On Jun 15, 6:34*pm, Noviceatlawns Noviceatlawns.
wrote:
So glad I found this forum. I will apologise straight away as I am a
complete novice at gardening in general and could use some advice.

We've moved into a new house and the lawn is in a bad state so we have
decide that it is the best to kill it off and re turf. Once I kill the
lawn and weeds, I was told by a friend that I would need to hire a
rotavator to churn up the earth, rake it and pull out clumps and weeds
etc, and then put a top soil down. Is this about right? I just want to
be sure I am being pointed in the right direction!!

I've read on websites about soil improvers. Is that something I would
use in addition to the top soil? Also, and idea how long to wait
bewteen putting weed/lawn killer down and proceeding with turf laying?
I read somewhere that it should be about 6 weeks?

Many thanks for any responses

--
Noviceatlawns


First, early Fall is the best time for lawn renovation. You have
declining temps, usually more rain, less competition from weeds.
etc. The new lawn then has a couple months in the Fall and then
several more in Spring to get established before Summer stress
arrives.

What you need to do to the soil depends on what you have there now.
If it's 7 inches of good sandy loam, there is no need to till it. On
the other hand, if the top soil is non-existent or only 2" deep, then
it should be fixed before proceeding. If there is a county
agriculutural agency in your area, often they do soil analysis for a
small fee. You should also make sure the PH is tested and adjusted if
needed.

Assuming the topsoil is OK, then you can kill the whole thing off with
Roundup (glyphosate) the last week of summer. After it dies, mow it
short and remove all the debris. You can re-seed a week after
applying and it usually takes that long or llonger for it to die
off. Look on the internet for glyphosate instead of Roundup, as you
need a lot. Razor is one of the less expensive brands.

After raking up debris, rent a core aerator to aerate the soil. Then
rent a slice seeder to apply the seeds. Make sure to choose a high
quality seed that is appropriate for the climate and application.
Keep it constantly moist for a couple weeks, then slowly start to
water less frequently, but deeper.