OldWasp said:

Thanks for the advice - so do you mean that I can use a weed barrier to
stop weeds from coming up? If so, how much soil should be on top of the
weed barrier?

No, it would stunt the lawn grass and make it vulnerable to drought. Forget
the weed barrier.

One of my reasons for growing grass is to stop weeds from coming up,
making it easier for me to maintain.

Do you think that once grass is growing well, it will stop weeds from
coming up? If the grass will act as a weed barrier in itself, then I
probably won't bother putting in a physical one.

Yes, a good, healthy stand of turf will block the weeds. You may need to do
spot weeding to keep it that way. This requires a mower with a sharp blade
that you use often and at the proper height setting. (Many people mow too
close and too infrequently.)

What you may want to do (if you have the time and patience and are willing
to use some chemicals weed killers) is to spray the lawn-to-be with
glyphosate to kill the current vegetation, then when it's dead, till, add
topsoil, and regrade.

Let the weeds sprout, then kill, till and regrade if neccessary. Let the weeds
sprout one more time, kill the sprouts and rake. *Then* plant your grass
seed, using recommended varieties and guidelines for your area.

The extra cycles of letting the weeds sprout and killing them will (somewhat)
deplete the supply of weed seeds that will be competing with your new grass
*and* give the area time to settle a bit *before* you commit your time and
resources to growing the lawn.
--
Pat in Plymouth MI

"Yes, swooping is bad."

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