Turf Attachment Questions

[CompactTractorFan]

I have a couple attachment questions regarding turf/lawn care attachments:

#1 If you wanted to seed a new lawn wit h your tractor, what would you use?
I have seen these huge (and expensive) "Seed Drills" that can be used for primary seeding or overseeding: 2010 LAND PRIDE APS1572 Other For Sale At TractorHouse.com Can you use just a standard PTO broadcast spreader like this to seed a lawn or overseed? Land Pride Fertilizer Spreaders

#2 Does anyone make a 3-point hitch mounted dethatcher? I've searched and the only thing I've come up with is a "pine straw rake".

 

[MikeInEburg]

If this were a one time deal, for a standard residential lawn I'd use a hand-held broadcast seeder - I like the type with strap that goes over the neck. For $30 and the time it takes to walk the lawn, you'd be done.
Mike

 

[TraderMark]

Like Mike said, it depends on how much you're planning to do with it and what type grass you're planning on taking care of.

They do make powered de-thatchers, but most of them are for large acreage and are usually self propelled. Do a search for "verti-mow" or vertical mowers.

Here's one that is 3ph.

 

[Yandaddy1110]

How much area are you seeding depends on the equipment youll need for success.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

Thanks for the replies everyone. :thumbsup:

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

Are you talking about a power dethacher? If you are just looking for a pull behind madreferee built a good one. His plans ore one the forum some where. I used a lot of his ideas when I built mine.
Bill

 

[CompactTractorFan]

Are you talking about a power dethacher? If you are just looking for a pull behind madreferee built a good one. His plans ore one the forum some where. I used a lot of his ideas when I built mine.
Bill

Thanks. I was just looking for a large pull behind. I did come across those plans, but I was looking for a commercially available one.

 

[TO_Bud]

CTF I have a 5 acre homestead and went through this process for a brand new lawn in what used to be a corn field. After tilling and dragging the land to a nice seed bed I just used a walk behind broadcast spreader for the seed. Didn't take long and the lawn developed into a very nice cool season turf. Five years later the lawn was being invaded by bent grass (putting green stuff) and was looking poor with this grass growing all over in circular patches. The lawn care pro's told me birds probably brought the seed in. After checking out a lot of advice on eradicating the bent grass I decided to spray roundup on the largest sections and then cut the lawn very short, dethatch it agressively, then overseed with bluegrass.

So to answer your 3 pt dethach question you can use a 3 pt flail mower with slicing blades to do the same thing as those 20 inch models you can rent do. Flail mowers can be 5, 6 or 7+ feet wide. They will aggressively dethach the lawn while slitting the soil making it ready to accept seed. The job can be done with the 20" rental it just takes a long time to walk it. In my case the bent grass will be a continuing problem and I will need to repeat the procedure every 3 years of so, I just purchased a used JD 25A flail in pretty good condition for under $400.

 

[LHS Inc]

I have a couple attachment questions regarding turf/lawn care attachments:

#1 If you wanted to seed a new lawn wit h your tractor, what would you use?
I have seen these huge (and expensive) "Seed Drills" that can be used for primary seeding or overseeding: 2010 LAND PRIDE APS1572 Other For Sale At TractorHouse.com Can you use just a standard PTO broadcast spreader like this to seed a lawn or overseed? Land Pride Fertilizer Spreaders

#2 Does anyone make a 3-point hitch mounted dethatcher? I've searched and the only thing I've come up with is a "pine straw rake".

The first rule of seeding is good seed to soil contact. On existing lawns that need overseeding I've found the 3 pt. Woods STR-60 model does an excellent job. Frontier and Land Pride have the same identical units that work as well. They're all ground driven so there's no pto hp to worry about. As far as 3 pt hitch lift and the general operation they do fine behind my 37 hp JD 3520tractor.

If you have a tilled up level yard you can broadcast and cultipack or drag to get the seed planted. Do a soil test, lime and fert at time of planting. Fall is the number 1 time to plant cool season fescue grasses in the Mid Atlantic part of the country. I don't have much experience with warm season grasses but I would assume the best time to plant is in the Spring. I've never needed to dethatch so I don't have any advice on that. Good Luck.

 

[LHS Inc]

I have a couple attachment questions regarding turf/lawn care attachments:

#1 If you wanted to seed a new lawn wit h your tractor, what would you use?
I have seen these huge (and expensive) "Seed Drills" that can be used for primary seeding or overseeding: 2010 LAND PRIDE APS1572 Other For Sale At TractorHouse.com Can you use just a standard PTO broadcast spreader like this to seed a lawn or overseed? Land Pride Fertilizer Spreaders

#2 Does anyone make a 3-point hitch mounted dethatcher? I've searched and the only thing I've come up with is a "pine straw rake".

I just clicked on the website you had on the Land Pride. Its the type I have always used and it works great IMO. If you were to just broadcast the seed and not incorporate into the soil you're looking at a small % of seed germination. Its tempting to do because its so easy but don't count on it being very successful. From what I remember its like 30% germination and thats the high end in perfect conditions. Do it right the first time and you're done. Not trying to tell someone what to do but what I have done and know that it works. I'm just talking about Tall Fescue grass seed.

 

[LHS Inc]

I have a couple attachment questions regarding turf/lawn care attachments:

#1 If you wanted to seed a new lawn wit h your tractor, what would you use?
I have seen these huge (and expensive) "Seed Drills" that can be used for primary seeding or overseeding: 2010 LAND PRIDE APS1572 Other For Sale At TractorHouse.com Can you use just a standard PTO broadcast spreader like this to seed a lawn or overseed? Land Pride Fertilizer Spreaders

#2 Does anyone make a 3-point hitch mounted dethatcher? I've searched and the only thing I've come up with is a "pine straw rake".

As far as broadcast spreaders I do have the LandPride FS 1000 3 pt spreader. I've only used it one time on a 3.5 acre lawn but I was pleased with it. I got the bigger of the three models to handle large applications of fert and lime especially.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

Thanks for the info LHS.

 

[donn12]

I just did this with a JRCO dethatcher, box blade and a Herd M96 3pt spreader. I made several passes with the box blade (rippers only down) and the dethatcher to rip up as much soil as possible. You could also use a lesco push spreader for seed which is fine if you dont need the 3pt unit.
The JRCO has wheels to follow the ground contours, I am not sure how a 3pt unit would do.
Lime good seed and water are very important.

 

[Kays Supply]

Once you have a lawn, aeration is very important. I fought the overseeding job like discussed before. I finally started aerating yearly. The lawn accepts fertilizer better and the existing grass is doing great. It has done more for my lawn than anything else I have done.

 

[GreatWhitehunter]

Once you have a lawn, aeration is very important. I fought the overseeding job like discussed before. I finally started aerating yearly. The lawn accepts fertilizer better and the existing grass is doing great. It has done more for my lawn than anything else I have done.

Plug or core?


Matt

 

[LHS Inc]

Plug or core?


Matt

A core aerator pulls up a plug of soil about 3 inches long and lays it on top of the ground. This type of aerator is the best way to get results. There are some types of equipment that call themselves aerators but all they do is press a hole into the soil that actually causes more compaction. Don't waste your time with them.

 

[JeffinNE]

A core aerator pulls up a plug of soil about 3 inches long and lays it on top of the ground. This type of aerator is the best way to get results. There are some types of equipment that call themselves aerators but all they do is press a hole into the soil that actually causes more compaction. Don't waste your time with them.

Well said and VERY TRUE!

 

[jenkinsph]

A core aerator pulls up a plug of soil about 3 inches long and lays it on top of the ground. This type of aerator is the best way to get results. There are some types of equipment that call themselves aerators but all they do is press a hole into the soil that actually causes more compaction. Don't waste your time with them.

So do you recommend a core aerator for tall fescue? I ask because my dealer told me that a cre areator wasn't the way to go for tall fescue. I am having doubts about this and think I may need to aerate the ground.

My soil is sandy clay loam, seems to drain well enough but I think it is compacting too much.

 

[leonz]

If you can rent a motorised dethatcher that will help you greatly as you will be able to set it deep and destroy any invasive weeds like ground ivy or poison ivy.

The key to using a dethatcher is operating it at right angles when dethatching your lawn as it cuts slits in the turf from one end to the other and when you are done the dethatching job has deep lines cut into the sod at
90 degree angles over the entire lawn as this opens the sod and allows you to spread grass seed, Lawn Lime, Gypsum, and fertilizer if needed and none of it goes to waste on you as it washes or falls into the slits created by the overseeding/dethatching operation.

 

[LHS Inc]

So do you recommend a core aerator for tall fescue? I ask because my dealer told me that a cre areator wasn't the way to go for tall fescue. I am having doubts about this and think I may need to aerate the ground.

My soil is sandy clay loam, seems to drain well enough but I think it is compacting too much.

Yes, core aerating is done in tall fescue lawns all the time here in the Mid Atlantic states. The cores are big enough to get the compaction under control yet small enough to dry out/ break up as to not cause damage to the existing grass. Depending on how deep you can pull up a plug of soil, ideally 3 inches, and with a good aerator I would just go in one direction. If you go in two directions I would think about this being a good time to overseed as you have more plugs of soil on top of the ground giving you even better seed to soil contact.

I core aerated my tall fescue lawn this past fall and overseeded with great results. I wanted to aerate in two directions but the rented core aerator broke a weld on the hitch and I couldn't get in done but one direction.

What was the reason not to aerate in tall fescue? Its one tough grass and they have only gotten better over the last several years.