Site Prep Continues

First, some tools of the trade.  I started prepping the dirt with a disc harrow that I already had.

Disc Harrow - Good for breaking up soil

The problem with the disc harrow is that I was having trouble getting it to chop up the grass and turn it into the soil.  So, I got a tiller attachment.

Tiller Attachment

Tiller is doing a very good job at turning over the soil and grass and leaving not much behind but dirt.  Unfortunately, I had a really bad day last weekend and tore up the drive shaft.  The shaft pulled off the tiller and kept spinning because it was attached to the PTO on the tractor.  The clutch, which is big and heavy, flopped around until the shaft separated, but in the process tore up the shaft.  I swapped out the tiller for the disc to keep working and then managed to knock a front tire off the rim and cut it up.  So, I got the tire replaced and am waiting on a new shaft.  In the meantime I continue to disc up the dirt.

Now, I also received the cultipacker I ordered.  It came in on Friday and I picked it up at the freight company.  Here it is.

Cultipacker

I think I mentioned this in an earlier post, but this is a salvaged cultipacker, re-manufactured by an Amish guy in Lancaster, PA. 

Now for updated photos.  

A lot of the dirt is looking pretty good - very little grass left and fluffy dirt.  

Its pretty easy to see what areas need more work and which areas are fine.  This area is pretty good.  I need to go over a few areas with the tiller once I get the drive shaft back.

Then, there is one more area that I have not worked on yet.  This photo shows what the land looked like before I started.

To the left you see the area to be busted up and on the right is an area of grass that will remain.  The tall grass is Virginia bluestem grass - the early succession grass that has moved in.  

So, here is a panoramic view of the meadow area from the street. You can see the grass path that winds through the meadow.