"Jim Sullivan" wrote in message ...
"W.D." wdanis at NO SPAM yahoo dot com wrote in message
...
I just killed off all the weeds (and what little grass there was) in the
front lawn of my Atlanta home by spraying it with Roundup on Sunday and am
ready for the next steps. Here's my plan of attack:
1. Till the lawn on Friday afternoon (am I better off renting a slicer
seeder and skipping the tilling? If I till, how deep should I go?)
2. Apply seed and cover (straw?) on Saturday
3. Keep moist for several weeks until it starts to grow

Am I missing anything? Should I put topsoil or fertilizer down first? I'm
obviously a newbie so any time/labor saving hints would be appreciated.
Thanks

I thought the next thing to do after applying the roundup was to wait 2
weeks for it to wear off. If you plant too soon, the roundup will kill the
seedlings.

You can seed 7 days after applying Roundup. It usually takes at least
that long for the grass to die anyway.

If the soil is good and you're not planning on mixing in more humus,
etc, then I would not till it. If you do, you're going to wind up
with clumps of dead grass, it will be uneven and a lot more work to
level. I'd just mow it short when it's dead, rake up any excess
clippings, fill in any low spots with top soil, then use a slice
seeder. The dead grass will also act as mulch to help keep it damp,
so I'd skip the straw, which usually has weeds in it.

You should also put down starter fertilizer. Have the soil tested and
if necessary lime with the appropriate amount. Keep it constantly
moist, which probably means watering lightly at least twice a day.