[Kolber]

I have about 4 acres of gently undulating pasture I'd like to smooth out for a little runway and taxi area. It's clay soil with fescue and a mix of who knows what. I have some grading to do for the strip but the rest just needs to be smoothed.
I've been told it needs to be plowed, then disc-harrowed, then graded.
Does that sound right to y'all? I have access to a pulverizer also. What's the best way to smooth it in the least number of passes?
Any suggestions on a good grass to plant? I'm in the NC foothills, zone 7 ?

Thxs

 

[ford 8401]

in our area we have a heavy grey soil that's know as crab hole country
to smooth it out we offset disk plow it (twice) and drag a harrow bar across it
around and around then cross it twice

if ya don't has a harrow bar you could drag 10-20' of I beam around

 

[RDR]

I would only work up the hight spots and move the dirt to the low spots. Pack it as you move it. It will be hard to level with grass and weeds mixed in the dirt. If you plow the whole thing I hope you have something heavy to pack it or it will stay soft for a long time after any amout of rain.

 

[CADplans]

Topsoil depth must be considered. If you remove all the topsoil from the high spots, nothing will grow for years.

I leveled my garden. I removed the topsoil, leveled the land and replaced the topsoil.

Look behind the garden, 10 years later no grass grows on the spot without topsoil.

 

[ford 8401]

shallow cultivation is the way to go
that way it should'd be easy to compact with a roller

Topsoil depth must be considered. If you remove all the topsoil from the high spots, nothing will grow for years.

I leveled my garden. I removed the topsoil, leveled the land and replaced the topsoil.

Look behind the garden, 10 years later no grass grows on the spot without topsoil.

View attachment 194938

top soil is only subsoil with organic matter
if ya keep clay from geting compacted and get someting to grow on it (helps if ya add some organic matter) it will eventually turn in to top soil
i turned clay into top soil a few times (obviously it not as good as the soil that was there but it does grow grass or plants)