I am giving up and have decided to start a weed farm. When I bought this place last year it didn't take long to notice that the side yard felt like it had been used as a motocross track when I mowed it, so much so that I dropped $800+ on a suspension seat to cushion the ride. Even with the seat however, it was more than two hours to mow because I still had to go slow to avoid rattling my new mower to pieces. I didn't have time last year to mess with it so I planned on doing it this year.
Fast forward to a week ago. I decided it was time so I began tilling the approximately 1.5 acres. I tilled it pretty lightly then hit it with Glyphosate to kill everything off. Once the vegetation was dead I tilled it two more times.
Once I had it broken up good I tried to level it out with the box blade.
That didn't work, so I tried the rear blade.
Same crappy result so I figured I'd try to disc it.
Complete waste of time so I tilled it again then went over it a few times with the 1500lb roller.
That seemed to lay it down pretty well so I got the mower out and drove it around only to discover that it felt like it did before I'd done anything. I started searching for a used soil pulverizer to buy as well as one to rent but wasn't having any luck. I checked with the neighbor and low & behold they had one so I went and borrowed it last night.
It does a pretty decent job but I still can't get things smoothed out. The pulverizer did a nice job of moving dirt to fill in some large depressions but the "final" grade is still rough. I've also been looking for a decent drag to use and haven't had any luck so I thought I'd drag the ramp from my utility trailer around for awhile.
Imagine my surprise when it proved to be yet another waste of time.
So I give up. It was going to cost me close to a grand to buy 600lbs of seed so I guess that money saved will be my silver lining. I'm over it and I'd really like my 12 hours of wasted time back.
Fast forward to a week ago. I decided it was time so I began tilling the approximately 1.5 acres. I tilled it pretty lightly then hit it with Glyphosate to kill everything off. Once the vegetation was dead I tilled it two more times.
Once I had it broken up good I tried to level it out with the box blade.
That didn't work, so I tried the rear blade.
Same crappy result so I figured I'd try to disc it.
Complete waste of time so I tilled it again then went over it a few times with the 1500lb roller.
That seemed to lay it down pretty well so I got the mower out and drove it around only to discover that it felt like it did before I'd done anything. I started searching for a used soil pulverizer to buy as well as one to rent but wasn't having any luck. I checked with the neighbor and low & behold they had one so I went and borrowed it last night.
It does a pretty decent job but I still can't get things smoothed out. The pulverizer did a nice job of moving dirt to fill in some large depressions but the "final" grade is still rough. I've also been looking for a decent drag to use and haven't had any luck so I thought I'd drag the ramp from my utility trailer around for awhile.
Imagine my surprise when it proved to be yet another waste of time.
So I give up. It was going to cost me close to a grand to buy 600lbs of seed so I guess that money saved will be my silver lining. I'm over it and I'd really like my 12 hours of wasted time back.