Getting ready to lay down topsoil for new lawn

[lzicc]

Here is where I am at. I cleared a good area of my property that had allot of large pine trees in them. I pulled them down, roots and all. I scraped the current yards topsoil last year and put it in a pile, so I am down to raw dirt. The area I am working with is roughly 50' x 100' and I will be putting the topsoil back down and planting grass. I need to level off the current raw land now since there it is bumpy and uneven now from pulling the trees and filling in the root holes. The dirt that is there now is like clay and clay type dirt.

Here is what I have to work with, L3800 tractor, FEL, Boxblade, landscape rake, grader blade and tiller.

My thoughts are to use the boxblade to level out the raw dirt, then use the FEL to roughly spread the topsoil all over the yard, then till the topsoil to break down any clumps in the topsoil, use the boxblade again to level off the topsoil, then go over it with a landscape rake. Some of the topsoil is somewhat clumpy and I am hoping that the tiller will smooth all that out and the rake would pull out any remaining clumps and rocks. Does the plan sound right?

My other concern is weeds. How can I treat the dirt prior to seeding it to kill any weed seeds that will be in it?

 

[Western]

You could use a pre-emergent, but read the label first on a new lawn. Timing is important with pre-emergent's and it wont work with every weed.

You could also treat the weeds after they have come up.

 

[MarkV]

Sounds like you have a good plan. I wouldn't till too deep so you leave the top soil on top. Not sure of any treatment to kill weed seeds before they geminate that would not kill new grass seed also.

Have you done a soil test to see what soil amendments need adding? If you need lime like we do spread it before you till in the top soil.

MarkV

 

[lzicc]

That's a good idea with the amendments. I did think about leaving the topsoil go after I lay it down to let the weeds come up.

I have a big pile of chips from all the pine tree branches I chipped up from last year that have rotted down pretty good. Should I mix some of that mulch with my current top soil or would that be a bad idea?

 

[MarkV]

If you have clay, as mentioned in the first post, and pines, they like acidic soil, I'll bet you need lime to balance the PH for turf grass. Check your county extension agent. They are generally the source for soil tests that tell you what you need. Seed is so expensive these days you need to get the soil right or you are throwing the money away on seed.

With clay soil I don't think you can go wrong mixing in organic matter like your composted chips.

MarkV