How to get a pasture to bare dirt?

[EdGooding]

The old 8N Fords only had 24 HP and were designed by Henry specifically to pull 2 bottom plows all day long.

Absolutely! I plowed with a Dearborn 2-14 behind my '52 8N (23hp) for years. Used it behind my 33hp diesel MF tractor after that.

 

[Gord Baker]

I have an acre of field grass. Its also lumpy and bumpy. I want to get rid of the grass and smooth the field with a box scraper. Kill the grass, run a disc over the field, then the scraper box, or??

Or kill the grass then turn it under with a two bottom plow?

33HP

 

[Gord Baker]

Use a big tractor, 3 furrow 12" bottom plow and plow it deep if there are no rocks or roots. Disc it in both directions, Sideways and lengthways.
Then you have a choice of Spring Tooth or Harrow to further break it up. If you have a roller, now is the time. If you are planting grass on it, wait a few weeks and spray with RoundUp to kill new green stuff. Wait a couple more weeks then plant grass seed. Plant it twice as heavy as recommended. Some scatter straw or mulch over it, to help retain moisture and thwart birds as it germinates. Water it twice as often as you think it needs.
Good Luck.

 

[jeff9366]

Use a big tractor, 3 furrow 12" bottom plow and plow it deep if there are no rocks or roots. Disc it in both directions, Sideways and lengthways.
Then you have a choice of Spring Tooth or Harrow to further break it up. If you have a roller, now is the time. If you are planting grass on it, wait a few weeks and spray with RoundUp to kill new green stuff. Wait a couple more weeks then plant grass seed. Plant it twice as heavy as recommended. Some scatter straw or mulch over it, to help retain moisture and thwart birds as it germinates. Water it twice as often as you think it needs.
Good Luck.

The OP has one (1) acre.

 

[Gord Baker]

I know that. I suggested equipment to do what he wants done.

 

[FrancisC]

I would say as a few others have said. Herbicide, wait until it's dead, rototiller a few slow passes so you don't have clumps. Depends on soil type you have, time frame you want it done and how much money you want to spend tbh. Small rototiller will work fine on 33hp (more like 28hp on PTO) but that's only an acre so not a huge amount of work required. While there, get soil samples and top up fertilizer/lime for the type of grass you want to put on it. Alternatively, maybe just a power harrow to make the acre nice and smooth and live with the current type of grass and supplement the acre with the other seeds. Eventually it will take over. As I said, depends on time frame, soil, and how much you want to invest in it

 

[two_bit_score]

2,4D works well for me. Spray, basal bark or stump cut treatment.

 

[Fields_mj]

I'd probably bush hog it first. If you're tractor has a loader on it, use the loader to knock off the top of any really rough stuff (back drag over it). After that, mow it (short) for a month or two. That should give time for all of the seeds to germinate and get mowed off. The goal here is to minimize the amount of seed that you "plant" when you run a tiller over it. After a couple of months, hit it with glyphosate, then run a tiller over it 4 to 6 weeks later. If you are opposed to herbicide, just till it twice 4 to 6 weeks apart. No need to go very deep. The tiller is mainly going to level the ground and provide a prepped seed bed. After that, seed as directed.

When you start mowing the new grass, mow it as tall as you can. Heck, use the bush hog even. The goal is to let the grass grow tall enough to crowd out other weeds. This also helps retain moisture, allows the grass to establish a stronger root system, and allows the grass to seed itself more effectively.

 

[Jrasband]

Sucks to see how much people want to take the lazy idiot route and use poison. I have been cultivating and growing crops for going on a decade and not once have I used that nasty stuff.

 

[Vigo327]

I think it just depends on timeframe.. the faster you want it done the more aggressive you need to be. That might make sense if you’re trying to stay ahead of the fleeting early years of childrens lives. I definitely relate to that in my own life. I busted butt to get on a 5 acre property for my kids about to turn 2 and 5 now. Im taking a break because its summer in tx (heat advisory every day etc) but when cooler weather comes back around I’ll be right back on the job trying to remake areas for children’s fun and safety.