Advice on how to remove rocks from lawn

[BarnBuiltBeaters]

Figured some of you may have ran into this and I didn't want to join another forum.

I live in in southern central NY and the soil here is terrible. TONS of rocks ranging from big to small. The dirt isn't like any dirt i've seen previously in my years in CT. Its hard and dry compared to CT and a few other places I have lived. Legitimately cannot even dig with a shovel haha!
I recently moved around about an acre's worth of dirt as the previous owners installed geothermal and, where the lines were placed, the dirt never filled back in properly. The "field" was so uneven before you couldn't mow it and therefore was overgrown. Now that it is relatively flat I have began picking up the medium to large rocks out of the field and about a 3/4 of the way done. However there are still MANY small to small medium sized rocks. is there an easier way to remove these other than simply picking them up by hand?
I am wanting to plant grass (currently 90% weeds) and keep this mowed

Here are my ideas:
I have a riding mower but couldn't find a screen to drag behind (could make one but not sure it'd work due to weeds/grass).
Raking it into a pile and picking them up (Still not ideal)
buying top soil and covering them up (Pro: I could level it better, Con: $$$)

Another question, is their a way to bring life back into the soil, fertilizer?

Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[BarnBuiltBeaters]

I want to mention I did have access to a tractor with a bucket but have since had to return it

 

[mike93lx]

I don't have any great advice on the rocks, but if you want to improve the soil, get it tested. I used a lab at UMass Amherst when I live in MA and they provided with me a thorough analysis and suggestions on remediation.

 

[KenC]

Look for a landscape/rock rake for the tractor.

 

[ScottsGT]

Like eating an elephant. One bite at a time. Sadly, once you clear and area and rake it more will pop up. My yard is the same way, but mixed in with clay. I tried to dig a couple of holes to put in 4X4 posts to hang kayaks on. I got less than an inch deep and gave up. I’m dreading the estimate an irrigation company is going to give me for a new system.

 

[K13]

You need a soil sifter/sieve.

 

[bdbecker]

My Dad has something like this for his tiller.

https://www.stihlusa.com/products/multi-task-tools/yard-boss-attachments/powersweep/

He has a rear tiller from a different brand (maybe Earthquake?) - I'll ask him tonight. He has a long gravel driveway and during the winter when he plows, some gravel gets pushed into the yard. Each spring, it only takes him a few hours to get all the rocks back on the driveway. Funny how my brother and I would spend a couple days doing it with rakes when we were growing up. Its almost like he wanted us to have to work hard.

I'm no lawn expert, but if the soil is that poor quality and compacted, you may need to add some topsoil to convert it into a lawn.

 

[Nthill93]

Try to rent a skid steer with a rock hound

 

[jack stand]

Find someone with a skidsteer or tractor with a Harley rake and hire him.

 

[My Old Tools]

Kids doing "time out" can be quite effective....

 

[Bondo]

However there are still MANY small to small medium sized rocks. is there an easier way to remove these other than simply picking them up by hand?
I am wanting to plant grass (currently 90% weeds) and keep this mowed

Ayuh,...... Yer life would sooo much easier, if you'd tilled the lot, back in the Spring, when the ground was soft,....

Hand rakin' the rocks would be 'bout impossible in a yard fulla weeds,....

At this point, a york fake or harley rake, or rock hound are pretty much the options,.....

'n you don't mention what size yer callin' small,..... under 1, 1/2" or so, can just be rolled in, when yer ready to seed,....

 

[65ranchero]

What about a Harley rake.
It might be something to rent.

 

[theoldwizard1]

First, how big is your field ? Understand that any mechanical method will seriously disturbing what soil an "grass" you have. There are machines called "rock pickers". These are BIG ! Designed to be used on farms.

If things are as bad as you describe, and you want a decent "lawn", start by rototilling the whole thing. You can do it even in summer, but it will raise a lot of dust. I would wait until after Labor Day.

If you are around an acre or more, buy your supplies at an old fashioned feed store. Fall is the best time of year to plant grass seed in the Midwest and Northeast. The weather is cooler and typically more rain. Use a starter fertilizer (10-10-10) when you put down the seed. You can apply 19-19-19 in late October.

Building soil takes years. Apply a second feeding of 19-19-19 in late April. Apply selective weed killer (2,4-D) in late May. By your second year you will have the lawn you desire.

 

[NYBODYMAN]

I've never heard of southern central NY. Where exactly would that be?
I'm curious because I'm in the Hudson Valley area and near the river. My soil is AWFUL. Tons of shale and rocks. I can tell you what I did was just pick them as you see them and keep planting grass seed.

 

[PassnThru]

I've never really had a problem with getting the rocks out - they aren't as bad here until you have septic work done and find out there was fill brought in when the house was built. And then get septic work done again.....
My problem is what to do with them once you dig them out. Have you considered that angle yet?

 

[Renegade1LI]

Not sure if your soil is bad, ny has some of the best farms, just hard to work this time of year. I have a place in the Adirondacks and plenty of rocks more than anyone can imagine. Most were removed with a rock bucket and tractor to sift through the soil. The big ones come out with a backhoe, some are so big I’m splitting with a hydraulic splitter. I have a bucket like this and it works pretty good and then top with some clean , screened fill. You’ll notice lots of fields with decorative rock gardens, but i will say my grass looks and grows great.

 

[htmdude57]

I think I know where he is. I used to live 20 miles north of Binghamton, NY. I borrowed a friend's 20 HP hydrostatic ****** garden tractor with a rake on the back (like KenC shows). It has to have down pressure. My friend had a metal barrel strapped on top of the rake because his tractor didn't have down pressure. I drove around the backyard for an hour or so. The rocks get grabbed by the rake, leaving the dirt behind. I repeatedly headed to a low spot (hole where an underground oil tank used to be) and left the rocks there. The remaining lawn was left with a dusty layer of dirt that was smooth. Seed and water every day. Lawn was smooth as silk.

 

[Renegade1LI]

I use a similar bucket to this

v30 Compact Tractor Skeleton Rock Bucket - Virnig Manufacturing

Redesigned to be 20% lighter than previous version to haul more material.

www.virnigmfg.com

 

[RoscoTom]

Here in Northern Michigan, and a lot of northern areas, rocks rise out of the ground with the freeze/thaw cycles, especially when disturbed.

The more you plow, disc, harrow, the more rocks show up.
It's like the damn things are alive!
They grow!

You can grow hay in rocks, but when it's time to mow it, rocks will ruin your day.

You can't really appreciate it until you spend 10 years or so working the same fields.

 

[Moss]

Look for a landscape/rock rake for the tractor.

This is the answer, if you can get the tractor back with a landscape rake (with guide wheels on the back) you will be amazed and how nice it will prepare the area. You still have to pick the rocks up but you run the rake on an angle and windrow them into a pile and easily pick them up. Then you can set the guide wheels to just lightly rake the soil and it will be ready for seed. If you can't get one with wheels it will still work but a lot more fussing around with the 3 point. Wheels are the ticket.

 

[BarnBuiltBeaters]

I've never heard of southern central NY. Where exactly would that be?
I'm curious because I'm in the Hudson Valley area and near the river. My soil is AWFUL. Tons of shale and rocks. I can tell you what I did was just pick them as you see them and keep planting grass seed.

This is exactly where I am. about 15 minutes north easy of Binghamton. I have never seen so many rocks!




Sounds like a york rake is the way to go. I can get the tractor back as it is my grandmothers but it wont be for another year as they need it for prepping the hunting land. I have seen a york rake used before as I used to work on a fruit farm in CT and I knew this may be the tool.
However we used it for pulling roots and medium sized rocks. I think this may leave behind the rocks I am talking about. I will try to get a picture tonight, have more picking up to do!

As far as where will all these rocks go, I have dug out a ditch and have been dumping them in there. Looks decent. Not as good as nice grey rock you can buy but better than what it was previously. Plus now my dog doesn't keep getting in the mud!

 

[RPH]

Not for $2500 but this is a small rock picker.

 

[RPH]

For the larger yards. Just pick your width and pick up your check book.

 

[woodscaper]

skidsteer and rock hound

 

[Renegade1LI]

I want one of these!

 

[theoldwizard1]

Here in Northern Michigan, and a lot of northern areas, rocks rise out of the ground with the freeze/thaw cycles, especially when disturbed.

Where in Northern MI ? I thought most of what north of Clare is sand.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I want one of these!

Note that the ground is already tilled and leveled.

 

[rburke65]

Two years ago I had a patio installed and they really tore up my back yard…but the contractor came in with a skid steer with a ‘rock hound’ attachment. That maybe a generic name, but it leveled out the yard and prepared it for seed and it collected all the stones and debris and it was dumped into the dump truck. It did a beautiful job

 

[southalabama]

When I was about 12 dad had a similar problem. He gave me a bucket. I picked up rocks everyday for a long while.

 

[aggie113]

Wild pigs make it a fun game when I mow the 'lawn'. They run through a few times a year and dig up new rocks for me to find with my mower blades. I've just relegated myself to tearing up blades and grinding them down as best I can when needed. With over and acre of yard to mow, it's the least time **** option.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Every winter, the frost is going to heave rocks up to the surface.

I'd consider buying seed and fertilizer now in preparation for a fall till up. I'd wait until after the leaves are down, mulched up and can be tilled in for natural fertilizer.


Rototill, rake rocks, level dirt, add topsoil if needed and add grass seed. Then lightly rake in the seed by hand.

I generally "overseed" by some standards. My thoughts are that a 1/3 of what you sow, doesn't come up and a third that does come up will die off.

 

[jimy]

I lived near the Binghamton area for my first 55 years. As a kid I worked for a hobby farmer, walking behind his tractor pulling a trailer. We picked rocks and threw them in the trailer. No, the trailer didn’t dump so we tossed the rocks back out of the trailer. This was for a hayfield.

For my little garden it was a struggle to get t-posts in the ground for a fence. Hard to find a spot to get them very far in the ground. And when I was done the post heights were all different.

Now, along a river in the Finger Lakes, I could likely drive 10 t-posts completely in the ground before one was stopped by a rock. Sure is a lot less frustrating here.

Jim

 

[Jackfre]

They say that the rocks of New England,…and NY, having grown up there and picked a hell of a lot of rocks, are what settled the West.

 

[rayra]

I solved a similar problem this Spring, our house had a bit of of a slope in the front yard, and lots of decorative rock migrating downhill into an area I was wanting to notch for installation of a stone gabion wall. With the excavated dirt pitched behind it to level out / terrace the yard. But I wanted to recoup the rock. So I built a sorter and rented a skidsteer. Dig a bucket, pour it at the top of the sloped sorter, dirt / sand fell thru, rolls rolled to the bottom. Couple loads then moved the frame further down the driveway and repeat.
When I was done I had several alternating piles of dirt and rocks. Which I then used the skidsteer to pick up and dump where they were wanted.
It went well and was pretty easy.

 

[RoscoTom]

Where in Another MI ? I thought most of what north of Clare is sand.

Roscommon County, right next door.
It's sand, gravel and rocks of all sizes.

 

[Jim_No_Garage]

I solved a similar problem this Spring, our house had a bit of of a slope in the front yard, and lots of decorative rock migrating downhill into an area I was wanting to notch for installation of a stone gabion wall. With the excavated dirt pitched behind it to level out / terrace the yard. But I wanted to recoup the rock. So I built a sorter and rented a skidsteer. Dig a bucket, pour it at the top of the sloped sorter, dirt / sand fell thru, rolls rolled to the bottom. Couple loads then moved the frame further down the driveway and repeat.
When I was done I had several alternating piles of dirt and rocks. Which I then used the skidsteer to pick up and dump where they were wanted.
It went well and was pretty easy.

I never considered MOVING the sorting screen over and over . . .

In 2020 I replaced the grass next to the garage with 6" + of 3/4 clean stone - after moving the topsoil to a pile in the back yard. I manually shovel the topsoil onto the screen and then take the rocks and dump them in holes where rocks won't cause an issue and the screened soil goes into the lawn. I still have about 1/2 of the pile in the back yard - but I had a LARGE tree taken down so the soil will smotth out around that area.

Jim

 

[rebelranger]

Figured some of you may have ran into this and I didn't want to join another forum.

I live in in southern central NY and the soil here is terrible. TONS of rocks ranging from big to small. The dirt isn't like any dirt i've seen previously in my years in CT. Its hard and dry compared to CT and a few other places I have lived. Legitimately cannot even dig with a shovel haha!
I recently moved around about an acre's worth of dirt as the previous owners installed geothermal and, where the lines were placed, the dirt never filled back in properly. The "field" was so uneven before you couldn't mow it and therefore was overgrown. Now that it is relatively flat I have began picking up the medium to large rocks out of the field and about a 3/4 of the way done. However there are still MANY small to small medium sized rocks. is there an easier way to remove these other than simply picking them up by hand?
I am wanting to plant grass (currently 90% weeds) and keep this mowed

Here are my ideas:
I have a riding mower but couldn't find a screen to drag behind (could make one but not sure it'd work due to weeds/grass).
Raking it into a pile and picking them up (Still not ideal)
buying top soil and covering them up (Pro: I could level it better, Con: $$$)

Another question, is their a way to bring life back into the soil, fertilizer?

Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks

BBB,

I live in the midwest and completely feel your pain. It has taken me almost 8 years to get my soil right. So this fall I'll actually be doing a lawn reno. So let's take it from the top.

1. Rocks - if your soil has rocks at all levels you'll never completely remove them. You can hide them with top soil but within 2 years the freeze thaw cycle will have them exposed again. Picking them is the same cycle. Bottom line is how bad do you want them gone compared to how much you want to spend? Best solution: remove top soil to deadpan and replace with rock free soil. This is the top cost nuclear option. Value solution: preparator the top soil then intermixed with new rock free top soil. The con to this is you'll later have to do a grass reno to get top grass results. Lowest option: rock rake, drag, or hand picking. Not that this doesn't work but just will never get the optimal desired results.

You'll need cool Season grass. I highly recommend a turf type tall fescue but tall fescue is a great one too. Don't spend money on fertilizer or grass until you do a soil sample and get your dirt right. Seriously good grass seed and fertilizer waste aren't cheap. Pay $30 for the top soil sample.

Last piece of advice and the most important. If you get serious about your yard and grass you'll get addicted. So my advice live with the rocks and embrace nature....I wish i had.

 

[Busted_Knuckles]

Worth a watch, this machine is built to do exactly what your looking to do. Better than a Harley Rake. Supposedly, it literally buries the rocks as it passes over them.

 

[Moss]

This is exactly where I am. about 15 minutes north easy of Binghamton. I have never seen so many rocks!




Sounds like a york rake is the way to go. I can get the tractor back as it is my grandmothers but it wont be for another year as they need it for prepping the hunting land. I have seen a york rake used before as I used to work on a fruit farm in CT and I knew this may be the tool.
However we used it for pulling roots and medium sized rocks. I think this may leave behind the rocks I am talking about. I will try to get a picture tonight, have more picking up to do!

As far as where will all these rocks go, I have dug out a ditch and have been dumping them in there. Looks decent. Not as good as nice grey rock you can buy but better than what it was previously. Plus now my dog doesn't keep getting in the mud!

My york rake has 1" spacing between the tines. It does leave some small ones behind but does a great job in my opinion. If the soil has just been spread out it generally leaves it ready for seed with some minor clean up.