Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Harley Rake in action!

For anyone who is planting new grass or renovating old or doing the final soil preparation prior to seeding, this is one handy tool! It's also called a soil conditioner or landscape rake. It grinds off the high spots, fills in the low spots, piles up the rocks and debris for easy scooping while dropping the good dirt behind it making a nice seed bed. I had an area that was tough to mow and full of weeds. I renovated this 1/2 acre on Saturday, here are the pics. Just 1 day to move a dirt pile, remove the old sod, seed, fertilize and spread some of the straw. I wish I had rented a straw chopper/blower as this proved to be the most labor intesive part of the project.

Ryan,

WOW, that's realy cool. I've been messing around with my fields for years trying to get them smooth. From the looks of what you did, I could have been done with mine the first time and probably saved a ton of money!!!

Is the hay for erosion, or will it grow into grass? Hmm. Not sure if I'm making sense here. hahaha

Eddie

Great pics Ryan! In my area they call that attachment a "power rake". My neighbor used one to smooth his yard and it did a great job. I used a tractor mounted tiller and cultipacker on mine and it did a decent job. The straw is definitely the least fun part of the job.

Eddie:

Straw won't grow, but it provides a "mulch" which definitely increased germination grass seed. W/out that, I can hardly ever get a good stand...

Eddie, the straw is there mainly to retain moisture. Without it I would need to water 3 times per day for a good stand. It should help keep the birds from eating the seed as well and will slow erosion on slopes. I seeded with an improved bluegrass fescue blend and used starter fertilizer both at the recommended rates. If you use straw, the second fertilization about a month after germination will require a little nitrogen because the straw will rob the soil of it as it decomposes.

I've never used one before this but it seems best suited for large areas. Pretty easy to use, even for a first timer. It was a huge timesaver. I wish I knew about it before.

Eric, I've seen it called a power rake also. The problem is some places call a rock hound a power rake or landscape rake too. This creates a bit of confusion if you renting and they are very different attachments.

'Tis the season, just thought it might help some of those finishing up the dirt work on their new ponds.

How can you guys be doing this, our cows are starving down here in Texas and you just waisted about 1000$ worth of hay, sprigging does a better job than anything and it would saved you money

Next time use round bails and put a few cows on it with out a hay ring, they will have it spread out like that in know time and save your back. They fertilize it in the process

Ryan seriously that looks good, unfortunately we ain't got no hay around these parts to do that at the moment. How did you spread the seed? By hand? or machine?

I think he used straw not hay. Hay will leave unwanted seeds behind to germinate, like clover and alfalfa (sp?)

Donnie

Yes I used straw not hay. Straw goes for about $2 per bale here in Ohio. 50 bales cost me $100 including delivery.

I used a broadcast spreader to seed and fertilize, push type.

I'm sorry to here you Texans aren't getting any rain. I've been fortunate with regular rains so no supplemental watering wasn't necessary. All the rain we've been getting up here is holding up the crop harvest, we've had a little too much of a good thing.

It would take a lot of plugs to get this kind of result this quickly. Seems like it would be a lot more work too. There are a few weeds but not many. They must have been in the soil when I seeded, nothing a little 2-4D won't take care of.

Here is the result 1 month after the first rain.

Ryan, being in Ohio, do you guys use much Bermuda grass? I've mostly heard of it down in the south. For big plots around here, they will till, cultivate, harrow, and then use a cultipacker. Hard to find a small cultipacker for food plot use, though, most around here are big farm types.

Svoberts, I have never heard of anyone using bermuda in Ohio it's a little too far north. Lawns here are seeded with various varieties of fescues, ryegrasses or bluegrasses and usually a blend. Oklahoma is dead in the "mid South" zone where burmuda is ideal.