Best way to level a field?

[Lance Leitzel]

I have a really rough field beyond the front yard of my house. It currently just has some sort of ground cover fescue and random bits of weeds in it. The downside is that I have to bushhog it once a month to keep it looking like someone lives in the house. The field hasn't been used for any farming for years and is quite uneven. I'm afraid it will mess up my cub, so I bushhog it with a framed tractor, but have to go pretty slow even on it to avoid destroying it and me. The rises and falls of the land are between 8" & 12" in spots and looks quite a bit like the surface of the moon, at least to my backside.

So, what's the best thing for a guy to do? I have access to some heavier tractors than my cub, along with some implements, like a pretty good sized disc harrow. Am I thinking on the right track to just disc some of it every year and then reseed it? I assume rises and falls of this size would be too much to hope that a roller might be able to fix? (and I don't have access to a roller, but that would be a fun project all by itself)

Thanks for any insights. Lance

[johnbron]

My field next to the house was pretty much as you describe. Very rough on body and tractor to mow it. I just ripped it all up with scarifier sweeps and then disced it good. After the discing I drug an 8` l-beam over it and it floated out nice and even.

[Bigdog]

Lance, if you can catch it in the spring before the ground gets hard and really dry you can disk it. But disking sod usually leaves a lot of clumps which end up making things worse. I think it would be worth plowing the sod under and then working the ground with a heavy disk. You could then drag it level or even roll it. If it is is good shape after disking you could seed it and then roll it. A couple of seasons should put it into lawn-like condition.

[Lance Leitzel]

Sounds like a good plan. This might fit into my plan for, "I'll turn a little bit of it each year into a garden", at least the area I plowed for my garden makes it look like I'm trying there.

[cowboy]

Hi Lance

I agree with Bigdog. Plow and disk the field. And if you have a 54 blade you can hook it up in the grader position and have some fun smoothing it out. You can run a windrow across it and back to fill in holes and correct grade so you will not have any puddles when it rains.

I do not know if you have seen this but this is my yard that I did this spring. http://farmallcub.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=12985 When it rained I would end up with two water holes one about 20 foot long.

Billy

[TJ]

Anykind of heavy drag behind your disk will smooth it out.Ex. pipe i beam even cut down a tree and use the log out of it .Just don't use a dead tree.It won't be heavy enough to do what you want.

[evielboweviel]

Lance
time to use that plow and disk you got last fall.
sure the bigger equippment is faster but is it as much fun??
your oldest is old enough to help dad drive you sit on the seat and he stands between your legs and drives. that is how my grandpa taught me.
I think you have a loboy and the blade won't center mount under there and lift up.
Ron

[gitractorman]

Lance,
A couple of years ago my father and I started clearing and leveling a field at my Great Uncle's farm. We were suprised to find that after we plowed and tilled it, and graded it out a little, Kentucky Bluegrass came up naturally, without seeding. Now it is one of the nicest lawns in Miamisburg, OH, just about 45 minutes north of you.

I like your idea. Make your garden in a different place each year, and next thing you know, your lawn will be level.