Help me narrow my landscape implement choices

[jayhaitch]

We're about 6 weeks away from possession on our house, 2.2 acres of former farmland growing flax, 2 years growing weeds The builder has brought in about 150 yards of clay fill, which was spread on top of the topsoil, unfortunately. So now I have to ammend the soil to get about 1.5 acres of lawn.

My plan:

1. Till the heck out everything to loosen clay and kill any weeds.
2. Final level the clay with: ?chain harrow?landscape rake? box blade first then chain harrow/landscape rake?
3. Spread local "landscape mix" (50% Topsoil25% Peat10% Manure10% Sandy Loam5% Garden Sand)
4. Smooth "landscape mix" with ?
5. Do I till this in first, or just leave it on top?
6. Spread starter fertilizer and grass seed.
7. Turn over the grass seed with ?
8. Water, and pray the deer and rabbits don't eat everything.

I bought a Massey GC2310, but haven't taken delivery yet, cat 1 3 point hitch. I'm a city boy turning country, so new to these things. I'll have about 200 ft of gravel driveway to maintain also.

Your opinions please!

Jay

 

[PineRidge]

My advice is to wait for fall. Summer is not a good time to plant grass seed.

If your land is fairly flat you may want to consider killing the weeds and over-seeding it's a lot less labor intensive.

 

[Slamfire]

Skip the tiller it'll turn clay into powder and the next rain hardens it like cement.

 

[FamilyFarm]

For less than 2 acres, I'd either spray to kill the weeds or spray to kill everything, depending on whether you want any of the current grass to live. From my experience, tilling it under looks nice when you do it, but not so nice when the weeds come back! Unless your weather in Canada permits grass seeding this time of year (here it would be almost impossible), you will need to wait until fall, or have sod brought in and that gets pretty expensive.
I would kill off the vegetation, then bring in good soil, seed it in the fall, water it, fertilize it (whatever is necessary to make it grow!), and enjoy a great lawn next year.

 

[jayhaitch]

I didn't mention that yes, I know I have to wait till the fall to actually seed. But I'll have enough prep work to do prior I thought I should order whatever attachments I need rather soon so I can start shortly after we move in.

Sod would be nice, but I'd rather have 1 not 2 mortgages!

So which is the best of the 3 point implements to level my land?

 

[rickmacheske]

Harley Rake...hands down.

http://www.harleyattachments.com/products_details.asp?Product_Id=792

 

[Dex]

Harley would be the ticket if you planto use it after you finnish with your land. They are expensive to buy to do one yard. If you can rent one then go for it. If not I would suggest to spray roundup to kill everything that is growing right now. Then till it under and box it level or to what ever you would like your grade to be. Then seed using a broadcast or implant seeder. If you broad cast seeder use a aerator to make sure that the seed does not just sit on the surface and have a chance to wash away. Spred some started fert. and they water, water, water, and then water some more.

 

[jeffinsgf]

I think a box blade would be at the top of your list. Personally, I prefer a landscape rake to a harrow for final grade. It would be quite handy to have one set of gauge wheels that would fit both your rake and your box blade. (I just tipped my hand on my next "build it yourself" project)

I would not incorporate your top soil mix into the clay. Grade out your clay with a box blade. Unless the weeds are very thick, I wouldn't worry about killing them or tilling either. The box blade will rip out just about everything. When you get the clay shaped the way you want, bring in your top soil mix and lay down about three inches. We have one poster who, if he sees this thread, will insist that you put in eight inches. If you have the budget for it, fine and dandy. Spread it as thick as you can afford. I would put in three and hit the yard with one of the clay buster products three or 4 times a year for the next 3 or 4 years.

Use a landscape rake to spread your topsoil mix. Roll it with the heaviest roller you can lay hands on and/or your tractor will pull. Now go back over it lightly with the rake to "fluff" it up. Sow your seeds and roll it again. Now top it with the cleanest wheat straw you can find.

Another alternative once you have the topsoil graded is to call in a pro with a hydro-seeder. Mulch, seed, and starter fertilizer all spread in perfect proportions, with no chance of weed seeds like you can get with straw. I would have gone that route last year, except I wanted zoysia and nobody around shoots it -- most don't even know it can be grown from seed.

Like Dex said --- water, water, water. The trick is to keep the seeds and the soil constantly moist, but never soggy. Set your sprinklers to run for a few minutes several times a day, rather than for a long time once or twice a day. After the first mowing, switch your water strategy to deep waterings less frequently, which will encourage deep root growth.

EDIT: Thought of one more thing re: "Fall" planting. Instead of just saying "wait for Fall" check out the characteristics of the seed you want to plant. Each species has an optimum soil temperature for germination, which should be available from the seed dealer. For most cool season grasses, that is fairly low and the tolerance of young seedlings to heat is not very good. But your days shorten up mighty quick in what someone from Missouri considers "Fall". Get your seed in just as soon as you can be sure it isn't going to burn up from the heat. Late August, maybe for Manitoba? Timing may be another reason to talk to a hydro-seeder. He'll know what's best for the local conditions.

 

[andrewj]

I think there is an old school of thought about growing grass which does not involve any of the fancy equipment mentioned. Some old timers around here take clay land, harrow if up several times, cultipacker to firm soil for upward wicking of moisture, seed (either cone spreader or grain drill) , cultipack again to press seed into soil. They use a harrow, seed spreader, and cultipacker. You can probably borrow those things from neighbors up there.

harrowing three different ways, vertical, horizontal, diagonal, levels the ground, fills in low spots, and creates a uniform surface. moisture from the earth can wick upward to soil, so rolling a cultipacker over the ground before seeding can press it down a little, and can also form v grooves for the seed to lay.

I hope I helped you a little. I bought 60 acres some time ago and spent a lot of money before I just listened to the old grass farmers around here. they have done it for aliving for generations without fancy equipment.

edit to add - also clay ground holds moisture better than any other type of earth. All Topsoil is .....clay...with biomass added to it.

 

[jayhaitch]

Thanks everyone!

I like the harrow/seeder/cultipacker idea. Nice and simple. But are these implements available in Cat 1?

The Massey dealer suggested a box blade should be my next purchase too, to level the ground and maintain the driveway later. I'll have to see what's available for rent around here. It's still a little awkward as I haven't taken delivery of the tractor yet.

The weather gets cold around beginning of October, so with Kentucky Blue Grass's 3 week germination, I'll need to seed the beginning of Sept. I'll use a popular mix here, KBG/creeping red fescue/ perennial ryegrass. Thanks for all the advice. I'll certainly post my experiences once I get some hours of tractor time.