WHICH ATTACHMENTS TO FINISH A MEADOW?

[inveresk]

I've recently moved into a new, 11 acre farm and have a couple acres of meadow that are as rough as a badger's ar**, with bumps and hollows all over the place. The meadow falls towards the ocean from the forest with about a 10-15 degree pitch and a trench has been cut across it diagonally to conduct rainwater runoff away from a dilpidated heritage cottage. I'd like to do away with the trench (it prevents me from keeping horses in the meadow) and install a large circuit drain around the cottage instead, once I restore it which will probably be next year. The soil is heavy clay and there are a number of fruit trees to work around. There are some boulders that are going to be brought to the surface too, judging by the few I've dug up pulling stump. I have a Kubota L3130HST which I was toying with trying to use to plough the field but have pretty much decided the machine would labour under the task so I should contract out the task of ripping the meadow up to a neighbouring farmer with a big MF and a four bottom plough. I intended to leave the field turned over during the winter, allow the frost to break it up and the sods to rot down then try to finish it myself in the spring. I've never prepared or finished a meadow before and I'm not sure what the right attachments would be for the job. I've been reading the posts and archives vigorously for some time but wanted to ask for advice before I get quotations for the implements I'll probably need.

My Kubota has a 723FEL and a BH90 backhoe. In addition, I thought I'd need a harrow of some description but am not sure if I should go for a toothed harrow or a disc harrow. If disc, what is the difference between offset and the other types and what are the benefits/disadvantages of each? At the end of the day, I want the meadow to be reasonably smooth, with the bumps and hollows at least gently rolling and to sow grass or more likely a wildflower meadow which I can cut once or twice a year. Do I need a box scraper or a landscape rake and what would they be specifically good for? On mowers, I'll have a couple acres under lawn at the end of the day and the wildfower meadow to mow as well. Could the same mower do both and if so, what type of mower would be best? I might just invest in a single or double bottom plough in any case, and, possibly a chisel point plough for breaking roots. In heavy clay, would the 3130 be man enough to pull a two bottom?

Thanks for any help the forum can offer with this.

 

[Egon]

inveresk:

Good idea to get a bigger tractor for the original plowing and leaving the sod lay to break down the root system.

From the distant past after the sod was turned we used a [ we called tiller ] disk plough to work up the sod , then a shovel toothed cultivator and finally diamond harrows to smooth and level in preparation for planting.

For your situation have you considered a rototiller. This implement combined with a harrow should allow you work up the turned sod. Chances are it would be the quickest.

It would also allow you to cultivate small future plots that may provide quail food or ??.

Rocks present a problem. There are mechanical rock pickers that would work well for you but are expensive. With your acreage you may be able do do this with a strong back and tractor bucket.

Large rocks and tree roots sound like backhoe work.

Leveling the rough areas may require you to move soil around with the bucket and then reworking. You can also make a heavy drag that is pulled at an angle and will act like a grader blade to help level and smooth. This would be done after you have moved larger quanities of soil with the bucket .

[ note- there are also pull type attachments that allow you load and carry dirt. These are used where irrigation and water flow is critical]

Your tractor shoulds pull two 14 in. bottoms.

If you decide on a disc I would suggest a width to cover the wheel track and the largest diameter notched discs that will fit if you plan on using it for serious ground turning. If it is used as a comination disc - harrow you could go wider with smaller diameter disks.

Have you given any thought on seeding or fertilizing?

Chances are a rear mount finish mower would be a good choice. Easy on and off with more height adjustment for heavy grass.

The combination of equipment is always a hard choice. In your case with a one time type senario it becomes even harder.

For me - I would choose
heavyduty rotatiller
three sections of diamond harrow [ These also work well for breaking up manure]
make a heavy drag for leveling
a three point rotary type seed /fertilizer dispenser
rear mount finish mower

Egon

 

[inveresk]

Thanks for the reply, Egon, which is really helpful. Can I ask a couple questions and make some comments. I hadn't considered a rototiller, mainly because if there are a lot of rocks, I thought passive equipment (i.e. not driven by the PTO) might be less liable to damage. Is this a valid concern? However, if the contractor pulls most of the rocks up, a rototiller is an option. Apart from the damage issue, I thought drag type equipment would save some money but it might be false economics if the job isn't done right or takes a lot longer.

I'll try to grade and level using the FEL but if this doesn't work too well, try to fashion some sort of angled grader as you suggest. I suppose even a heavy roughly squared log might work.

For seeding I was thinking of a paddle type hand spreader but, you're right, I need to give some thought to manure/fertilizer spreading as well.

I'll have a chat with my local dealer and see if I can rent some of this stuff, try it out then buy what proves effective and that I know I'll need on a long term basis.

Thanks for the input, Egon. These are helpful suggestions.

 

[Egon]

The rock issue is one that is hard to advise on. My rotatiller has seen many rocks on the [ about 10 ] acres I've been trying to revitalize. After the initial ploughing you should be okay. I am working a slate/granite based drumlin. My major crop is rocks.

It's just that the rotatiller can do all the jobs that take three or more implements of the passive variety.

A log or some such item was what I was thinking of as a drag.

All those rocks you dig up could be used to build a Black House that could be rented to tourist's for extravagant sums! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Really wish I could help more but!!

A rotatiller is very ineficient for large areas. Small areas is where it shines. The definition of large or small can be liberally interpeted.

When " She who must be Obeyed '" goes on a landscaping foray it's the right machine combined with the loader and backhoe.

Really wish I could help more but!!

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[inveresk]

That's good enough. There are some of those implements in the local Buy, Sell and Trade, out today, going pretty cheap so I'll go view a few and see what I can pick up.

I'm enjoying the learning process and the mistakes I'm making aren't frustrating me too much. I'm really glad of the help from the forum.

George