Landscaping with a tractor?

[Raul-02]

I have a fairly heavy tractor over 4000 pounds without attachments.
Attachments I possess: Tuffline heavy single Ripper, Howard 60" select-a-tilth, two bottom 16" plow, FEL, heavy 6 tine cultivator, Worksaver snow pusher w/ rubber edges, HLA grapple.

I have springs and low spots where the springs make the most trouble. This is in the 3-acre lawn part of the property, there are more springs in my other 3 acres of woods and swamp out back, but the state EPA won't let me touch them. YAY AMERICAN FREEDOM~!!!
The swamping is so bad that I often have to drag my lawnmower out of the muck, then abandon that part of the yard till drier times.

My land slopes downhill away from the house into the back and down into the woods. So there's that. I am at 700 Feet above sealevel

Mind you I've tried ripping. It doesn't seem to help.

I have dirt, lots and lots of dirt. The town was doing sidewalks and I told the contractor that I'd take his dirt. He was happy.
The soil down a foot or so has lots of clay it tends to clog drainage. Twice I've put a dump truck of rock and perf pipe in the same run and didn't know enough to use a sock and both times the clay blocked it up. I dug that trench by hand. Heavy forged bar, pickaxe, and shovel. That clay is tough

But things got worse.
More springs erupted with climate change. Last some odd years, we have been getting a different weather pattern than before in living memory. It rains and rains and rains in the spring then we get what metrologists are calling Rain Bombs too regularly for the land to dry up. It sort of does dry up in the high summer but never quite

This is where I run into a decision.
Do I dig and install drainage pipe gravel and sock it?
Or should I try using all that dirt to raise the land where I have swamping taking place?

If I dig I'll use the tiller and ripper and FEL to get a nice deep trench.
Or I can just build a screen sifting my free dirt and carry it over to the low spots?

Have you dealt with this? Know anyone who has?

 

[jfsawatzky]

Have you considered a mole plow? Basically a subsoiler/ ripper that drags a ‘torpedo’. The torpedo creates a channel that aids drainage. Not very common in North America but something to consider.

Mole Plow... yes you read that right

OK... All you Kiwi, Aussie, and Brit folk... Why is it that you (your country) tend to use a 'mole plow/plough' rather than lay drainage tile? And... how does it work? For you 'other' worlders... I need to drain some pasture areas, and had basically decided I needed to buck up and put in...

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[Raul-02]

Have you considered a mole plow?

I am wanting to stick with the tools at hand.
But I just went looking at these things. I don't see that it'd be any more effective than my honkin' big subsoiler. Ostensibly it makes a little burrow in the soil which I'd counter would fill in almost as soon as water hits the tunnel. The subsoiler rips up earth making t for a more robust cut and removing soil from the ground
Which also tends to fill in.

 

[Raul-02]

Basically a subsoiler/ ripper that drags a ‘torpedo’.

It is not out of the question that I could put a honkin 3 or 4 or even 6" torpedo on a chain behind my ripper. But would it really make the difference?
And another thing:
Where do you position the depth of cut? Below or inside the clay layer

 

[oldnslo]

Can you make a drainage ditch or what farmers call a water way to channel the water vs trying drain tile? This provides a place for heavy rains to go and don’t plug as easily as drain tile.

 

[Raul-02]

Can you make a drainage ditch

I have a 50-yard one. It was the reason I hand-dug the aforementioned ditch in the first place. It's b rutally ugly and a PITA to mow around. With the water table as it is these days I'd need a spider web of them.

 

[mikester]

You asked the EPA for permission? Isn't it easier to get forgiveness than permission?

 

[m1garand762]

I have a fairly heavy tractor over 4000 pounds without attachments.
Attachments I possess: Tuffline heavy single Ripper, Howard 60" select-a-tilth, two bottom 16" plow, FEL, heavy 6 tine cultivator, Worksaver snow pusher w/ rubber edges, HLA grapple.

I have springs and low spots where the springs make the most trouble. This is in the 3-acre lawn part of the property, there are more springs in my other 3 acres of woods and swamp out back, but the state EPA won't let me touch them. YAY AMERICAN FREEDOM~!!!
The swamping is so bad that I often have to drag my lawnmower out of the muck, then abandon that part of the yard till drier times.

My land slopes downhill away from the house into the back and down into the woods. So there's that. I am at 700 Feet above sealevel

Mind you I've tried ripping. It doesn't seem to help.

I have dirt, lots and lots of dirt. The town was doing sidewalks and I told the contractor that I'd take his dirt. He was happy.
The soil down a foot or so has lots of clay it tends to clog drainage. Twice I've put a dump truck of rock and perf pipe in the same run and didn't know enough to use a sock and both times the clay blocked it up. I dug that trench by hand. Heavy forged bar, pickaxe, and shovel. That clay is tough

But things got worse.
More springs erupted with climate change. Last some odd years, we have been getting a different weather pattern than before in living memory. It rains and rains and rains in the spring then we get what metrologists are calling Rain Bombs too regularly for the land to dry up. It sort of does dry up in the high summer but never quite

This is where I run into a decision.
Do I dig and install drainage pipe gravel and sock it?
Or should I try using all that dirt to raise the land where I have swamping taking place?

If I dig I'll use the tiller and ripper and FEL to get a nice deep trench.
Or I can just build a screen sifting my free dirt and carry it over to the low spots?

Have you dealt with this? Know anyone who has?

I would plow it up let it dry and hit it with the tiller since you do not have a disk. The once it’s all nice and fluff drag it with som railroad ties and chain link fence. Dragging it will level out the area and get you ready for seed prep. Also keep your eyes on Craigslist for a box scraper and cut some swales to assist in drainage

 

[Raul-02]

You asked the EPA for permission? Isn't it easier to get forgiveness than permission?

good question
In New Jersey The State EPA trespasses.
They send engineers to survey your land (without asking you) and if they find a droplet of water they map it and then forbid you from so much as having a dream about improving the land within 350 feet of the drop of water.
Then they have more engineers who fly around in helicopters over your land to see if you are violating the law that they never told you about.
Then they send more engineers to trespass again to see if you did it in a surreptitious way.
If you did then you can (a) have your property seized by the state and they will drain it and put up a parking lot or (b) pay an enormous fine and have to pay someone else to undo what you did, or (c) I think there are executions in secret.

Almost no one knows about these things.

 

[Raul-02]

I think I will try subsoiling first I am going to make a mess but I'll see.

 

[marhar]

I have a 50-yard one. It was the reason I hand-dug the aforementioned ditch in the first place. It's b rutally ugly and a PITA to mow around. With the water table as it is these days I'd need a spider web of them.

The old timers here would create a blind ditch (It will not support equipment). They would create a trench, cut pines, and other trees, throw the limbs in the trench and cover the trench with the logs from the trees. Kinda interesting method to use a century ago.

 

[marhar]

I have a fairly heavy tractor over 4000 pounds without attachments.
Attachments I possess: Tuffline heavy single Ripper, Howard 60" select-a-tilth, two bottom 16" plow, FEL, heavy 6 tine cultivator, Worksaver snow pusher w/ rubber edges, HLA grapple.

I have springs and low spots where the springs make the most trouble. This is in the 3-acre lawn part of the property, there are more springs in my other 3 acres of woods and swamp out back, but the state EPA won't let me touch them. YAY AMERICAN FREEDOM~!!!
The swamping is so bad that I often have to drag my lawnmower out of the muck, then abandon that part of the yard till drier times.

My land slopes downhill away from the house into the back and down into the woods. So there's that. I am at 700 Feet above sealevel

Mind you I've tried ripping. It doesn't seem to help.

I have dirt, lots and lots of dirt. The town was doing sidewalks and I told the contractor that I'd take his dirt. He was happy.
The soil down a foot or so has lots of clay it tends to clog drainage. Twice I've put a dump truck of rock and perf pipe in the same run and didn't know enough to use a sock and both times the clay blocked it up. I dug that trench by hand. Heavy forged bar, pickaxe, and shovel. That clay is tough

But things got worse.
More springs erupted with climate change. Last some odd years, we have been getting a different weather pattern than before in living memory. It rains and rains and rains in the spring then we get what metrologists are calling Rain Bombs too regularly for the land to dry up. It sort of does dry up in the high summer but never quite

This is where I run into a decision.
Do I dig and install drainage pipe gravel and sock it?
Or should I try using all that dirt to raise the land where I have swamping taking place?

If I dig I'll use the tiller and ripper and FEL to get a nice deep trench.
Or I can just build a screen sifting my free dirt and carry it over to the low spots?

Have you dealt with this? Know anyone who has?

Take a look at this; it is call GEO cell. I have seen it used to create a parking lot on a grassed area. While this will not eliminate the water it will give a solid base that will keep you form the muck.

 

[Tony H]

Can you just make swales
to steer the water? A ditch will prevent you from mowing or driving over but a wide swale will narrow down your wet area. French drains would be a second thought. Don't mess with piping, just deep trench filled back to grade with round rock.

 

[beenthere]

I have a fairly heavy tractor over 4000 pounds without attachments.
Attachments I possess: Tuffline heavy single Ripper, Howard 60" select-a-tilth, two bottom 16" plow, FEL, heavy 6 tine cultivator, Worksaver snow pusher w/ rubber edges, HLA grapple.

I have springs and low spots where the springs make the most trouble. This is in the 3-acre lawn part of the property, there are more springs in my other 3 acres of woods and swamp out back, but the state EPA won't let me touch them. YAY AMERICAN FREEDOM~!!!
The swamping is so bad that I often have to drag my lawnmower out of the muck, then abandon that part of the yard till drier times.

My land slopes downhill away from the house into the back and down into the woods. So there's that. I am at 700 Feet above sealevel

Mind you I've tried ripping. It doesn't seem to help.

I have dirt, lots and lots of dirt. The town was doing sidewalks and I told the contractor that I'd take his dirt. He was happy.
The soil down a foot or so has lots of clay it tends to clog drainage. Twice I've put a dump truck of rock and perf pipe in the same run and didn't know enough to use a sock and both times the clay blocked it up. I dug that trench by hand. Heavy forged bar, pickaxe, and shovel. That clay is tough

But things got worse.
More springs erupted with climate change. Last some odd years, we have been getting a different weather pattern than before in living memory. It rains and rains and rains in the spring then we get what metrologists are calling Rain Bombs too regularly for the land to dry up. It sort of does dry up in the high summer but never quite

This is where I run into a decision.
Do I dig and install drainage pipe gravel and sock it?
Or should I try using all that dirt to raise the land where I have swamping taking place?

If I dig I'll use the tiller and ripper and FEL to get a nice deep trench.
Or I can just build a screen sifting my free dirt and carry it over to the low spots?

Have you dealt with this? Know anyone who has?

I'd dig in tile, and do it after dark if necessary. Old fashion 4" clay tile that are about a foot long can be laid easily without much fanfare (i.e. dirt turned over) and work well (at least did for me back in the 60's. With a laser level, you could put the slope in easily (especially at night if you have to do this under the cover of night time).

 

[dirttoys]

Clay is a hoot, put it on grade to drain to the woods or whatever is down hill. Fill low spots and nature should do the rest.

Where I have needed water to go in an unnatural direction, wide shallow water ways have been much better than drain tiles.

Worst case, trench to day light filled with 3 inch clean gravel.

Sometimes we do have to fight nature, but, it is always easier if you don't.

Best,

ed

 

[Emainiac]

Do I dig and install drainage pipe gravel and sock it?
Or should I try using all that dirt to raise the land where I have swamping taking place?

Sounds like you're already low enough.

I'd opt to bring in a layer of dirt, lay pitched, perforated pipe with a membrane over it (to keep holes clear) and cover it with dirt.

 

[Raul-02]

I'd opt to bring in a layer of dirt,

that'd be a lof of dirt dirt, might be a bit spendy

 

[Emainiac]

that'd be a lof of dirt dirt, might be a bit spendy

The OP says he has dirt, lots of dirt...

 

[Raul-02]

he OP says he has dirt, lots of dirt...

I don't think I have that much to cover 2 acres with drainage laid underneath

 

[Surshot]

Before you get yourself invited to a picnic behind bars, you best know the statutes and the rules about equipment in designated wetlands, state and federal. Both outfits have a gun and badge arm and they will het you.
Driving a wheeled vehicle across wetlands is dredging.
You do not get to repair, they hire one of their listed contractors to return the property to “as before” you just get the bill and the prison sentence.
Your usable land and designated wetlands are very different.
You can check the county wetlands maps on the Property Appraiser’s web site.