help preparing a new yard

We are moving to a new homesite (former pasture/farmland). Just looking for some recommendations on how to proceed to finish the yard area to prepare for seed (fescue). I have a 45 hp tractor, a box blade, a rotary tiller, and a yard tool that came with the tractor. The yard tool has two rows of rippers and a roller with nubs on it. Any suggestions are appreciated. Some of the land is untouched, the areas beside the road were finshed with a grader. Road is 600' and land is approx 10 acres.

Get a soil test and remedy the soil conditions as indicated. Machinery is no substitute for good lawn chemistry- but machinery is a good supplement.

Hi Bus Driver: Good comment on getting soil test and yes that was one of the 1st things I did after moving to my "hobby farm." ag.

Good suggestions on soil testing. Depending on your soil type, getting rid of rocks may be your biggest challenge. After leveling with your box blade, see if you can get a "york rake" and run over it 4-5 times to pull out the rocks. The a final leveling and seeding should do it.
Good luck,
Paul

First of all....I do NOT mean to make any comments that might insult your intelligence, but I'll try to take you through the steps. I used to do this commercially and a "new yard/new house" was my first love.

Walk the area and determine how you want water to drain away from the house. Pretend that every drop of water has to go somewhere and that none will "soak in". If possible, try to spread out the drainage area so as to not concentrate all your surface water in one spot.

Break/work up your ground...you can use your tiller and/or drop down the rippers on the box blade. If you use the box blade rippers, you'll need to raise them back up some to start your "finish grading."

Your box blade is your friend as you can move/carry dirt around from "high spots" to "low spots". As you work the box blade, you'll find that the ground surface will gradually "smooth out" and you won't be jostled around on your tractor as much. You can actually "feel" soft/low spots from the tractor seat. Try to work over as wide an area as possible...both taking down a high area as well as filling in low area. Remember, the MORE box blade work you do, the less "yard tool" work you'll have to do. (It took me awhile to get a bit of speed going with tractor, but I found that when I had the room, wide sweeping turns with a bit of speed worked nice. Do what is comfortable to you.) You'll also find that a "feather" touch on the box blade works much better than trying to fill up the blade all at once...same when emptying/spreading. Do not try to operate box blade while your tractor is in "draft mode"...use the "position" control with a light touch. You can also use the back of the blade to push dirt around into corners and tight spots where you don't have room to "drive through"....just pull up as close as you can and then turn around and push the rest of the way.

Try to do your "finest"/"most even" work close to the house...just make sure that your grade is a bit higher at the house and drains away in all directions. I usually left about a two foot strip against the house to be worked out with a rake.

YARD TOOL will be your finishing tool...it will rake out large clods, stones, roots, etc. and will let finer soil sift through the teeth. It will also help move dirt from high to low spots, but you won't be able to move as much as you could with box blade. I always tried to go over a yard with this tool kinda/sorta like the box blade and then do it a final time all in one direction pulling stuff to one side or spot. (Again, you will want to use a light touch on the controls.) Doing this will leave a fine set of marks/grooves across the yard. These marks/grooves when done across the slope of your yard will help deter any drainage runs when it does rain. When you see "roller" prints...you've got a "perfect" soil condition to sow your seed. Also, a surface of tiny clods (size of your finger tip or smaller) is a good place for the seed to fall. Adjust/lengthen your top link so that yard tool teeth are vertical to slightly leaning back when working....play with this adjustment to see how it affects the performance. Also adjust the side screw so that the tool is "level" when it contacts the ground. (I make my adjustment on concrete if available)

Check with your Agricultural Extension Agency for seeding/fertilizer/liming rates. Here in the west central part of NC, I used 250lbs/acre of fescue seed...500lbs/acre 10-20-20 fertilizer...and 1000lbs/acre of pelleted lime. You can take your "per acre" rates and adjust up/down according to size of the finished yard. Cover with a thin/moderate layer of chopped/blown straw and pray for a nice gentle rain.

Good luck and have fun doing your own yard with your own equipment.

Rick...who started out with a 4000 Ford 4cyl. gasser and 6 ft. box blade and yard tool. I now use 4610 Ford and an 8 ft. box blade.