Re: Lawn/turf question

[Warren]

We have decided to plant a small section of our acre with grass

(mainly

to keep the soil in place, since our property is sloped and we're having > a problem with drainage and erosion). The area is about 20 by 50 feet. > > All the advice I read on the internet suggests killing off all weeds > with an herbicide prior to laying sod. I do not want to do this because > even the safest herbicides can affect wildlife (plus we live on a creek, > and the herbicides would inevitably wash into it). > > Does anybody here have experience with handpulling all the > weeds/volunteers prior to laying sod, and did this work well for you? > Any other suggestions for how we could get rid of the weeds prior to > laying sod? > > Finally, any other advice re: sodding our lawn? (We're in FLorida). > We've read the brochures from the University extension service, but we > would love to hear about your personl experience. Thanks in advance!

Seems to me that there would be far better, low maintenance ground covers available than grass. You do realize that the hard work will come

*after* you lay the sod, right?

[Bahia]

Thanks! We're new to lawns/gardens (our lot is basically an acre of woods) so this did not occur to us, and wasn't mentioned in the site-prep articles we read. Sounds like a great idea for serious consideration.

[Joseph Meehan]

I would also second the suggestion that you consider something other than grass for the site. Other ground covers may be a better choice.

[Bahia]

Please see my response to another poster. We are very open to the idea of groundcover. We have talked to 2 landscapers, both of whom suggested grass (even though we told them we would consider grass OR groundcover).

We are >

[Phisherman]

It is a lot of work to pull the weeds. Work when the soil is damp, after a rain. It would certainly help to have more than one person doing the task. Listen carefully to your local experienced people about the various types of grass that grow well in your climate. Using the best grass type for your climate will greatly reduce your maintenance chores and increase your chance of a nice lawn.