Lawn prep

We've moved into a new build house and have a small area of back garden that was just all weeds, the boys have been playing football out there and the weeds have now all gone (well, the heads have).

I have dug it over and removed as many of the weed roots as I can, I would now like to lay turf.

My question; I will have definately left some weed roots behind, won't these roots re-establish and grow through my lovely new lawn?

Should I do anything before I lay the turf to prevent this from happening?

Many thanks in advance.

 

I'm not an expert however,

not much you can do about weeds ... they will always be present on lawn ...

what you can do, is wait a couple of weeks and spray the new weeds that grow with a suitable weedkiller such as roundup ...

then wait a few days, remove the dead weeds, rotivate or turn the soil with a fork, rake, then level off by taking a long ladder ... tie 2 ropes onto the ladder and drag it accross the surface ...

add some superphosphate or bonemeal (not blood/bone/fishmeal) onto the surface then turf ...

from what I have read, now is a very good time to lay turf

in spring/summer, if weeds appear, treat them with an appropriate weedkiller, or remove by hnd if it is not a large lawn

 

Sorry to contradict you Dim, but I don't think Roundup is going to be an effective option at this time of year. The weeds have to be actively growing for it to work, and if they do that at all now, they wont be doing for much longer this year.

I think if it was me doing this again (I did my lawn from scratch and rushed it - its ok but could have done better), my main priority would be to get the soil level and firm, with a bit of organic matter and sand on the surface. If its freshly dug and you lay turf now, it will look great until the soil starts to settle, and then there'll be lumps and bumps to deal with.

I don't think I'd spend my money on turf either (I didn't for mine). If the soil is ready, you might get away with seeding it. If the mild weather continues, it should germinate before winter takes hold, and then spend all winter settling in ready for rapid growth in spring.

Whether you choose seed or turf, the most important thing is to make sure the soil is ready. No point rushing it. Make sure its firm and level. I rushed mine, and now it is not level.

 

it's always good to have different opinions, that's what makes forums so interesting

as mentioned, I am not an expert, however, my viewpoint is that the OP (original poster) has said that the weeds are removed, but is worried about new ones from the roots that remain ...

so in a few days time, if any new ones grow, they are actively growing and roundup will do the job

I have seeded 9 lawns this year ... I personally would not seed now ... when the cold comes, it comes suddenly, and we are late in the season

I frequent an international lawn forum .... most are saying it's too late to sow, but perfect to turf

if the soil has been rotivated or dug and turned well with a fork, then levelled (not rolled), and superphosphate or bonemeal added, you do not need to add additional compost right now (obviously, compost and or manure is always benefiial to the soil structure), but I am looking at costs and what is essential for right now ...

if you want to go to extremes, add alaskan volcanic rock with 200mm of John Inees #3 compost and some bat Guanna manure etc etc .... but let's draw the line somewhere

as winter is fast approching, you need to add a fertilizer that will feed the roots, and not one that has a high Nitrogen content .... the best is bonemeal 3,5-17-0 or superphosphate ... add this to the surface of the levelled area before laying the turf

in spring, add a balanced fertilizer or one with a higher nitrogen content to green it up and if any weeds grow, treat accordingly or if the area is small, remove by hand with a suitable tool

mow with a mower that has a sharp blade, never remove more than a third of top growth, and keep the lawn 1 1/2 inches high (not shorter) ... my experience has shown that less weeds grow this way

if you seed, it is recomended not to use weedkillers for at least 9 months after sowing .... some say you can, but have to dilute it a lot or else you kill the newly seeded grass

in a years's time after turfing, scarify, mow, and aerate and add a good topsoil/compost mixture over the top ... to assist soil structure

job done (for a reasonable cost)