Advice For Newbie - Level And Re-Seed Lawn

[sparkyb]

Hello,my front garden is only small (15x15ft) and was infested with couch grass. I sprayed it with 'Gallup' weedkiller and have dig up all the roots and tilled the soil. I am pretty confidant there is no trace of the couch grass anymore. I then tried my best to level the lawn and heeled it down by walking on it.
What I would like to achieve it a near perfect flat lawn,re-seed it and hope for the best!
My only knowledge is that I will obviously need to order some fresh top soil and put in place stakes and twine to help me level the top soil to as level as i can get it.
I have never done this before and would like some easy to follow advice from anyone willing to help.
Thanks very much.

 

[JohnD]

Leave it to settle and for residual weed seeds to germinate, and roots to sprout..

Once they are up, spray it again.

Rake it to level and to loosen the surface before reseeding.

Birds eat visible seeds, so if you scatter afterwards with a fine sifted compost they will not see the seeds. We used to use peat, look for something similar

IIRC grass seed takes 7 to ten days to come up. So if any weeds come up before then, you can spray them.

Keep a top dressing with gritty sand to fill any hollows that appear. Brush it in so the grass comes through it,

 

[sparkyb]

Thanks JohnD for the prompt help.
So if i understand you the next steps are:
Leave it as it is and see if any weeds sprout,spray them if they do.
After a couple of weeks rake and loosen surface of soil and reseed.
Apply a fine sifted compost over the seeds
Apply a gritty sand to fill hollows and brush it level as grass sprouts up.

Next questions:
The soil appears to be fairly level to the stone lintels that frame the garden so I presume I don't need to add any more soil other than some top soil that will go over the seeds?
Do you not think i need to place stakes/twine and level the soil up to them to level it or do you think i can get away without it?
Is it worth me apply some kind of fertilizer to the soil before/ after reseeding it?
Best kind of grass seed to buy? I am on the South Coast and garden faces a busy road if that matters.
Can i reseed by hand or do i need to buy one of those plastic seeding trailers?

Thanks

 

[StephenStephen]

No need for more soil.
Stakes and twine won't help with levelling.
Don't bury the seed.
Scatter it by hand.

I've had problems in the past with poor grass germination from seed from a DIY shed - it might be worth thinking about getting hold of seed that's not too old.

Once you've sown, you'll need to be sure that it is watered regularly.

 

[endecotp]

Starting a Lawn from Seed | RHS Advice

Create a new lawn from seed with our expert tips for successful germination and lush growth.

www.rhs.org.uk

 

[sparkyb]

Brill, I shall have a go.Thanks

 

[JohnD]

Sprinkling with a peat-like compost is not to bury the seeds, it is to conceal them from hungry birds, and protect them drying out while they push the root down.

It's possible to rake the surface to mix them in, but as a rule of thumb, seeds should only be covered by a depth approximately equal to the size of the seed.

 

[sparkyb]

I have a few bags of new top soil available to use, but best to use peat-like compost yes?

 

[JohnD]

I find it easier to sprinkle.

In my area the soil is heavy with clay, and gritty sand is also good as it helps the texture. A light soil might be easier.

 

[sparkyb]

Although the latest pic of the lawn looks fairly flat i was looking at it today and it's definitely not level, you don't seem too worried about it, so is there a knack to getting a completely flat lawn? Can it be achieved after the grass has started sprouting ...I have seen videos where people suggest brushing in a light sand etc.
It's all black magic to me.

 

[JohnD]

Look up "lawn lute" which is a way of spreading a light top dressing of gritty sand mixed with peaty compost or light soil, to fill the hollows.

It is usually necessary to let a new site settle, Rake it flat, and walk it down again, several times. The ground naturally sinks after it has been dug over.

Bowling greens use a tremendous amount of gritty sand as top-dressing, which also aids drainage and prevents a muddy surface, but they need a lot of light watering because it does not hold water. Springy grass can push up through shallow layers.

 

[sparkyb]

Ah I understand. Fingers crossed. Shall keep you updated.

 

[stevie888]

If you're really concerned about flatness then you can always use a bit of straight timber as a guide when you're raking. Take your time now rather than when gthe grass is growing: you'll probably go through several cycles of the gardener's shuffle and the rake before you're happy

Don't get too stressed about it though: it won't worry children or animals or weeds if it's not a bowling green.