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#1
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Lawn Inversion
If I use Roundup (will this endanger bordering hedges and shrubs?),
should I add new topsoil directly on the dead grass, or first till? I wouldn't leave it all winter without planting something, and that something may as well be grass. You risk erosion if you leave it bare and I can't think of any positive things that will come from a bare lawn. No matter what you do, you will end up with some weeds. I'm not sure you need to go down 8 inches, but its your lawn. I would kill off the grass with Roundup, correct the grade, cultivate the surface slightly, seed, cover, and keep moist. Fall is a good time in most areas, so you can start the prep in late summer. Next spring, be sure to apply some pre-emergent herbicide because there will be weed seeds that will germinate otherwise. |
#2
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Lawn Inversion
You have no plans to plant anything even remotely edible on our near the
treated area in the future, right? "Greg Miller" wrote in message om... If I use Roundup (will this endanger bordering hedges and shrubs?), should I add new topsoil directly on the dead grass, or first till? I wouldn't leave it all winter without planting something, and that something may as well be grass. You risk erosion if you leave it bare and I can't think of any positive things that will come from a bare lawn. No matter what you do, you will end up with some weeds. I'm not sure you need to go down 8 inches, but its your lawn. I would kill off the grass with Roundup, correct the grade, cultivate the surface slightly, seed, cover, and keep moist. Fall is a good time in most areas, so you can start the prep in late summer. Next spring, be sure to apply some pre-emergent herbicide because there will be weed seeds that will germinate otherwise. |
#3
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Lawn Inversion
"Greg Miller" wrote in message om... If I use Roundup (will this endanger bordering hedges and shrubs?), should I add new topsoil directly on the dead grass, or first till? Roundup has to be applied to growing, green parts of plants to kill them. If you spray the leaves of the hedge, it will probably kill the leaves and MIGHT kill the hedge. Therefore, you have to be careful not to spray on windy days and you have to be careful. I would shield the hedge with some cardboard if there is a question. I won't kill things by from soil contact. Always read the directions before using garden chemicals I would till the entire area and rake to remove large clumps and stones. Then I would add soil and level. You can LIGHTLY roll the area and then seed. As someone mentioned, you can rent a sod cutter to removed the existing lawn and that will eliminate the need for chemicals. |
#4
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Lawn Inversion
"Steve Wolfe" wrote in message ... I've got a lawn, about 50' x 70'. It's more than half weeds, despite several years of half-hearted spraying and picking. The grade is wrong; it slopes to the middle of the yard. So basically I want to start anew. My intended course of action is to flip over the lawn (after the fall) by shovel to a depth of 8" (so that no weeds return). Then bring in topsoil and grade. Leave over the winter for further settling. In the spring, fix any holes caused by settling and then seed. Wow. Turning over 3500 square feet with a shovel sounds like an awful lot of work just to make sure that weeds are gone. You could just as easily use the chemical of your choice to kill everything, water for a week to see if any seeds come up, then take care of that. Then add the topsoil, prepare, and plant. Don't get me wrong, if you want your yard tilled, by all means, till it - but if it were me, I'd at least rent a tiller, I wouldn't do it with the shovel! Agreed, except for the watering part. No matter what, there will be weed seeds germinate. |
#5
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Lawn Inversion
On 21 Jul 2004 08:38:31 -0700, Greg Miller wrote:
several years of half-hearted spraying and picking. The grade is wrong; it slopes to the middle of the yard. So basically I want to start anew. My intended course of action is to flip over the lawn (after the fall) by shovel to a depth of 8" (so that no weeds return). Then bring in topsoil and grade. Leave over the winter for further settling. In the spring, fix any holes caused by settling and then seed. I think you'll be badly disappointed in the results. Depending on your feeling about glyphosate vs. organic solutions, what I'd do is nuke the current lawn, either with a Roundup clone or by solarizing. The solarization, if done properly, will reduce the number of viable weed seeds in the soil, while the Roundup or similar won't. http://www.homestore.com/HomeGarden/...lants/Weeds/SN ST_Solar.asp?poe=homestore (mind the wrap) or http://tinyurl.com/5oyv3 Hire someone with the proper equipment to till and regrade this fall, then reseed promptly. You don't want to leave the soil uncovered for the winter, and fall is the best time to replant grass in most of North America. By late spring, you should have a fairly thick lawn, ready for first mowing. Some information on soil seed banks (which is what you're dealing with): http://www.agron.iastate.edu/~weeds/...9/bioeco/lifec ycle/seedbank.html#Seedbank%20Size%20and%20Quality (mind the wrap) or http://tinyurl.com/3zfsw and: http://www.weeds.iastate.edu/mgmt/qtr00-1/seedfate.htm and: http://weedeco.msu.montana.edu/class...0/lecture5.htm |
#6
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Lawn Inversion
Hello all,
I've got a lawn, about 50' x 70'. It's more than half weeds, despite several years of half-hearted spraying and picking. The grade is wrong; it slopes to the middle of the yard. So basically I want to start anew. My intended course of action is to flip over the lawn (after the fall) by shovel to a depth of 8" (so that no weeds return). Then bring in topsoil and grade. Leave over the winter for further settling. In the spring, fix any holes caused by settling and then seed. This is a major project, so I would really appreciate any suggestions. |
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