Filling low spots with fill -- advice?

[PorkChopsMmm]

We are going to put in a garden and a better parking area around our place in the next few weekends. We recently had some flooding here from a nearby creek that clearly showed some law spots. I figured I would get ~10 yards or so of screened fill dropped off ($20 a yard) and go to town. Below is my plan -- thoughts/advice? I've never done this before.

Use a dirt scoop on the back of my Ford 8N tractor to move material. Wish I had a front end loader but this is what I've got. I would drop off more than I need and then go to the next step...



Switch to my back blade and pull the fill material into the hole. I figured I would then drive over the low spot with one of my back tires trying to compress the fill. Then I would scrap some more in there and drive over it again until it seemed good and packed down.
This is not me or my tractor...



Done? Advice? Thanks!

[wannabechef]

How deep is the low spot?

[PorkChopsMmm]

I've got a couple that are probably 6" deep and another that would probably need to be raised 12" total in it's lowest spot.

[simi-steading]

For a parking lot fill is fine, but if it's the garden area, or anywhere you want grass, you'll want top soil...

[PorkChopsMmm]

Sorry, should have clarified more -- the garden area needs to be flattened out for raised beds. The raised beds will have composted cow manure, peat moss, etc. but I was just going to use the fill to level the ground. We are going to cover the walkways up with mulch.

[haypoint]

I have clay soil. If I were to fill a low area with sand, top soil or potting soil, it would just be a muddy mess. If I dig a hole for a tree and back fill it with anything but clay, the rain fills the spot and floods the tree. Is screened fill basically sand? Does the water in these low areas soak in in a day or two or basically dry up by eevaporation?

Looks like you have the basic idea. Hard at first controlling the lift on the back blade to get everything level.

[PorkChopsMmm]

Thanks guys.

The area dries out from evaporation well. We have 6" or so of topsoil and then it is all sand. I am in West Michigan (LP) and I have never seen clay on our property.

I used the backblade for plowing snow in the winter and I am not very good at finely controlling the depth, etc. I am afraid I am going to make a bigger mess if I do something wrong.

[watcher]

It takes time and some skill to fill in and get a good leveled spot with a grader blade. Each time you drag it more of the dirt will slide off the ends of the blade than you will pull into the low spot. You can do it but if its a large area you'd be better off if you can get a box blade.

I can't explain why but when moving dirt with a blade it works better if you turn the blade around and push it rather than try to pull it. Well I can give you one reason, you don't have to either wait for the blade to bite into the dirt pile or keep driving the tractor over the pile.

[PorkChopsMmm]

Thanks for the recommendation on push it backwards -- makes sense. I think I will do that.

[haypoint]

This may sound sort of obvious, but here goes. Those lower areas are collection points for a much larger area. By filling them, the water that can't soak in (as it once did), will have to run off to another area. Be aware of erosion cropping up where there once was none.

[geo in mi]

The 8N should have a second lever next to the lift lever that will allow you to set your backblade in a fixed position....called a position control. If you go over a hump, the blade should compensate by going down, and vice versa. Give it a try....

geo

[am1too]

Originally Posted by PorkChopsMmm

We are going to put in a garden and a better parking area around our place in the next few weekends. We recently had some flooding here from a nearby creek that clearly showed some law spots. I figured I would get ~10 yards or so of screened fill dropped off ($20 a yard) and go to town. Below is my plan -- thoughts/advice? I've never done this before.

Use a dirt scoop on the back of my Ford 8N tractor to move material. Wish I had a front end loader but this is what I've got. I would drop off more than I need and then go to the next step...



Switch to my back blade and pull the fill material into the hole. I figured I would then drive over the low spot with one of my back tires trying to compress the fill. Then I would scrap some more in there and drive over it again until it seemed good and packed down.
This is not me or my tractor...



Done? Advice? Thanks!

What i'd do is make a ditch on each side of the drive and box blade it or use you drag blade. If you fill the holes you will always be filling the holes. do the ditches and be done with it. Ya gotta clean the ditches once in a while. Easy hand shovel work. That's what I did.

[PorkChopsMmm]

Originally Posted by haypoint

This may sound sort of obvious, but here goes. Those lower areas are collection points for a much larger area. By filling them, the water that can't soak in (as it once did), will have to run off to another area. Be aware of erosion cropping up where there once was none.

Thanks haypoint. I have a larger goal of berming up near certain areas of the creek that flooded. Hopefully this won't happen again if I do that.

Originally Posted by geo in mi

The 8N should have a second lever next to the lift lever that will allow you to set your backblade in a fixed position....called a position control. If you go over a hump, the blade should compensate by going down, and vice versa. Give it a try....

geo

Geo -- too funny. People told me what that was for in tilling terms. Never thought of using it for this purpose. Thank you!

[Big Dave]

Wood chips

[am1too]

Originally Posted by Big Dave

Wood chips

They are great after they get packed down even in the drive. I personally use them for washes. Slows the water down very good.