Failed attempt to smooth property, how to correct?

[herm0016]

get a load of compost, spread out in small piles as best you can with whatever implement you have and run a harrow over it at all different angles. do this for a few seasons in a row in the spring. my "harrow" is a strong pallet 6 ft x 3 ft with an old cattle panel under it with some pavers stacked in the pallet. chain link is a popular choice as well. old fencing, and old gate, really anything similar and heavy. it will improve the soil and make it much smoother.

 

[KennyG]

Couple of hours fabrication on the land plane, couple of weeks for the lifting frame?

The lifting frame is made from the ribs of an old (very large) satellite dish. I was looking for a way to repurpose it without having to trash it. Took less time than the land plane, because it is aluminum and just bolted.

 

[jeff9366]

Couple of hours fabrication on the land plane, couple of weeks for the lifting frame?

T-B-N ARCHIVE (2) TSC CountyLine / Tarter BOOM POLE as CHAIN HARROW LIFT

Wingfield ED3PT57 (TPH/Framed/Lift) --- CHAIN HARROW ---

Wingfield is a producer of tractor implements specializing in Chain Harrows. I have Wingfield's model ED3PT57 "Econodrag" framed Chain Harrow. ED3PT57 is 67" operating width. Outside to outside width of my R4/industrial tires is 62". Width is just right for my use, which is trail grooming...

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[JethroB]

get a load of compost, spread out in small piles as best you can with whatever implement you have and run a harrow over it at all different angles. do this for a few seasons in a row in the spring.

Or use sand. That’s what athletic fields use for low spots. Just add gradually so it doesn’t kill any established grass. Six acres is a lot to deal with though.

 

[rademamj1]

These are ruts a tractor pulling a finish mower will not notice, but a zeroturn will definitely observe such minor terrain issues. From my experience working one summer during college on a golf course, the best landscape solution is to bring in several truck loads of clean sand, and dump it nearby the job site. Don't let these dumping trucks create ruts in your project area. Using a lightweight subcompact tractor and FEL, distribute the sand around your project area in piles. Then grab a heavy gauge welded wire sheet cut to 5' x 10' and tow/drag it through the sand piles repeatedly around your project area until everything is fully smoothed out. This could take many hours effort. The sand will fill in the ruts and smooth out your field. Spread grass seed and drag it into your sand and start watering, and be very careful to avoid any equipment on that field when its wet. Two months later, you should have a smooth and green lawn for first mowing. Later you can repeat sand distribution and dragging if your looking for a putting green type surface. But six acres will take maybe six truckloads in total. You decide when it's smooth enough.

 

[Snobdds]

When I worked at the golf course at age 16, we would plug aerate every fall. Then we would have around 15 loads of sand dumped around the course. We would mix in a 50 pound bag of grass seed per load. We had a dump spreader that we would fill up and drive the fairways and tee boxes letting out a thin layer of sand. Then we have a golf cart with a piece of heavy carpet to drag afterwords. It made for a very smooth course.

This is something that must be done each year and it takes a few years for the sand to build up enough to compact solid and smooth. Do it in the fall so it can bed in and it won't sandblast your blades. After this sanding, the mechanics put on old rotary turn blades so the new ones would not get all pockmarked.

 

[dodge man]

My yard is very rough and I went around and filled in the low spots with top soil. It’s better but not much. Part of the problem is I share my yard with the moles.

 

[Jchonline]

Mow the lawn around the house with your lawnmower.

Mow the fields with farm equipment.

Bruce

Pretty much sums up my thoughts. Father has 2 acres around the house and 150 of pasture. I would never be caught on the ZT in the pasture...and it really isnt that bumpy on the field tractor. Not sure you will ever get it where you want it, but if you are committed do 1 acre at a time. The farmer’s mistake was telling you he could get it smooth. It was smooth enough for his tractor but dont guess he had been on a ZT.

Sand sounds like a good idea, but it is going to take a lot of attention to get it how you want.

 

[CalG]

Roll the turf each spring for the smooth surface you desire. THERE IS A REASON THAT ROLLERS ARE MADE AND USED>
(and yes, I am yelling on the internet!)

 

[sixdogs]

It could be the ground is smooth but the grass is not. Grasses are two types, spreading and clumping. With the spreading types, holes in the grass "canopy", that naturally develop, usually get filled in over the winter or next spring as the roots spread. One plant fills in around it and spreads to make more plants. Think fescues.

There are also clumping grass varieties like tall turf fescue that are one seed means one plant and no spreading. If the grass dies out around it, it won't fill in. The lawn will slowly fill in if blended with some spreading fescues. Also, tall turf fescues are hard to start when planted and need extra time in the fall to develop and survive the winter.


Last year in Ohio was a fall drought when your seed was likely planted and winter was tough so if tall turf seed did not get an early start (pre Sept 10th) and a pleasant fall (it didn't), it was damaged over the winter. Check your seed and see if it's tall turf fescue and advise. If it is, and since tall turf fescue is the rage these days, my guess is the seed was tall turf fescue, got a late start from the drought and then the cold winter damaged some of the grass that did start. The lawn isn't established enough to rebound this fast so there are holes and bumps when you mow.

For my own lawn, the dirt is smooth as can be but this year I have lots of holes in the grass cover from the dry summer/fall and mowing is as rough as you describe. I just grin and bear it till it recovers.


Edit--Grass benefits from fertilizer in the fall after things are dormant. In Ohio, that's just before it snows and in the early to mid November frame. Grass roots develop over winter and in early spring. A high nitrogen one like 32-4-10 works well at 250 lbs per acre if you are experienced and 150/acre if not.. No spring fertilizer until around May when the initial burst of growth is over. That's something like a 21-2-10 or similar. A smooth lawn is dependent on fertilizer and fall is most important.


Here are pics from my yard today showing the pockets of no grass. Ground is flat as can be but grass isn't.