Update on massive lawn project

[KeithInSpace]

Last fall, I bored everyone to tears with my worrying about the 300# of seed that I spread not growing fast enough. On the first day. I checked it every hour. Started sprouting after a week and came in nicely around Halloween.

For those who weren't here, I went through a major lawn rehab of about an acre. This included 60 CY of screened topsoil, 300# of seed 150% of which was very expensive shade mix), 300# of starter fertilizer, my BX2230, FEL, and Box Blade. When I was done, there wasn't a single blade of grass standing on my property. Some low areas I raised over 18 inches.

When I started, there was sickly sod on the "hill" around the house. This amounted to thin sod sitting on heavy red clay that didn't hold ANY water. The front yard under the trees was very patchy to non-existant...mostly dirt. I've attached a couple pictures of what that looked like in March 2006. The front slope near the road was even worse...all clumpy crabgrass on red clay...just awful looking.

Anyway, the pictures speak for themselves. The 'alley' on the left side of the yard (basically the whole are to the left of the front door off the hill) was entirely 'reclaimed' from the woods. I'm having a minor weed issue since I didn't put a pre-emergent down (just fertilizer to maximize density), but hopefully using Scott's Weed Control now and in the fall will get that under control.

It's an ongoing project, but a small example of what a few days work with a BX can accomplish!!!

Now if I can just get around to mulching...

 

[hazmat]

Looks great.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the shady sections may not look so good come fall as the trees leaf out. You may have to keep renewing the seed every couple years. Lawn likes sun (even the shade mixes) I forget the number but it needs some minimum hours of sunlight (4 hours?)

 

[asylum575]

Looks good Keith. I'm kinda doing the same thing. My house was 40 years old and the structure was a mess and the grounds were overgrown. I've dropped about 30 trees so far, alot of small ones. and still going. Planning on getting about an acre of lawn. It was very overwhelming at first. Like any project, I kept looking at it and putting it off. Since I'm close to getting the house done( all I have left is the back side siding and windows). I decided o start messing in the back. I've used my old craftsman lawn tractor with bagger to go out back and pick up the old leaves. So far, about 40 large recyleable lawn bags. I've been using the BX to spread some fill and remove stumps. I'll probably order about 20 yards of topsoil. What I did notice was, under the leaves was some very rich soil. Probably compost, so I'm looking for a landscape rake and boxblade to start scrapping and leveling.

Your property looks good. Did you do any irrigation? Lawns need sun and water.

 

[KeithInSpace]

Mr. Hazmat: I tend to scar my lawn up through use, other projects, dog pee, etc. and plan on overseeding each fall. I may put it off this year depending on what the weeds are doing, but in my other houses a well placed fall aeration, seeding, and fertilization has done absolute wonders both through the winter and with spring density. I could probably get by with 100# on my land on an overseed...50# shade and 50# regular. About $150.

Mr. Asylum575: The main thrust behind the project was to suit the installation of a 12 zone sprinkler system. I didn't want to install it then need to raise my sprinkler heads to suit my new elevations. So I nuked the yard, placed all the soil, graded everything out just perfect, then had the sprinkler guys come in and make a mess. I graded their work out again, seeded, fertilized, and watered the heck out of it...2 and 3 times a day for 5 or 6 weeks last fall.

Also, Mr. Asylum, my biggest mistake was not getting a Landscape Rake. It would have been much easier to prepare the yard with that instead of doing it by hand. $300 well spent, in my experience.

At this point, I haven't run the sprinkler except one time to "soak in" my first fertilizer application to minimize runoff. I've mowed my lawn 5 times now and none of my neighbors have touched theirs. I'm getting AMAZING cuttings...very dense and green...every week. Each of the 3 collector bags probably weigh a solid 40# when I dump them. And I used to only make 2 trips to the compost pile per cut...I'm taking 3 or 4 trips now, depending on if I let it grow 6 or 8 days before cutting.

It seems I've created a little work for myself!

 

[Tom_H]

Sweet!!

 

[Nasty135]

Shazzam!! Beautiful.... Turned out very nice...

 

[Chuckanut]

It seems I've created a little work for myself!

YES, YOU HAVE!! But it justifies having a tractor!!

 

[asylum575]

Thanks for the input Keith. It's great to discuss these projects and get ideas. You're prepping the earth, then setting up the sprinkers is a great idea. What better way to test the ability of your new irrigation systems then to seed and turn it on. I think I will do the same thing.
Landscape rake and boxblade are on my father's day list. My wife is out of work till September caring for our newborn, so funds are a little tight. So far the best price I've found is $400 each at TSC. I was hoping for a 10-15% coupon but no luck. If anyone knows of better pricing, let me know. I may have to just get the rake for now.

Keith, Nice work.

 

[KeithInSpace]

Not sure what types of projects you have going on, but generally speaking, I find the box blade more "necessary" than a landscape rake.

Put another way, a landscape rake would make the last hour or two of my projects easier, but I could not DO the project in the first place without a box blade. A box blade should be a required purchase with any small tractor...should come from the factory with one mounted. Just my thoughts, like I said...dunno what projects you have on the docket.

Going forward, my biggest need for a landscape rake is to clean up fall/spring litter and leaves that have compacted, and to spread compost and topsoil on the existing lawn without destroying the turf.

I purchased my 4' box blade for $300. It isn't the nicest one on the planet, but it has done the job. My dealership has a Woods model (or Bush Hog...don't recall) that has 4 scarifiers (mine has 3) and matches the OH SO PRETTY orange paint on my tractor. Wish I could justify it, but mine just won't break!

Not sure what other dealerships you could look at, but a $400 box blade or landscape rake sounds a little expensive.

 

[StrangeRanger]

Wow, your work looks awesome!! Nice job!

I'm about to start a similar project. But I don't have trees and moss to fight, I've got rocks, rocks and then some more rocks. Up here in Vermont rocks seem to go at it faster than bunnies.

If you don't mind sharing, I'd be curious to know what 60 CY of screened topsoil goes for down there? I've been considering it, but I'm doing a larger area and budget funds are tight.

Thanks,

 

[mcnitt]

Beautiful job! What a great looking lawn, and a beautiful home, too! What's that you are building off to the right of the house?

 

[KeithInSpace]

Screened topsoil goes for ~$12 a CY, plus $50 delivery per load. The larger trucks can handle 15 CY. Premium compost goes for ~$15 a CY.

I was VERY lucky in that I do commercial Civil Engineering and have a bunch of contacts on the construction side of things. Through one contact, I got as much screened topsoil as I wanted for FREE. Then another friend said he'd have his guy truck it for me on a slow day for FREE.

The dirt guy was being compensated through another deal, so the dirt was truly free to me. Of course I couldn't use my other friend's diesel, so I slipped him $250 in a sealed Thank You card and ran away before he could open it and give the money back. I'll let folks do me favors, but I won't USE them.

So I was very fortunate in this case. 60 CY really wasn't enough. I could use another 15, but when I get my new trailer (today or tomorrow, I hope...thread in Trailers section of TBN), I'll get it in 2 or 3 CY batches and avoid the delivery fees.

You can get regular (unscreened) topsoil off of most commercial job sites for free. It will probably have some junk in it, but it's better than nothing on a tight budget. They usually have to pay money to get rid of it and if you are near the site and they're trucking it off anyway, you may get them to drop it in your yard for free. Like I said, not premium stuff, but if you want "DIRT", it may be worth a look.

 

[KeithInSpace]

What's that you are building off to the right of the house?

On the right off the end of the driveway is my deer-proof garden. It is a 2 x 2 frame with triangulated members...very stout...with 6 x 6 timbers stacked 2 high and pinned to create a 16' x 8' enclosure for my wife to plant her veggies. The frame is wrapped with "deer net"...think 1/2" x 1/2" chicken wire, but made out of thin, flexible plastic instead. It has been up for over a year and has turned out to be very durable. For entry, I have a standard screen door with hydraulics (so it doesn't clap in a breeze when in use) and barrel hasp.

Inside the timbers has been dug out about 2 feet with clay junk replaced with a wonderful mix of sand, compost, topsoil, and peat moss.

Another project on the docket is to get a water line and electricity run to this area so I don't have an above-ground hose and my wife has light at night (with the kids, sometimes that's all we have is 9:30 PM to do something outside).

All I need is a ripper tooth...

 

[asylum575]

Keith,
I thought this was worthy of a bump up to the top.

I spent the weekend ripping stumps and spreading 18 yards of fill that I got for free. It's a little rocky, put I guess the price was right. Now that I'm into my lawn project, which is similar in size to yours Keith, I realize I probably won't need as much top soil as you did. I may be able to get away with 30-40 yards. Prices up here a little higher. Screened topsoil is about $30 CY.
The sprinkler system is a must, I'll probably get a couple of estimates this week. I told my wife not to expect a lawn this season, as I have some house work left(siding, windows and deck). Siding and windows are almost done, so I'm hoping to be full force on the lawn by July or so. I work alone, so I work slow.

Hey, almost forgot, Your property looks great.

 

[KeithInSpace]

Thank you so very much.

As I said, I had several areas where I invested a significant amount of soil. There were some low areas where they graded around some existing trees that I subsequently removed that came up over 18" and, therefore, required a very significant amount of soil to fix...one big area in the back and two in the front to better tie my "house bump" into the rest of the front yard.

Without those low areas, I would have used closer to the figure you're talking about...30 CY or a few spoonfuls more..

Really excited for your project. It is very pleasing once you're done. And when you get the sprinkler, you will be SOOOOO happy. It was so frustrating to do any type of lawn work and just see it get burned up by the sun. Impossible to water that amount of real estate without help.

 

[asylum575]

Just had a tree guy come down. Hiring out dropping 8 big trees, all over 50feet and 7 are within 50 feet of the house. If you do the math, you'll see why I contracted that out. Once their down and me clearing the smaller trees to the rear of the property, I should have a nice lawn area with a perimeter of trees. I used this company before to drop a row of pines in front of the house. It was 13 pines about 30-40ft each. $1800 with stumps ground down. This job I got him down to the same price, they are much bigger and trikier to drop. Wondering how much off I could get if he leaves the stumps and I rip them with the BX. Not too worried about the pines stumps, but something tells me that hickory stump will be some work. It's got to be 60feet and about 2ft at the base.
You know, we all get on Lee Brown about his multiple Kubotas, but I find myself in need of more than one. The BX24 is busy moving fill and pulling stumps. My pickup is RWD and will get stuck if I try to bring my chipper out back. Removing the BH on the BX to move the chipper seems like a waste, because once I'm back there I'll need the BH for stumps. What to do? What to do?
Either I trade my truck for a 4WD or get another BX. I don't think my Craftsman could move the chipper. It's RWD anway. What are your thoughts.

 

[KeithInSpace]

1) Hiring out dropping 8 big trees, all over 50feet and 7 are within 50 feet of the house. If you do the math, you'll see why I contracted that out.

2) Wondering how much off I could get if he leaves the stumps and I rip them with the BX. Not too worried about the pines stumps, but something tells me that hickory stump will be some work.

3) It's got to be 60feet and about 2ft at the base.

4) ...I'll need the BH for stumps. What to do? What to do?
Either I trade my truck for a 4WD or get another BX.

Responding in classic Lee Brown style...seems fitting...

1) I always contract out anything...especially trees...that has any risk of doing any damage to anything worth anything.

2) I don't pull my stumps as a matter of cost...I just HATE planting a tree and CONSTANTLY dealing with the stump and dense nearby roots. Even if you get it ground, you still have a soft spot that will be a constant problem until the end of time unless it is in a mulch bed. My parents recently had a pear tree stump ground. Guess what? I'm heading to their place in 3 weeks, tractor in tow, to remove the leftovers. In their case, it was a complete waste of money.

3) That's a hum-dinger. Weight will definitely be an issue with that bad boy. I've done them 18" at the base and you really have to get a lot of dirt knocked off to be able to pick it up. Worst case is that you drag it out and put it on the Back 9 until you rent a roll-off dumpster for some other reason and dump it then. I love getting those for heavy yard litter that I could not dump otherwise...most landfills don't take stumps. I just get a good collection then rent one of those for $250 and get rid of them all at once.

4) Long answer:

My brother gave me an "ATV Utility Vehicle"...one of those side-by-side ATV jobs with the roll cage and the baby dump truck bed. Never in a million years would I have been "permitted" to spend $6K to $10k on one of these, but this one was a "Yerf-Dog" (chinese) off of his job site. Runs like a top. Anyway, I just finished rehabilitating my wife's garden with peat moss and compost. To make room for the 1CY of peat moss, I removed 2 CY of soil (to get it deep) and re-built everything layer-by-layer. I used the ATV thing as a soil truck...filled the back with the dirt using the BH and trucked it to a site across the yard. Did the entire project and didn't have a single spoon of soil hit the ground...worked perfect.

My POS Utility Vehicle has receivers front and rear for hitch balls. I use it regularly to tow my trailer around.

I'll tell you how useful it is: My wife is now pretty serious about getting me a new (nice) one. She really likes the John Deere Gator Traditional. It runs under $7k for the second version up (13 HP, 4 wheel disc brakes, 2WD with lockable rear diff). The Kubota RTV900 is GREAT, but just too much "machine" for my needs. VERY heavy. But it is heavier duty, also...a 4WD...and diesel...a real plus.

My answer to your "multiple tractor" question? I have this ATV thing and it really fills a gap left by my tractor. It isn't redundant, but is very useful. And FUN...these things do a solid 20 MPH, have 4 wheel suspensions and disc brakes. If you go for the sporty (but less useful) models, they can hit 60 MPH if you can believe it. I'm for utility. Electric dumping bed, big ball in the back and I'm cooking with gas. I even use mine to pick up the mail, talk to my neighbors, whatever. When I don't feel good, I even use it to take the dogs out. Just drive around while they're on the grass. The ULTIMATE in laziness.

That's my thought.

 

[asylum575]

I agree with 1,2and 3. Just too risky and hard. I'm even having him drop a spruce that's only about 30 ft(normally I would do it, but it's probably about 20ft from the house and leaning that way. I've done too much work at this house to screw up.
The fellow also gave me a pretty good price on screened topsoil. $22CY. I'll see what I need after I'm done spreading my free fill and see what the boxblade produces.
I think I mentioned before,we're running on one income since my wife stayed home with our newborn. It's not permanent, only until September. She's a schoolteacher and the loss of income hurts. Up here(suburb of NYC) It's pretty much double income families. Cost of living is tough in these parts. Anyway, the lawn project will go slow. I figure to have the property ready my late summer and when she goes back to work, I'll use that "discretionary" income to hire the sprinkler system out. Thought of doing it myself, but I'll leave that to the pro. Then by late Sep. or early Oct I hope to seed and sprinkle. Seems like I'm about a year behind you Keith. I guess I'll be freaking out around Halloween looking for my grass to grow.

 

[Charlesaf3]

a thought on weeds - if you mow regularly at 3" you'll eventually kill them off without poison. Do you really want to poison where you live and grow veggies?

A 3" lawn is a lot healthier too. Americans have a tendency to really overstress our lawns for no good reason.

 

[KeithInSpace]

a thought on weeds - if you mow regularly at 3"...

Concur. I spread the weed and feet pre-veggie and it did a good job of knocking them back. I already mow well over 2". Haven't measured.

Thing is that the kids like to play in the yard. I hear you on over-stressing it, but for some reason, so many more critters live in taller grass. Then when it's time to mow, it is then 4" or 4.5" tall. I could almost lose my 2 year old in that!

I may take it up one more notch (I mow at 3.5 on my dial, so I guess I only have one notch left without artificially jacking up the deck...) this next mow to see what she looks like. Thanks for the thought! Hate weeds.