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On Jun 18, 9:49 pm, "JimR" wrote:
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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.
[--]
the answer to your
question depends on where you live and what kind of turf grass you want to
use. Some of the above answer may make sense in the U.S. midwest but not
where you're located in the UK. There's no substitute for local knowledge,
but also I don't think you need to obsess over the lawn in the way
suggested
here. You may want to use sod instead of seed,

What makes sod less obsessive than killing off and renovating? If
anything, it's MORE expensive and certainly more work.

-- The OP implied he was going to lay sod, and in the long run I think it
will provide a better lawn and takes less care at the beginning


or the best type for your
area may be a sterile hybrid that does not have seed, making sod
mandatory.
Most turf grass doesn't send down deep roots so it's overkill to do much
more than level everything and make sure it drains well.

[--]

Trying to change
the basic pH of a location is an exercise in futility because of all the
forces that will be trying to keep it at a certain point. Almost all of
your lawn's food comes from above ground, not below -- you can grow
perfectly good sod on a slab of concrete if you provide it with regular
water and fertilizer.

That's contrary to the advice of every turf grass expert who's advice
I've seen. There is a range of PH that is best suited to turf. The
desired range varies depending on the species. But if it's not in
the range, it should be adjusted. And in most cases, if it's out,
it's on the acidic side, with limestone being the easy and cheap
fix. [--]

Here's a quote from the extension service --

"Modifying the soil's pH is not recommended. Alkaline soils will not stay
acidic if chemically altered. In general, slightly acidic soils need not be
modified"

OTOH, if the pH was down below 4, limestone could be used to bring it to a
lower acidic level, but the need would be there to repeatedly relime the
property. Particiularly in the UK, which has had an acid rain problem, the
effects of lime are quickly lost to the persistent rainfall.

A key point is that the OP resides in the UK, and is moving into a house
which had an existing lawn. Based on my experience there many/most homes
will have lawns that are small enough that laying sod shouldn't be a big
task - and the OP implied that he was planning on using sod --. Better to
use a turfgrass variety that specifically thrives in the area in which the
OP lives (ie, the UK). Mostly the UK has good turf, but there are some
areas where it just won't grow --

So I would first find out why the existing lawn is in bad shape - is the OP
near the ocean with salt spray? Was the house built on Welsh coal mine
tailings? If it was just due to bad care, then I would:

1. Remove any rocks, construction debris, etc.
2. Mow the old lawn at a very low height
3. Spray with glyphosate
4. Wait 2 weeks and respray any areas that regrew, if necessary. If you're
in a hurry and using sod you can even skip steps 3 and 4 without unduly
jeopardizing your lawn, although I would do them in your situation.
5. Turn the soil to break it up and level the area so that it slopes away
from the house and has no low areas that would collect water
6. Only consider soil amendments and lime if there were some unusual
conditions - e.g., covered in gravel, used as a parking lot, or you needed
to fill in a part of the lawn
7. If I had the money-- or if the best turfgrass is only available by
vegetative reproduction (no seeds for sale) -- sod the area with a quality
product. Any place there is a significant grade I would insist on sod
instead of seed.
7a. If I couldn't afford sod, buy a quality, locally-appropriate seed for
application, keeping in mind the initial care is going to be much more
extensive than if sod is laid down.

Given most locations in the UK, I wouldn't worry about waiting until the
fall - the climate is not going to be severe enough to warrant the delay. --
and if you use sod and were in a hurry you could even skip steps 2 and 4
without creating much of a weed problem, as long as you turned the the soil
well. In either case, once you turn the soil you're exposing a new seed
bank of weeds to air, light and moisture.

One point - mow first, then use the glyphosate - the chemical is much more
effective when the grass blade is cut and trying to regrow.


I think we both are in general agreement on the steps, but the way I read
the question he doesn't have to worry about some of the steps you had in
your solution. If the OP was buying a new house in a clay belt or rocky
part of the U.S. midwest it would be a different story. In the UK the soil
and weather are mostly favorable for good turfgrass unless you're near the
ocean and have a salt and/or sand problem.