Field Smoothing

[SPYDERLK]

Got rocks? My wife fills the holes with rocks if theyre not too big.
larry

 

[Ken45101]

Got rocks? My wife fills the holes with rocks if theyre not too big.
larry

In areas with freeze/thaw cyles, the rocks will come back! That's why certain areas "grow" rocks as a reliable (persistent) crop You can pick them all up one year and they will grow back by the next year.

Ken

 

[rd_macgregor]

I went out this weekend and looked at my field again. Since most of the trees were spruces, the divots I need to repair aren't very deep (no tap root). I think my best solution would be a 5' or 6' rotary tiller and just till each divot, then drag flat and pack and re-seed. This way I wouln't have to tear up the whole field.
Of course, now I have to track down an affordable tiller...
BOB

 

[MMagis]

So, why not just fill them? I'm positive a load of dirt is cheaper than a tiller.

 

[sweettractors]

I went out this weekend and looked at my field again. Since most of the trees were spruces, the divots I need to repair aren't very deep (no tap root). I think my best solution would be a 5' or 6' rotary tiller and just till each divot, then drag flat and pack and re-seed. This way I wouln't have to tear up the whole field.
Of course, now I have to track down an affordable tiller...
BOB

WE have the "Tarter" 60 inch geardrive for $1595 picked up in Ky or shipping can be figured with your zip. Ken Sweet

 

[Reg]

I went out this weekend and looked at my field again. Since most of the trees were spruces, the divots I need to repair aren't very deep (no tap root). I think my best solution would be a 5' or 6' rotary tiller and just till each divot, then drag flat and pack and re-seed. This way I wouln't have to tear up the whole field.
Of course, now I have to track down an affordable tiller...
BOB

If you have a tooth bar on your loader bucket you can almost certainly scratch across the holes in back dragging mode a few times and turn the holes into shallow depressions.
If you don't have a tooth bar a) One would be a good investment b) you could probably do this with the bucket edge anyway.
Just drag, pack, roll the tractor wheels across a few times, move onto the next one.

BTW, with a tiller you will probably do most of this anyway, just to get rid of the dip and mound that a tiller makes with every pass.
They do move soil, to the rear with a forward rotation tiller, you have to drag that back and pack it down if you don't want the horses to find furrows.
OTOH, if you WANT a tiller anyway... you have a "justification" to show your SWMBO
(-:

 

[bjr]

Without actually seeing the problem, here's my suggestion. Get a landscapping rake and just keep crisscrossing the hole till it's filled in. Those rakes can be had for $4-500. I've down some considerable leveling with mine. Just be patient and you'll be surprised at how level things get. bjr

 

[clemsonfor]

Forget the tiller. If you have a disk harrow use it then back drag it with the bucket. If you have a boxblad you can use the rippers like a plow and then drag to smooth. I would only do this in the areas with the holes not the entire 3 acres. Or like mentioned, i would get an 18ton or so load of SAND. Reason for sand is that it will not get muddy when wet and should still allow grass to grow as , according to you the holes are not deep so the roots will still be in the good soil that will be underneath the sand. This sand will be able to be moved with the FEL. I would tell the truck to dump the load in the center of the field and carry it to the spots with the fel and then smooth the rest of the pile out or leave it for fill later. Horses will not run over a dirt pile but will fall in a small hole.

 

[rd_macgregor]

Thanks for the additional suggestions. I do have a toothbar on my bucket, so (if it ever stops raining here) I'll try the simplest thing first. Unfortunately, this field is beyond a 17 year-old wooden bridge of questionable structural trustworthiness. I'm trying to track down a used "flat rack" shipping container to replace the bridge. So far my tractor weight seems OK, but a dump truck load of sand might be pushing it a bit (I don't need a steel and diesel reinforced sand dam at the crossing!).
Reg, you've uncovered my real motive in deciding on a tiller!
I live in far eastern Canada (PEI) and it is really frustrating to see how much it adds to the price of goods to get them here from wherever they are available...usually the US (but thanks for offering, Ken).

BOB

 

[sweettractors]

Bob, fill those holes real good. If Mamas horse gets injured, you may be in the doghouse for a long time. My horse customers are passionate about their horses and women sometimes even more so. Ken Sweet