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Preparation for new lawn
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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Preparation for new lawn
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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Preparation for new lawn
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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Preparation for new lawn
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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Preparation for new lawn
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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Preparation for new lawn
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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Preparation for new lawn
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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Preparation for new lawn
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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Preparation for new lawn
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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Preparation for new lawn
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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