Smothing out a field....

[beenthere]

Disk, rent pulverizer to break up clods, drag flat with timber to smooth, sow grass seed, drag seed in, water.

I would say save the roller until after you get it smoothed out using a squared timber (I think that is what was meant by a 'log', as logs are round and not straight) to drag it flat. After the grass seed comes up as grass (we hope /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif ) then use the roller (after a year or two) in the early spring each year to pack the soil flat (being careful that packing doesn't harm the grass growth).

 

[BobReeves]

Hi Exeter,

We have similar interests except I fly Control Line models. This past spring I did exactly what you are about to do except mine is a circle. I have access to a tractor but do not have a tiller or disc. Hired a guy to come in and till the whole area with a tractor and 6 foot rototiller. I didn't mow or kill the existing field grass before the tilling and although it worked out I think it would have been less work if I had at least mowed first.

The tiller guy made two passes but even after that I still had quite a few grass clumps. After the tilling I leveled the larger rises and dips it as best I could with a box blade then made up a chain link fence drag and tried to drag it smooth. The left over grass clumps made it almost impossible for the drag to it's job because they would just ball up and the drag would jump up over the top. Out of frustration, went to Attwood's and bought an inexpensive landscape rake. This was just the ticket, the landscape rake pulled the clumps out but left the soil, I had a low spot just off the area I was working so I pulled all the clumps and what soil was sticking to them off into the low area.

After I had it as level and smooth as I could make it with the rake I went back to the drag for final leveling and smoothing. About an hour with a garden rake finished the areas I didn't do so well with on the tractor. Seeded it with Bermuda grass, hit it with the chain link fence drag to cover the grass seed then rolled it with a 4 foot lawn roller behind our garden tractor.

Due to the wetter than normal spring/early summer I didn't even have to water and in about a month I had a grass surface I can take off and land from with 1 3/4 inch wheels. The first few times I mowed it I hooked the roller behind the lawn tractor just for the heck of it. Not sure it did any good but I can tell you I have a very smooth and flat flying field.

 

[Panache]

I saw an article on how to make a backetball court. It used just the dirt already there and 1 bag of portland cement per sq yd tilled in about 6" deep. They said the advantage was after several years the court could be returned to sod by just tilling the whole thing back up. This might work better for the take-off and maintenance areas.

 

[have_blue]

I think it's unanimous that you mow it, disk it to a fine powder, drag it, and plant it. Invest in a fine, slow growing grass. It will pay you back big time. Bermudagrass var. Princess77 is the best, but won't grow in Mich. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif. Maybe bentgrass?

My field is round, 300' in diameter and slightly crowned. I'm still filling shallow puddles that appear after a rain, but it's almost table-top smooth. I have over 100' of "rough" around the edges that I just brush hog.

Do consider round. You can land into the wind no matter what direction its blowing, and it mows sooooooo fast!

Please keep us updated, and post PICTURES if you can! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[SPIKER]

I've had my plane for abotu 15 yrs, flying was great fun but after I got out of the military (USAF) i haven't done anymore than taxi it around a few times. there IS a club in the county but 15 miles away and I just never had time to continu my training. I have trainer 20 size with 2 controllers with buddie cord/trainer cord so one controls and other is a DUMMY which would be ME /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif but I did free fly for quite a while and had some good lessons. I would say that 1.5 acres is a bit small for RC flight if you ever want to get into anything bigger. trees and hills can cause an ECHO of the control signal and make things happen! I was at 2 places both with major fly clubs, Wichita KS @ McConnell AFB and @ Edwards AFB ca. while I never had the fly time @ whichita there was major compitision there. @ edwards we had the DRYLAKE bed as a landing field! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif fuel out no problem lol. though you had to watch the echo problem @ one location about 200 yds out to the north. the dish shape of the canyon walls caused sevier control problems there... also there were more than a FEW diviots in the lake bed from failed control error... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

One of the guys I flew with (a dirrect supervisor of mine) had probably 20 or so planes. he had a NEW BUILT one bite it bad on the maden voyage I think we crissened it HMS titanic after that! lol. it had a 7' wing span and was similar to a PIPER CUB. flew nicely to about 75' out & 25' up then did a 90 degree up to about 100 feet rolled and nosed into the ground! not much left... never found the problem as I know of but we didn't get the FAA involved lol on the FUN FLY weekends, there would be 500+ planes on the leke bed and waiting for fly time. some really impressive stuff too!! stop speed tests and everythign...

anyhow I wish you lots of FUN 7 LUCK I still have mine if you want to make an offer! I have about 1k invested... PM me if interested

Mark M

 

[exeter_acres]

Great stuff....

a few rolls are ok...just no big pot holes or dips....

and the acre and a half, is just my area.... I am surrounded by farms and open space... so the "up in the air" space is MUCH larger....

Well... guess I'll stop over at the tractor shop and see about a tractor with discs for a day....

Worst case if I don't like the results is I had a day driving a tractor around....and that ain't so bad! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[SLOBuds]

Does discing work in the summer when he ground is dry? Or do you simply end up with the discs not penetrating the ground?

 

[Egon]

Disking works if you have weight and the ability to pull.

Egon

 

[have_blue]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Disking works if you have weight and the ability to pull.

Egon )</font>

I'll just add that it takes more passes, but the disk is easy to pull on hard ground. Once the first 3 or 4" are broken through, the soil usually starts powdering up real good.