Sod work prep.. can i rotortill the old lawn?

[Just Bill]

Any time I have spread dirt for a lawn I have packed it before grading to be
able to see where more fill is needed or where to remove high spots.

 

[sixdogs]

I have done a lot of lawns that I rototilled first. People used to tell me not to do this because the ground will settle unevenly since the tiller fluffs the soil.
By using a spike drag harrow after tilling, however, I was able to solve this problem.
The harrow takes the air and loft out of the soil and it settles nice, after packing, with no tire tracks show to up later.
A few hard rains, however, will pretty much do the same thing if you let it dry and really pack the ground well when seeding.

Also, I use a Brillion seeder to pack and seed the ground. After the spike harrow, I go over the ground with the Brillion in nice straight line to pack it.
Then I seed at a slight angle, to see where I have seeded, and then seed again in a nice straight line.
If I didn't have a Brillion I'd use a lawn roller several times after harrowing. Then I would seed and roll again.
That's what works for me.

 

[jenkinsph]

I have done a lot of lawns that I rototilled first. People used to tell me not to do this because the ground will settle unevenly since the tiller fluffs the soil.
By using a spike drag harrow after tilling, however, I was able to solve this problem.
The harrow takes the air and loft out of the soil and it settles nice, after packing, with no tire tracks show to up later.
A few hard rains, however, will pretty much do the same thing if you let it dry and really pack the ground well when seeding.

Also, I use a Brillion seeder to pack and seed the ground. After the spike harrow, I go over the ground with the Brillion in nice straight line to pack it.
Then I seed at a slight angle, to see where I have seeded, and then seed again in a nice straight line.
If I didn't have a Brillion I'd use a lawn roller several times after harrowing. Then I would seed and roll again.
That's what works for me.

Works for me too.

I till 7 to 8" deep, run the landplane to level then harrow. I seed with a broadcast spin spreader and harrow again, last roll with a water filled roller.

A good seeder and good aerator are on my wish list.

 

[sixdogs]

Works for me too.

I till 7 to 8" deep, run the landplane to level then harrow. I seed with a broadcast spin spreader and harrow again, last roll with a water filled roller.

A good seeder and good aerator are on my wish list.

We should mention that if you till sod with a lot of grass and roots in it and then try to work the ground the grass and roots will bunch up in the equiment and can sometimes make a mess of things.
In this heavy grass/roots situation I would till and then wait a couple weeks and till again. Or, spray with grass killer, wait two weeks and then till.