Preparing weeded area for turf.

[richthesparky]

Hello

I have an area of garden that I wish to turf and would be grateful fo some help with how to prepare it. The area is approx 30' x 30' and has lots of weeds.I keep digging the up and have put weedkiller on them many times (with little effect),the i dont get the time to complete the job and the weeds come back.

Can i dig out most of the weeds and turf straight over ? someon suggested putting black polythene over,waiting for the weeds to die an then turfing ? Will the weeds grow thru the turf or will the turf prevent thi happening ? Can i rotavate the blighters over ?

I really know nothing about gardening (see my username for m speciality) and my back wont stand much more weeding.The end resul just needs to be grass not an immaculate 'lawn'.

Here is a picture link to give you an idea.

help would be greatly appreciated.Regards

Rich

-- richthesparky

[trader4]

The first problem is, in your area, now is far from the best time to be trying to establish a lawn, unless you are doing it from sod. Now you will have need to use a lot of water and will have competition from weeds. So, you may want to consider waiting till very late summer/early fall which is optimal.

When you do it, first, I'd mow down what you have there with the mower set as high as possible. Then I'd wait a few days for the weeds to pop back up a bit through the debris thats left from cutting. Then use a tank sprayer with Roundup or another glyphosate weed killer to spray everything. I'd make the solution relatively strong, about 3%, so you'll be sure to kill eveything. In about a week to 10 days you can mow it again, this time as low as possible. Then rake up any debris. Rent a slice seeder and use that to seed it. Apply a starter fertilizer and keep it constantly wet. I'd also check the PH now and adjust if needed.

[Steveo]

Let me stop you right there. Something is very wrong with your recipe.

[Jonny]

"weed" is a very generic term.

A few weeks ago a hired landscaper for a local dollar type store sprayed roundup on the general grounds and parking lot perimeter. It has/had all kinds of "weeds". It killed the Johnson grass commonly called a "weed", but none of the other "weeds".

You should not have to use a herbicide more than once. If it don't work the first time, its not going to work.

If the ground is reasonably not rocky but fertile, just rent a rototiller. Till up the first 3" or 4" of ground and let the sun and air kill the foliage. Then rake out the foliage with a bow rake. Throw some sod on top of the prepped soil. Keep it well watered every few days, not everyday, don't drown it.

[trader4]

I agree with Steveo here. If a landscaper can only kill one type of weed in a parking lot with an application of weed killer, I'd find a new landscaper. Herbicides like Roundup kill a very broad range of vegetation, are easy to use, and very effective.

A lot depends on the concentration of the herbicide. If you're treating a large area, you typically use a mix strong enough to kill just about anything that is there. However, it's not unusual to find some weeds that are tougher to kill or areas where the spray was not perfectly applied due to wind, etc. So, having to do a second pass 2 weeks later to get a few remaining weeds that have not been fully killed is not unusual.

Have you ever tried to rake after tilling two foot high weeds and grass? Tilling it won't kill it all. You now have clumps of crap, lots of weeds/grass still growing, and it's a real back braking mess.

Throw some sod on top

[Jonny]

The plastic container with commercial label said "Roundup" on it. That's what I saw. It just killed the Johnson grass.

Landscaper generally drowned the perimeter. This is what I saw.

I don't use herbicides period, myself.

Thought the OP would throw some common sense in, and wack the weeds first. Rake, then till. At least that's what I intended. Don't think you like me, taking potshots.

Initial good soil prep is backbreaking. But, worth it in the long run.

[trader4]

So, the guy killing weeds in a parking lot was spraying it righto out of container that said Roundup? That doesn;t sound right. And if all it killed was Johnson grass, then he was ripping you off, as Roundup is very effective against a broad spectrum of vegetation.

Yes, we can see that.

I'm not taking pot shots, just pointing out that if he followed your advice, he's in for a lot of unecessary work and it's not going to kill many of the weeds.

Initial good soil prep is backbreaking. But, worth it in the long run.

It's worth it, but it doesn't have to be backbreaking, if you know what you're doing.

[richthesparky]

Hello

Cheers for replys people.

So,its RoundUp (strongest recommended concentration),reapply t stubborn ones,roto it over when their dead,rake out all the debris,pu the turf (sods) over it and water well.(oh...and keep me finger crossed)

About right ?

Many thank for above (and further) advice.

Rich

-- richthesparky

[trader4]

If it were me, I wouldn't till it up. Tilling is fine, it's the raking that's gonna kill you. If you never tried to do this, its a real mess. You will have clumps of weeds, grass, etc that isn't easy to just rake, cause it's all mixed in.

You said the area was a previous garden. I would go with seed instead of sod and follow the advice I gave previously using a slice seedier. The remaining dead mowed weeds/grass clippings will provide a light mulch to help keep the grass seed moist. You'll save a lot of money and a lot of work. If you want to do sod, then, yes the steps you have above are what u need to do.