. That would be an ambitious schedule.
I could clean-up and seed the steeper areas ahead of the rest of it. The soil here is not very prone to erosion but I would expect some. There will be quite a bit of small roots laying around which will help.
The drawback is if it grows enough to be useful, it hides the rocks if don't get them all picked this year. Surely some rocks will appear next spring from the dirt settling, getting rinsed off with rain, and frost heave.
Time for an update since I probably won't get much more done this year. Need to catch up with some regular chores before the snow flies.
I have about 3 acres, maybe a bit less, yet to do out of the 12 acres. I averaged about 1/4 acre per day it seems. Some go areas faster, some slower of course. I'm sure I will need to cruise the areas that are done now next spring to grab a few rocks here and there.
This is from the entrance lane. Small stoned turn around area on the left.
The area to the left tends to collect water, the rocks are a bit of retaining wall and swale crossing (in progress) for the tractor & walking lane that will follow the edge of the field.
This is about 1/2 to 3/4 acre of area yet to do. That side of the field is very rocky with many bigger boulders near/at the surface. If I dig them all up, I would be in a pit. :laughing: Trying to find the level where not too many are above the surface.
I have about 3 acres, maybe a bit less, yet to do out of the 12 acres. I averaged about 1/4 acre per day it seems. Some go areas faster, some slower of course. I'm sure I will need to cruise the areas that are done now next spring to grab a few rocks here and there.
This is from the entrance lane. Small stoned turn around area on the left.
The area to the left tends to collect water, the rocks are a bit of retaining wall and swale crossing (in progress) for the tractor & walking lane that will follow the edge of the field.
This is about 1/2 to 3/4 acre of area yet to do. That side of the field is very rocky with many bigger boulders near/at the surface. If I dig them all up, I would be in a pit. :laughing: Trying to find the level where not too many are above the surface.
Last edited:
Another cleared area pic.
The green fuzz is Southern States Coop north horse pasture mix: orchardgrass, timothy, ryegrass, bluegrass, and a bit of ladino clover. For a quick test I broadcast a 50 lb bag along with some pelletized lime and high nitrogen fertilizer. Just had to see what would happen. Most of northern Maine set record low rainfall amounts for September. We are very dry but lucky to get some light rain last Saturday and Tuesday, enough to keep seedling grass going.
The green fuzz is Southern States Coop north horse pasture mix: orchardgrass, timothy, ryegrass, bluegrass, and a bit of ladino clover. For a quick test I broadcast a 50 lb bag along with some pelletized lime and high nitrogen fertilizer. Just had to see what would happen. Most of northern Maine set record low rainfall amounts for September. We are very dry but lucky to get some light rain last Saturday and Tuesday, enough to keep seedling grass going.
BlacknTan
Platinum Member
Nice!
Can't wait to see how things look next year!
Can't wait to see how things look next year!
Thanks. I'm looking forward to that too. It's pretty barren now. In a couple weeks from now when the trees are bare too, it's not going to be pretty until the snow hides it. A carpet of green will make a huge difference--proving that beauty really is only skin deep. :laughing:
I think a spike tooth harrow and a 3pt spreader are going to be the main tools I need at this point. I'd like to level it more but unfortunately the rolling dips and humps are due to the ledge being not far below. More digging begets more rocks, or bare ledge in places. Better to leave those sleeping dogs lie.
I think a spike tooth harrow and a 3pt spreader are going to be the main tools I need at this point. I'd like to level it more but unfortunately the rolling dips and humps are due to the ledge being not far below. More digging begets more rocks, or bare ledge in places. Better to leave those sleeping dogs lie.
PAGUY
Gold Member
dave - any chance for a pond being dug as a water source?
It sure would look nice and a draw for wildlife in the area.
Just dreaming of how it would add to the beauty of all that open space.
PAGUY
It sure would look nice and a draw for wildlife in the area.
Just dreaming of how it would add to the beauty of all that open space.
PAGUY
I don't think there is a place in the field that could make a pond that would always have water. That's probably one reason it was chosen for a field or pasture to begin with as it is one of the drier areas on our lot. I think it's drier because the ledge runs close to the surface under much of it. Digging would be impossible to chancy.
Water is a good wildlife anchor as you say; we have some water adjacent to the field.
Our 1/3 acre rain pond is about 100 feet from the entrance end of the field. There is a 20' deep by about 50' wide drainage gully that runs along the field's southwest side that always has some water moving through it plus a few small, shallow natural pools. The beaver bog/pond is about 75' from the far end of the field.
Even after a very dry six weeks the rain pond still has about 6' of water in the deep end and a trickle of water is moving through the gully. The beavers take care of their pond.
I could make a deeper small pond in the gully with a dam but that is good wildlife habitat as it is, that would be a shame to mess with.So, we have water around, but not the human scenic kind.
scott_vt
Super Member
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2004
- Messages
- 7,748
- Location
- east wells,vt
- Tractor
- 1986 MF 1040, 1942 Farmall A, 1949 Farmall Super A
Good Afternoon Dave,
Looks like you did one heck of a lot of work to get to this point !
Just think of all the fun you will have haying all that area !
Looks like you did one heck of a lot of work to get to this point !
Just think of all the fun you will have haying all that area !
Good Afternoon Dave,
Looks like you did one heck of a lot of work to get to this point !
Just think of all the fun you will have haying all that area !
Hi Scotty,
Ya, it was like having a job again.
Not so bad, I'm working on it at my own pace. Probably spend another 3-4 weeks next spring finishing up the rocks and roots. I needed to stop working on the field and do some tree and firewood stuff before winter gets here.Making hay is still a ways off, won't be next summer for sure. I've been trying to educate myself about hay by reading the Haying Forum section. Lots of good info and insight there.
Are you enjoying your addition? That was a lot of work too.
scott_vt
Super Member
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2004
- Messages
- 7,748
- Location
- east wells,vt
- Tractor
- 1986 MF 1040, 1942 Farmall A, 1949 Farmall Super A
Good Morning Dave,
Yes we really are enjoying it !
One thing we found out was that we really needed to put a door in to close off the up stairs bedroom with the wood stove going ! It got unbelievably warm up there without one ! So last weekend I used what V groove pine I still had laying around and built a simple door.
That soapstone stove really heats that addition quite well, actually that stove can pretty well heat the whole house ! Its very easy to fall asleep sitting next to that thing !
To keep this post legal, I am going to be very interested in how your project turns out next spring and summer !
BTW thanks for asking !
