How to approach lawn renovation

[thefisherman]

Hey all, I'm looking for advice on lawn renovation. My side and backyard have been neglected for about 2 years during some bigger DIY landscaping projects and it's time to get things right. There's about 20,000 sq ft to do. Much of it is very bumpy, uneven, and overrun with weeds from the 2 years of neglect. I have about 3 yards of topsoil set aside from various areas I dug out for retaining wall setup. In addition to leveling I need to do a little bit of grading.

I have a Massey GC1715 w/loader, a pto tiller, box blade, and walk behind broadcast spreader. A neighbor has a couple implements offered up - 3 point seeder with heavy spiked roller (but no power rake), and a landscape rake. Other neighbor has a regular smooth lawn roller that you fill with water.

I've sprayed roundup to get ready to go and will go over and scalp it all with the zero turn once it's good and brown but want to get opinions on how to move forward after that. I fear if I till too much I'll be bringing up a gazillion weed seeds to compete with the grass, but if I do nothing the compact ground won't be very friendly to seed at all.

In an ideal world I think I'd drag a soil pulverizer around a few dozen times to shape things how I want, but nobody around here has one for rent. Going with just what I have I think I'd carve off the high spots with the box blade to fill the low spots, grade with the box blade, and when I'm "close" to what I want, go over it with the tiller set to maybe 1-2" deep to avoid pulling up too much weed seed. But then, after seeding, when I go over it with the roller, I'll leave really compact lines from the tractor tires, even pulling several hundred pounds of lawn roller behind me.

What do you all think?

 

[jaxs]

I think there's more seed in the top 1" of soil than in next 12 combined. I think a soil test can tell you more than a dozen well meaning friends combined. I think the right % of organic matter is more important than how or how deeag p soil is cultivated. I think your local ag extension can be your best friend now and in the future.

 

[thebmrust]

I have about 1.25 acres of grassed area. It was weeds for years before we bought the place. It took 5-6 months of fixing water issues and prepping the ground for seed.
Head over to thelawnforum.com and be prepared for an education.

That being said, you are on the right track, but my thoughts are probably too late and youæ±*e already well into the next steps.

Still, prepping ground, having water, adding amendments if necessary and dropping seed all need to happen. Then you battle new grass and weed mitigation.

Or... do it the old fashioned way and drop seed and let nature take control.

I did both. I didn稚 have the money to buy enough herbicide and soil amendments for 55,000+ sq ft. So I dropped seed and hoped for the best. I did use tenacity for weed control... but I may have damaged the lawn in the process (I値l known in a few more weeks).

The house yard side got more attention than the 1 acre pasture.
House: multiple smoothing passed with chain link fence panel and raking up debris made for a nice area of new grass.
Pasture: one pass with fence panel after seed went down means rows that look better for corn than grass and it looks bad.

Hopefully you were able to get seed down and are already seeing the results.

 

[RalphVa]

I'd just level it where needed and spread that topsoil you've saved and level it in and then seed and roll.

Weeds are green. What's the purpose of weed-free lawn? A green desert? It is. Bugs won't like it. No blossoms. Need some clover and a few other weeds like dandelions, etc. to provide blossoms.

Ralph

 

[thefisherman]

Hopefully you were able to get seed down and are already seeing the results.

Super ironic you posted this last night, just yesterday I finally got a section seeded. Pretty much everything you mentioned happened here too. Two years ago I tried seeding a section but didn't have the water pressure - both outdoor spigots were fed by 1/2" lines that came through both the whole house filter and water softener. That winter I made a 3/4" branch off the main line before the filter and softener that feeds only the spigot on the back of the house, now we have 65psi to supply sprinklers. :thumbsup:

The one section I have done is about 2,000 sq ft and was already leveled and smoothed. I scalped it with the mower, swept up the clippings, then went over it a few times with the towable dethatcher to break up the surface. Did two passes of seed, then pulled the dethatcher over it again, then starter fertilizer. HOPEFULLY this Saturday, now that I'm not on call, I can finish up the rest and have it ready. I'll need to buy a couple more hoses, timers, and sprinklers, if I have any hope of getting grass going this year before a freeze.


@RalphVa, we have about 3/4 acre out back that started as K-31 but isn't sprayed for weeds, and another 3/4 acre that's just pasture grass with some enhancements: two 1,000 sq ft food plots planted with a clover-heavy deer feed mix that the bunnies just love, a patch of milkweed for the butterflies and bees, and wild daisies popping up all over the place. I do take care to keep thistle from growing since it's showed up a few times. There's a shallow unmowable gully that we lined with sunflowers and other wildflowers that we sprinkled in to try to help with erosion. It's nice to have a lush weed-free area around the house to play with my daughter, but I was cognizant of the insects and made sure there's a nice area for them as well. Plus our chickens just LOVE chasing the bugs around and that's entertainment, too.

 

[oldballs]

I too was thinking of some lawn renovation this fall.............but..............it is so dry with no rain in the forecast, short or long range. Thus I may wait till Spring to start.

Good Luck with your plans

Mike

 

[thefisherman]

I too was thinking of some lawn renovation this fall.............but..............it is so dry with no rain in the forecast, short or long range. Thus I may wait till Spring to start.

Good Luck with your plans

Mike

The moisture aspect is tough. No rain in the ten day outlook, and windy so it'll suck the irrigation moisture off the surface faster. Last weekend I was on call so couldn't do the yard. Weekend before that it was cold and misty during the day, just enough to keep me from wanting to spend a day outside. Weekend before that I was on call. It's been a terrible rotation.

Honestly if this next spring is as dry as this fall, it'll be as good for grass as this fall I think, for the few small shady patches that need done. Last two springs were so dang wet and rainy that the one patch I overseeded just had the seed washed out.

 

[Egon]

Cultivate ( rototiller ) maybe a few times. Drag a float of some type to level and then harrow and seed adding whatever soil tests indicate is required.