Planting a new lawn... Help

[summit151]

Hello. So I am near the point of finally getting a grass lawn planted on my acreage. Right now it is a rough field area with weeds and the natural grass that just grew up. Here is my plan please let me know if I am missing something. I am planning on renting a soil conditioner/Harley rake for my skid steer to break up and smooth out the area. But I am wondering if I have to kill all the natural lawn/weeds that are there first ?. I am then going to lay some grass seed and fertilizer down then roll it ?

 

[jeff9366]

Do I have to kill all the natural lawn/weeds that are there first ?. I am then going to lay some grass seed and fertilizer down then roll it ?

If you do not kill what is there with Roundup/Glycophosphate, weeds will come roaring back with the application of fertilizer.

Do yourself a favor. Get a soil test before starting.

Use the Harley Rake to mix in the amendments recommended by the soil test for turf. Then seed and roll the seed in for good ground contact. Pray for regular rain.

 

[jay3534]

Buy quality seed, it should have less weed seed in it. As Jeff said kill everything. Pay attention to the residual of the spray you use as you do not want seed killed as it germinates.

 

[TheMan419]

Get soil test. Mow short. Spray w roundup. Wait a week for death of weeds. Lay down amendments per soil test. Till or Harley rake. Plant seeds. Pray for rain.

I did not have a Harley rake. I used a tiller and then drag harrow. I did not need mine lawn smooth. We were planting horse pasture.

I spread the seed w just a broadcast spreqader. Pasture grew in very very well.

The stuff I just planted.... well the fact they said we were going to get 1/4 inch of rain and we got 2 inches of a torrential downpour.... well I think those seeds are in the next county.

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

Former landscaper, if anyone's interested in an easier, cheaper way that won't poison the land, your family, and any nearby streams....

It's hard to start over on a lawn once the grass has started growing. Tilling or harrowing a growing field of grass this time of year will be a lot of work, will turn over a gazillion weed seeds that will grow with wild abandon and outcompete your grass. And the result will be very lumpy and bumpy. But a good way to start now, is to simply mow it regularly (4-5") through the growing season with mulching blades or a flail mower so all the little grass bits go back to the soil. That way, you'll have already improved your soil and knocked back the weeds some before you plant your seed.

Once everything dies back for the winter, cut everything pretty short one last time and apply organic fertilizer like Milorganite or compost. Frost/thaw will work it into the soil. Then depending on your climate (I'm not familiar w/ Canada zones) either in late fall or early spring, when the ground is mostly bare, smooth out your rough areas and lightly scratch the rest. Put down Contractor's Mix grass seed per label directions; the fast-growing rye in the mix will outcompete weeds while the fescues gets a start. You won't have to worry about enough moisture these times of year. Then once your grass is up, just mow regularly. If you need perfection, spot-treat any weeds.

If your soil is poor, reapply the organic fertilizer every year. If your soil is very poor, apply some now, then in late fall.

Organic fertilizer will improve your soil condition, making it more favorable to grass and less hospitable to weeds, and the effects are permanent. Chemical fertilizer is a quick one-shot deal that also boosts weed growth and does nothing to improve the texture, pH, etc., of your soil. Organic fertilizer is also cheaper.

Folks seem to think organic fertilizer takes a long time to work, but you'd be surprised how fast it works. You can go from red clay to earthworms in a year.

Glycophosphate will kill any grass--permanently--and knock back most weeds--temporarily. Aside from the dangers, it really doesn't work that well.

(I realize I'm probably never going to get any converts to my natural methods without pictures, so maybe I'll work on that. Give me something to do while I wait for my tractor to arrive. )

 

[srossman]

When I re-did my grass several years ago I till everything with a harrow, then rented a bobcat and rockhound to get all the rocks. I then put down 20 yards of mushroom compost and worked it into the soil then seeded/limed/fertilized and covered with straw. The mushroom compost really seemed to help hold the moisture in the ground.

 

[M5farms]

glyphosate Is not harmful but the the plants it touches. you can actually kill the unwanted grasses and weeds in bermuda grass with a low application rate.

 

[/pine]

glyphosate Is not harmful...

I'm not going any further on this issue than this counter to the above statement...we will let the courts decide who is not being truthful...

There is a landmark case against Monsanto coming up next month meant to prove otherwise...
Monsanto and it's fanboys say the chemicals are safe...the courts want to see the proof...

The internal correspondence noted could support a jury finding that Monsanto has long been aware of the risk that its glyphosate-based herbicides are carcinogenic but has continuously sought to influence the scientific literature to prevent its internal concerns from reaching the public sphere and to bolster its defenses in products liability actions, Thus there are triable issues of material facts

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

I'm not going any further on this issue than this counter to the above statement...we will let the courts decide who is not being truthful...

There is a landmark case against Monsanto coming up next month meant to prove otherwise...
Monsanto and it's fanboys say the chemicals are safe...the courts want to see the proof...

Don't want to debate this either. But virtually everyone in the US already has this chemical in their body and it apparently doesn't go away too easy (per JAMA). Look, I know we can't avoid a lot of the toxic cr@p in our world; that ship has sailed; there's just too much of it everywhere. I mean they found lead at the North Pole fer Pete's sake (presumably from the days of leaded gas). So I've resigned myself to it and frankly I try not to think too much about distressing things that I cannot change.

However, I can certainly avoid the acute exposure of spraying this stuff on my own property. Especially when there are, truly easier, better, and cheaper ways to do the same job, at least for us hobby farmers and landowners. I don't pretend to speak about commercial farming, something I know little about.

Look, I did landscape for a couple decades. I've put in let's say quite a few lawns, fixed weedy lawns, re-done spotty lawns. I like to experiment, and I've tried about every method you can think of. Also, I'm a low-maintenance, "least amount of work for the most results" kind of person, every time. And I will straight-up say the no-chemical method I described above is the cheapest, easiest, best way that results in the least maintenance going forward.

Maybe someone would be willing to try doing an experiment; do half the area one way, half the other. With updates and pictures. I have one more area to do, and I'll be documenting that with pics so y'all can judge for yourselves.

Anyhoo, hope this doesn't make anyone mad. We all have our strong beliefs and I hope we're still the kind of country where we can share and argue about stuff, and then still have a beer together.

 

[summit151]

Thanks for the input guys. I am curious if there is any reasons it to till the soil then spray it to kill everything and then wait 2 weeks and plant the grass seed? Also is there any type of grass seed to use? My local farm store has 4 different kinds