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Preparation for new lawn

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johnmercer
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 7 New Wilmington, PA
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2003-11-30          69961

I'm in the process of building a new home on 5 acres which will be completed in May '04. I am currently researching the feasibility of buying a compact tractor and appropriate implements.

What I want to know is if I decide to buy the tractor and put the lawn in myself what process do I need to follow?

The house sits 200' from the road so I am interested in establishing, say about a 200 x 200 area in front of the house which will resemble a finished lawn. The property is located in a very rural area ( 200 acre farm across road, 83 acres next to me) so it doesnt have to be "putting green" quality or like a suburban lawn, just some consistent green grass void of a majority of weeds.

Immediately in front of the house of course will be any fill the home builder has left that he will hopefully rough grade. Beyond that to the road will be the current mix of grasses and weeds that have been brush hogged and mowed down close for the winter.

What I want to know is how to prepare this area for seeding. What implements should I consider buying for the tractor, backblade? tiller? And what process and in what order should I perform the tasks in order to establish the tasks.

I am considering buying a NH TC 29 or the new Farmall DX 29 if that helps. (with FEL) Is this a large enough tractor to do this work?

Also, is there any landscapers out there that could estimate what it would cost to put this size of a lawn in if I decided to contract a professional landscaper? I am trying to compare the cost vs the implement cost in order to justify their purchase.

Thanks to all that read and respond..... JOHN


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harvey
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 1550 Moravia, NY
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2003-11-30          69981

Do you have snow removal also? If so I'd buy the tractor with loader and a scraper blade wide enough to cover tracks.

I'd rough level with the loader, then pull or push dirt with scraper until better grade. Use bucket and pick all the big rocks. Use the scraper backwards to cuff or scuff off rough spots, pushing toward low spots, re pick rocks, seed mulch with hay form nearby farm. Sit back relax let grass grow and buy 3ph finish mower and start mowing. ....

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johnmercer
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 7 New Wilmington, PA
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2003-11-30          69987

Thanks harvey,

yes I will be plowing snow and probably alot of it as I live in western Pennsylvania.

How about the undisturbed part of the parcel that I want to plant, do I try to skim off the turf (weeds & wild grasses) with the front loader? Or use scraper? What type of scraper, box scraper? Back blade? ....

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harvey
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 1550 Moravia, NY
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2003-11-30          69990

John it already has grass growing. I'd mow it to 3-4" and overseed with the other mixtures you want. Then mow it and the regular grass will come.

You'll probably have to pick out big rocks. The frost has a way of pushing rocks up every year.

Sounds like my kind of a yard, no fuss. You may wanna get a soil ph taken and you'll proably need some lime to get it were grasses grow better then weeds. But there is no hurry to do that Mother Nature has been taking care of the land for a long time and it will be fine. ....

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Peters
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 3034 Northern AL
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2003-11-30          69992

You can do a lot of smoothing with the regular blade and FEL, but a box blade is much easier. I would suggest renting or borrowing one to smooth the area needed.
Other than that what Harvey said will work. I might see if you can fine wheat straw or rye straw to mulch as hay tends to bring its share of undesirable weeds and grasses. Left over seeds of wheat or rye will only bother you one season. ....

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bnrhuffman
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 107 Falling Waters WV
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2003-12-01          70029

Im going through this with my back yard for the second time. We built the house about 5 years ago and I did nothing besides rough grade to most of the back yard. Now Im having to tear it up and do it again. Im taking down the high spots and pulling up the rocks with a box blade and leveling, smoothing and removing rocks with a rock rake. Im new to tractoring so its taking some practice but everytime I get on the tractor, Im learning more and using it becomes more natural. Dont be cheap when it comes to bringing in top soil if you need it. Better to do it now than to not be happy with it and have to do it later, I know, I went cheap, now Im doing it all again. ....

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johnmercer
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 7 New Wilmington, PA
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2003-12-01          70073

How about the idea of overseeding the somewhat "established" grasses? is there some type of implement to attach to the tractor (ie broadcast spreader, etc) to make this easier? Otherwise what is the best way to do such a large area??

Thanks, JOHN ....

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harvey
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 1550 Moravia, NY
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2003-12-02          70077

John I rent a 3ph broadcast spreader for stoff like fertilizer. If you try that for lime it probably won't work usless you get some really dry lime delivered.

For grass seed I use a hand held broadcast spreader and have the wife follow me with seed and stuff in bucket. Does not take long to do thak way.

Lime I'd check with local ag store they have equipment ussually no charge and they will fill it with what you need and explain how to use. ....

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paburns
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 3 Westport Tn
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2003-12-27          72438

John
I recently build a house in the country with 2 acre yd. I used a tiller on a lot of it and it does a good job but is very slow in my clay soil with a few inches of topsoil at best. When it seemed I would never get finished my brotherin-in -law farmer across the road took over and in one day did more than I had done in two weeks. He ran a disc over it about three times--next came the box blade to level it up ---then used a cultipacker on it with scrachers extended about 2-3 inches. I then fertilizered and seeded. It still took a while to cover it with hay but that is optional in some areas depending on the time of year ect.
Bottom line--disc it good and throw the box blade to it. Much faster than tilling and does a better job.
This is just my own experience.
....

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harvey
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 1550 Moravia, NY
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2003-12-28          72442

paburns Now that sounds like my kind of a yard. I read to many posts that sound like its gotta be "putting green smooth" it order to be a good lawn. Sounds like you are gonna have a great yard that will take all kinds of abuse from kids to parking your car under the shade trees in the summer. ENJOY ....

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Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2003-12-28          72445

Lawns are tough to get so they stay level and you get good grass year after year. I used a tiller and a york rake over a big section of my back lawn but it gave me a lot of loose dirt that when settled in was not as level as I had hoped. I've had some chances to use a Harley rock rake before and skimmed the highs out of a four acre lawn about four years ago and was amazed as to how nice and level it stayed. We did use a drop seeder for fertilizer and a slit seeder after for grass seed and we had good results with the grass regrowth and today you would never know that it was done but it is sports field level. ....

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grinder
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 677 central Maine
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2003-12-30          72661

I am planning on using a disk harrow on my uneven spots this
spring.(when dry).I just picked up an old double gang 54"
for 100.00 bucks. I also have an old spring tooth that has
worked well for the 2 acs. I have done so far, the disk should work better for the first pass though. Then, spring tooth or aka leveling harrow. I went to the local gravel
pit and got an old 3/4 screen, I drag that around after the spring tooth,spread starter fert. seed and roll,hay and keep it wet until your sick of watering. My friend the landscaper swears by this method here in Maine. Water,Water
Water! My lawn looks great,fert. and lime,and roll, every spring.
If you live in farm country you should be able to find these old
tried and true implements fairly easy and cheap. The part
I like is there is nothing to break on them and if you have any topsoil at all you should not have to buy much loam.
Good luck!! ....

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grinder
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 677 central Maine
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2003-12-30          72717

Forgot one important step if you try this method, after seeding, use the BACK side of a metal leaf rake, and rake your seed in.
You need to get a little dirt on top of the seed to aid in
sprouting,then roll it. ....

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