ground shaping

Glenn D · Mar 19, 2015

This might seem like a silly post. I have a small yard beside and in front of a barn that hold water on the surface in puddles. Sometimes pretty deep. This ground was once shaped so the water would run off and was usable but I think some heavy tractor ruts and lack of use has spoiled the drainage it had. I first though the ground was saturated but I actually put all new fence and posts and divided it up a bit and restored the fence along the road. the post holes go in 4' deep and the ground was dry under the surface and sometimes would take 1/2 hour before the surface water would fill the holes (to give you an idea of what the dirt is like>

I have A loader with a trip bucket. a rear scraper blade and a box blade. Would I be able to restore good drainage with those tools? (I think I can) but how would I know when to add more top soil to raise an area? should I work it while it's muddy or try and wait for it to be dry? When it's really muddy the tractors sink if you drive over a spot more than once and it's hard to pull anything while it's slipping. I've just never done this before and don;t know what to expect or where to start

old · Mar 19, 2015

I have had area like that before and plowed and disk or tilled those area up and maybe added some organic material so help with drainage and fertility of the ground. My chicken pen gets that way and I have tilled it up and that helps foe a few year plus the chicken love it when I till it up

Glenn D · Mar 19, 2015

Ok I do have a roto tiller. the area might be a little small to plow, but I could do a few passes with the tiller and then disk it maybe. but I don't think I can do that in mud. I'm envisioning dry ground tilled and disked to powder then crowned to make the water run off, but how do I get the crowns and valleys to be where I want them?

old · Mar 19, 2015

Ya to work the ground you need it to be dry. Mud does not work up it just stick to every thing and you get stuck in the mud and make ruts. Crowns and valleys can be hard to do with just a common back blade or box blade since it is hard to angle either for side to side like you can wit ha grader

Ecnerwal · Mar 19, 2015

If your ground allows, try to put in (where you won't need to drive over it when it's wet) a swale before you get to the drainage ditch (or wherever it's headed) after you get the water off your plot beside the barn - give the water as much opportunity as you can to get down into the ground, rather than just running it off - if you have a space you can do that in.

Dieselrider · Mar 20, 2015

What about a chisel plow or subsoiler to break up the hard pan? Just guessing.

JMS/.MN · Mar 20, 2015

Work and shape the ground when it"s dry. Your loader may have a setting on the bucket lock that lets you set it to cut below grade, if you have nothing else to use to loosen dirt. Box blade is handy to move it to where you need it.

GordoSD · Mar 22, 2015

You need an 8 foot back blade. preferably hydraulic operated, that will adjust both horizontal and vertical angles. For rent at lots of rental outlets.

Glenn D · Mar 24, 2015

Thanks all. I'll just have to jump in learn the hard way

First lesson is topsoil does not make a good surface for shedding water

Elkhunter · Apr 1, 2015

(quoted from post at 12:04:13 03/19/15) This might seem like a silly post. I have a small yard beside and in front of a barn that hold water on the surface in puddles. Sometimes pretty deep. This ground was once shaped so the water would run off and was usable but I think some heavy tractor ruts and lack of use has spoiled the drainage it had. I first though the ground was saturated but I actually put all new fence and posts and divided it up a bit and restored the fence along the road. the post holes go in 4' deep and the ground was dry under the surface and sometimes would take 1/2 hour before the surface water would fill the holes (to give you an idea of what the dirt is like>

I have A loader with a trip bucket. a rear scraper blade and a box blade. Would I be able to restore good drainage with those tools? (I think I can) but how would I know when to add more top soil to raise an area? should I work it while it's muddy or try and wait for it to be dry? When it's really muddy the tractors sink if you drive over a spot more than once and it's hard to pull anything while it's slipping. I've just never done this before and don;t know what to expect or where to start

If you want to crown your land. Using your bucket Dump a long row of dirt and back made it from either side. Keep doing this until you've crowned it to the outer edges of your area. If you want a drainage ditch, cut into the sod or grass with your bucket 90 degrees to your slope. Cut enough that when you drive your tractor with both tires on one side your bucket now leans slightly, peel away the sod at root level on either side ad work your way along until and deeper each time.
Best to do when slightly damp not wet or muddy

I have done a lot of dirt work with no more than a smooth bucket
It just takes time. Remember to pack and back larr as you go so you can see the contour of what your working on clearly.

ground shaping

Glenn D

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old

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Glenn D

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old

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Ecnerwal

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Dieselrider

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JMS/.MN

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GordoSD

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Glenn D

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Elkhunter

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