Smoothing a an Old Orchard Site

[EdwardB]

I recently acquired 50 acres of abandoned cherry and apple orchard that has had the trees removed. The south field is part flat, but has some rolling hills on it. The north field is much flatter overall but also has some hills.

Years of driving the tractor\discing between the rows by the previous owner and the subsequent removal of the trees has created ridges (and some root ball craters) where the trees were; and flat travel paths between. The elevation change is as much as 2'+ in spots between the ridge and the flat. I am trying to figure out the best way to flatten the fields in keeping with the natural contours. In other words, smooth out the ridges.

I have attached photos of a 1 acre test area that I was trying to level. Not much success. I rototilled it several times in different directions. It filled in the holes but didn't help the ridges much. It isn't level but I went ahead and planted it because the sweet corn needed to go in.

My next test area (still in progress) is to aggressively disc it several in several directions and then lightly rototill.

I am afraid that I simply don't have the right equipment (or big enough equipment); and \or the right approach to do the job.

Suggestions?

 

[nybirdman]

Box blade or a land plane should flatten you out.

 

[brasco426]

^^^x2

 

[flusher]

Use your disc and put it at its most aggressive setting. Chain a drag to the disc to bust up the clods. Could use old tires and rims chained together. Or a piece of chain link fence with some weight added. Or a spike harrow.

Good luck

 

[woodlandfarms]

Are you doing 50 acres? IMO you could do it with a boxblade, or a shovel, both would take the same amount of time. If it were me I would get with a neighbor farmer and hire him and his gear out.. Disk it across and then the other direction. that wil also break up any remaining roots. then you can us a chain link or harrow and drag it or just let it settle.

(most) anything you can do with a big tractor you can do with a small, the question is how much time do you have or money for diesel...

 

[jenkinsph]

I do a lot of this work and find the best way is to disc or rototill the tops of the mounds. Run right down the top of the row, no point in tilling everything in the low areas. Then use your box blade to drag the loose material on to the low spots. Repeat the process until the mounds are cut down even with the lower areas. You should load the box blade fully when you drive over the mounds and spread the entire box before you approach the next mound. Rinse and repeat. If and when the box blade fails to fully load with dirt when you cross the mounds it is time to till the mounds again.

By the time you get the fields done you will be an expert with the box blade and it will get easier to do.

 

[EdwardB]

Thanks for the tips. Would a farmer with a BIG disc be able to smooth it out? What about plowing the whole thing first?

 

[jenkinsph]

The cheapest way to do this is to remove the high spots and move them to the closest low spot. You want to move the dirt as little as possible. Once you have smoothed the field you can then till it to a uniform depth.

Once you have it close to where you want it a lpgs would be good for finishing.


A large disc can help with this but will have to make several passes.

 

[bcp]

I would never even consider a conventional box blade for 50 acres of ridges. I've spent many years working on flood-irrigated land that needed flattening for each crop change.

A common choice now is the laser-guided wheeled box blade. But the laser guide isn't needed if you aren't flood irrigating and just want to smooth the land.

Disc it first so you don't have to cut solid packed ground.

First choice would be something long, with a center blade.



Second choice would be a tongue-pulled wheeled scraper or box blade.



If I couldn't get those, I'd build a wooden or steel float like this.



Bruce

 

[MossRoad]

I'd think a disc would just break it up in place and not really move the dirt to either side. I'd want something to push the dirt on the ridges to one or both sides, which are lower. Like a grader, or dozer, or land plane.