What to do now!

[legs-akimbo]

Have had the machine driver in to clear over the site on a new build and he has made a great job of levelling the land, the problem now is what to do with it. Eventually I need to seed to get it all to grass but in the meantime I guess I need to cler the ground of the many largeish stones before anything else. The main problem is there were a lot of rushes growing on the land which no doubt will come through again. Should I spray the whole site and kill off everything ready to start anew or just seed it. am in no hurry to get it perfect as yet as it is a big area .....any advice gratefully appreciated.

 

[amandaeb]

Hi Legs Akimbo

If you're not going for an organic solution I would use a glyphosate based weed killer to clear off any vegetation. This type of weed killer also kills the roots. Depending on the type of weed it may need more than one application. This is a data sheet about it. http://www.pan-uk.org/pestnews/actives/glyphosa.htm[url]

This takes from a few days to a couple of weeks. Wait til everything looks really dead before you dig it up. It claims not be be residual in the soil so you don't have to delay planting.

As you've said if you're planning a lawn, you will need to clear any large stones and level and rake the ground to a fine tilth before sowing seed.

If there has been a lot of heavy machinery on the ground you may find the soil is very compacted, this is especially a problem if its a high clay composition. As you've mentioned there are rushes growing I wonder if the ground is very boggy.

If there is a problem with poor drainage/ clay soil its worth digging down at least 12 inches and forking the bottom first to break up the soil. This will help with drainage and allow the grass to establish its roots better. You could also consider incorporating organic matter/sand into the soil, both of these will improve drainage.

As you say its a large area it may be worth investigating hiring a rotovator.

Hope this helps

Amanda


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[legs-akimbo]

Thanks for the reply Amanda, actually all the soil is turned and the vegetation is now buried beneath top soil but all the rushes are only then a few inches below the surface so will no doubt reappear, do you think it best to still weed kill the turned earth and over the course of the winter prepare the ground for seeding next spring or will this be possible, the drainage is excellent , the reeds only came through because the land was not kept well for a number of years, the area is over an acre so there is a lot of work involved here.

 

[amandaeb]

Hi

The link below confirms its ok to plant in Sept/Oct. If I am correct in thinking that reeds are perennial, then yes, they may come back through. The glyphosate weed killer is only any good if it can touch the leaves, as its absorbed systemically. I believe there are other weed killers that are residual in the soil and could kill the reeds off , but then you'd have to wait to plant. I think that needs more investigation.

Alternatively, you could lay black polythene over the site, but I believe you have to leave this in place for about a year to kill off any weeds. Although given the size of the site I apperciate that this may not be feasible.

Sorry I can't be more helpful

Amanda


http://www.diyfixit.co.uk/nflash/gardening/newlawnseed/newlawnseed.htm[url] [/url]

 

[legs-akimbo]

Your a star Amanda Cheers for the info, wont be seeding this autumn, have enough on my plate moving in and tidying up all the odds and sods, so this will be next years project. Thanks again.