Tearing Up The Lawn

[BoneheadNW]

Found a great source of fill dirt on friday on the way back to the station. Had 25 yards delivered to my house (my partner had over a hundred delivered to his, his wife was not pleased). Got some major seat time yesterday moving some of the dirt to my back yard to patch large areas for reseeding of the lawn. In doing so, however, I tore up the lawn on the north side of my house. The drainage is not so good in this area so the front tires sink in much more.

My tractor is on the light side compared to many of your tractors so I ask: What do you guys do (if anything) to prevent/mitigate lawn damage by your tractor?
Bonehead

 

[Doc]

I did something similar to my yard a year or two ago. The previsou fall I had part of the drive concreted. I had a couple huge piles that needed moved, and I did not get around to it until spring. After a few trips moving the rock/dirt mixture I could see the wear path in the yard. I started varying my trail but only so many ways to get from point a to point b until you have to repeat. No way around it, it left a mark.
Not sure how much okay drainage had to do with it but in a month or six weeks (after a couple mowings) the marks disappeared.
Maybe you could be so lucky.

 

[Archdean]

"What do you guys do (if anything) to prevent/mitigate lawn damage by your tractor?"

I just do what folks have always done, Wait till things dry out enough to prevent the damage!!

 

[BoneheadNW]

Just took some pics to show you what I am talking about.

I have dealt with this situation many times before and know that the grass will grow back. This area never really dries out, even by the end of summer.
Bone

 

[Doc]

I also have a wet area like that, but it's easy for me to avoid going through. What if you filled some of the muddy area with some of your fill dirt, then top it with some stone.

 

[Mith]

Bone, I just follow the same track every time, so I only have 1 set of ruts to clean up in the summer (actually, I just leave them).
Apart from changing the surface (laying down chipboard, or stone) you'll get mud any way you cook it.

 

[BoneheadNW]

I also have a wet area like that, but it's easy for me to avoid going through. What if you filled some of the muddy area with some of your fill dirt, then top it with some stone.

What? And get rid of that part of my lawn!? Are you nuts?

Seriously, that side of my house was never graded properly so that the water tends to puddle in that area. One of my projects for this summer (one of four) is to install a curtain drain to help with that. The alternative is to change the landscape in a major way so as to slope the area away from the house. By the way, the south side of my house is even worse, although this is more of a side yard/tractor storage area.
Bone

 

[OhioTC18]

I have an area like that all the time myself. That's what I get for buying in a drought year, I guess. No way did I know it was that wet. I had a chore to accomplish yesterday and with all of the snow then the rain, it looks terrible out there. But hey, it's on the side and in the back, so I'll just let it dry up a bit and smooth it back out.
The worn paths in the grass will probably come back after a while.

 

[Archdean]

"What if you filled some of the muddy area with some of your fill dirt, then top it with some stone."

Exactly! except put the stone/gravel in first then put the dirt on top!!

 

[jbrumberg]

BoneheadNW:

Nice pictures of your "challenged" areas . To do it right and it willl not be cheap is to dig out the wet areas lay down geotextile material, then ballast rock, then a finer size rock, and topped will your fill dirt as well as improve the drainage. It took me 13 years of procrastination before I finally did the right thing . Jay

PS: I still have many other drainage challenges and "projects" .