Levelling a grass runway

Does anyone here have any experience improving a grass runway. In
particular levelling it without actually removing the grass, leveliing the
soil, and resowing / returfing.

I wonder if a routine of rigorous slicing aerating followed by sand / grit
dressing, and rolling would do the job?

Jim

On Sep 22, 10:30*am, Jim White wrote:
Does anyone here have any experience improving a grass runway. In
particular levelling it without actually removing the grass, leveliing the
soil, and resowing / returfing.

I wonder if a routine of rigorous slicing aerating followed by sand / grit
dressing, and rolling would do the job?

Jim

Hi Jim,

I guess there's "levelling" and then there's "LEVELLING". The
former is probably filling in some minor pot-holes and depressions;
the latter is taking out significant undulations. Since you're in
the UK based on your email, I'd say that "fixing" the runway at
Dunstable is an example of the latter while improving the already
wonderful runways at Cambridge GC is an example of the former.

If you want an example that's somewhere in between, there was a
project done last winter/spring here in the Pennsylvania to fix up Van
Sant Airport. If you were to email the Buck's County Airport
Authority (BCAA) and ask for any information they could provide on the
scope of work and process used, it might give you some ideas. You
can google the organization name or try emailing them at:
(BCAA at Bellatlantic.net)

Jim
If you are trying to get rid of small imperfections then one way is by
buying a Pasture topper (a web search shows second hand small ones around
£1000/1500). The wider the better! This is a heavy duty lawn mower with
cast iron flails. They run on skids set to ride on or just above the
surface with the cutter set to the required grass height. They not only
cut the grass but knock any tops of the lumps and leaves the grass and
earth in situ, this will re-grow unless you chain harrow and spread it
around so the muck fills the adjacent holes. Cutting in different
directions also helps.

It is a long process and will take several years for big improvements, but
the grass grows quickly on the tops through the filled hollows, it is a
fairly natural process and allows the strip to remain in use. They are
not as effective on big lumps and hollows. You may be able to borrow one
from a local farmer.

Accompanying this you can use a good roller, again as wide as possible and
one you can fill with water and roll the ground probably twice a year. In
four directions up and down, across the width and diagonally in both
diagonal directions. Small rollers tend can follow the lump and can make
them worse. Again a local farmer may help with a big roller.

Aerating with sand and gravel will help improve the drainage and raking
with a chain harrow will help remove the thatch some small lumps and
assist grass growth.


Dave
At 16:11 22 September 2009, Papa3 wrote:
On Sep 22, 10:30=A0am, Jim White wrote:
Does anyone here have any experience improving a grass runway. In
particular levelling it without actually removing the grass, leveliing
th=
e
soil, and resowing / returfing.

I wonder if a routine of rigorous slicing aerating followed by sand /
gri=
t
dressing, and rolling would do the job?

Jim

Hi Jim,

I guess there's "levelling" and then there's "LEVELLING". The
former is probably filling in some minor pot-holes and depressions;
the latter is taking out significant undulations. Since you're in
the UK based on your email, I'd say that "fixing" the runway at
Dunstable is an example of the latter while improving the already
wonderful runways at Cambridge GC is an example of the former.

If you want an example that's somewhere in between, there was a
project done last winter/spring here in the Pennsylvania to fix up Van
Sant Airport. If you were to email the Buck's County Airport
Authority (BCAA) and ask for any information they could provide on the
scope of work and process used, it might give you some ideas. You
can google the organization name or try emailing them at:
(BCAA at Bellatlantic.net)

We were cautioned that too much rolling can convert the soil to clay that
won't drain and won't be aerated and will not support good growth. How
much is too much I have no idea, but we have elected to live with some
uneveness.

At 16:45 22 September 2009, Dave Martin wrote:
Jim
If you are trying to get rid of small imperfections then one way is by
buying a Pasture topper (a web search shows second hand small ones
around
£1000/1500). The wider the better! This is a heavy duty lawn mower with
cast iron flails. They run on skids set to ride on or just above the
surface with the cutter set to the required grass height. They not only
cut the grass but knock any tops of the lumps and leaves the grass and
earth in situ, this will re-grow unless you chain harrow and spread it
around so the muck fills the adjacent holes. Cutting in different
directions also helps.

It is a long process and will take several years for big improvements,
but
the grass grows quickly on the tops through the filled hollows, it is a
fairly natural process and allows the strip to remain in use. They are
not as effective on big lumps and hollows. You may be able to borrow
one
from a local farmer.

Accompanying this you can use a good roller, again as wide as possible
and
one you can fill with water and roll the ground probably twice a year.
In
four directions up and down, across the width and diagonally in both
diagonal directions. Small rollers tend can follow the lump and can
make
them worse. Again a local farmer may help with a big roller.

Aerating with sand and gravel will help improve the drainage and raking
with a chain harrow will help remove the thatch some small lumps and
assist grass growth.


Dave
At 16:11 22 September 2009, Papa3 wrote:
On Sep 22, 10:30=A0am, Jim White wrote:
Does anyone here have any experience improving a grass runway. In
particular levelling it without actually removing the grass,
leveliing
th=
e
soil, and resowing / returfing.

I wonder if a routine of rigorous slicing aerating followed by sand /
gri=
t
dressing, and rolling would do the job?

Jim

Hi Jim,

I guess there's "levelling" and then there's "LEVELLING". The
former is probably filling in some minor pot-holes and depressions;
the latter is taking out significant undulations. Since you're in
the UK based on your email, I'd say that "fixing" the runway at
Dunstable is an example of the latter while improving the already
wonderful runways at Cambridge GC is an example of the former.

If you want an example that's somewhere in between, there was a
project done last winter/spring here in the Pennsylvania to fix up Van
Sant Airport. If you were to email the Buck's County Airport
Authority (BCAA) and ask for any information they could provide on the
scope of work and process used, it might give you some ideas. You
can google the organization name or try emailing them at:
(BCAA at Bellatlantic.net)

It is a question of degrees, to much produces a flat field
but can produce compaction, (squashing the top layers)and then you get a
slimy fungus forming, that oozes out when tyres run over it. Never heard
of it producing clay, but would not argue.

That is why it is probably best done once a year and in diifferent
directions each time. Too much cutting produces a heathly moss
infestation.

It is little and often with cutting and rolling to produce a healthy
thatch.

Grass needs a lot of care -- dont tell the wife because my home lawn is a
mess

Dave

At 18:15 22 September 2009, Nyal Williams wrote:
We were cautioned that too much rolling can convert the soil to clay
that
won't drain and won't be aerated and will not support good growth.
How
much is too much I have no idea, but we have elected to live with some
uneveness.

At 16:45 22 September 2009, Dave Martin wrote:
Jim
If you are trying to get rid of small imperfections then one way is by
buying a Pasture topper (a web search shows second hand small ones
around
£1000/1500). The wider the better! This is a heavy duty lawn mower with
cast iron flails. They run on skids set to ride on or just above the
surface with the cutter set to the required grass height. They not only
cut the grass but knock any tops of the lumps and leaves the grass and
earth in situ, this will re-grow unless you chain harrow and spread it
around so the muck fills the adjacent holes. Cutting in different
directions also helps.

It is a long process and will take several years for big improvements,
but
the grass grows quickly on the tops through the filled hollows, it is a
fairly natural process and allows the strip to remain in use. They are
not as effective on big lumps and hollows. You may be able to borrow
one
from a local farmer.

Accompanying this you can use a good roller, again as wide as possible
and
one you can fill with water and roll the ground probably twice a year.
In
four directions up and down, across the width and diagonally in both
diagonal directions. Small rollers tend can follow the lump and can
make
them worse. Again a local farmer may help with a big roller.

Aerating with sand and gravel will help improve the drainage and raking
with a chain harrow will help remove the thatch some small lumps and
assist grass growth.


Dave
At 16:11 22 September 2009, Papa3 wrote:
On Sep 22, 10:30=A0am, Jim White wrote:
Does anyone here have any experience improving a grass runway. In
particular levelling it without actually removing the grass,
leveliing
th=
e
soil, and resowing / returfing.

I wonder if a routine of rigorous slicing aerating followed by sand
/
gri=
t
dressing, and rolling would do the job?

Jim

Hi Jim,

I guess there's "levelling" and then there's "LEVELLING". The
former is probably filling in some minor pot-holes and depressions;
the latter is taking out significant undulations. Since you're in
the UK based on your email, I'd say that "fixing" the runway at
Dunstable is an example of the latter while improving the already
wonderful runways at Cambridge GC is an example of the former.

If you want an example that's somewhere in between, there was a
project done last winter/spring here in the Pennsylvania to fix up Van
Sant Airport. If you were to email the Buck's County Airport
Authority (BCAA) and ask for any information they could provide on the
scope of work and process used, it might give you some ideas. You
can google the organization name or try emailing them at:
(BCAA at Bellatlantic.net)

Jim,
At my club in Virginia, one of our members has been able to borrow a
15 ton powered roller (you ride on it). Members are then "checked
out" to drive it and volunteer to spend time running it up and down
the airfield. Special emphasis is then placed on problem areas and
appropriate fill dirt added where needed. This has worked out very
well in leveling the the underlying dirt without significant impact to
the grass. It just pops back up.

Later!

-Mark
On Sep 22, 8:30*am, Jim White wrote:
Does anyone here have any experience improving a grass runway. In
particular levelling it without actually removing the grass, leveliing the
soil, and resowing / returfing.

I wonder if a routine of rigorous slicing aerating followed by sand / grit
dressing, and rolling would do the job?

Jim