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Posted: Apr/14/2009 9:36 AM PST
I want to get rid of all grass in my front + back yards and replace with clover, flowers, shrubs, etc. I'm thinking I'd Roundup all the grass; wait a month, till the dead grass and then plant. Help! What do you think? Also, there's a gillion types of clover. Am I crazy? Thank you, Barbara |
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Posted: Apr/15/2009 2:55 AM PST
No, you're not crazy. Lots of folks do that. I don't know if I can help you with this. Lawns are not my forte, but in our area, we don't sow grass seed until fall. I don't know what type of grass grows in your area. I hope some of the turf experts come in to help you. |
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Posted: Apr/16/2009 7:43 AM PST
You might want to check you extension agency and see what clover grows in your area and when. Most clover here is done by the end of April, it gets too hot for it. But you're way farther north than me! |
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Posted: Apr/17/2009 6:29 AM PST
I have used the roundup method. Make shure that everything is completly dead before tilling or planting. I made that mistake on my 1st flower bed and had dandelions growing in it the next 2 years. If you have a big enough yard it might be easier to go to the local rent-it shop and rent a sod cutter. The only problem with that is getting rid of the sod and bringing in soil to fill it back in. 
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Posted: Apr/21/2009 6:55 PM PST
I think your making a mistake with round up. After all the grass is dead you'll have a bunch of dead grass mixed with tons of nasty chemicals. If others have used this method and it works for you that's fine but think about where the chemicals are going and what they could possibly be affecting. I do not use round up for the simple reason that the plants that die do not disappear magically like in the commercials. So you end up having to remove them anyway. Twice the work. If it was me I would go to the local rental place and rent a sod cutter. It cuts the sod into strips a few inches deep. you can roll them up and take them away or give them to a neighbors who wants to install a new lawn or patch up an area. Next, order some Loam. Some place will deliver up to 10 yards at a time. If you have your own pickup truck at least get a yard or two of compost to amend the soil. Rent a rototiller and over turn the soil with outt he compost. Not too deep. Rake out any excess grass and stones. (Do a good job of it too) Spread the compost and till it again. Plant with clover or whatever else you want to grow. Once your lawn crop is established you can use preen (the organic variety) with is a corn gluten meal and it will stop weeds from germinating for about 4 - 6 weeks. Apply every so often until the lawn fills in. |
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Posted: Aug/23/2009 8:10 AM PST
I disagree with John on several points. But, you do what works for you. Round Up does not stay in the soil. Glysophate can be planted in soon after application. I like to use Kilz All as it is stronger. You do not have to wait a month. We advise a week, then spray again to be sure you kill everything. I would not strip the top soil there or rake up the dead stuff. Apply Natural Guard Soil Activator to stimulate the break down of organic matter and leave the dead stubble to act as mulch for the new planting. I made the mistake of stripping the top soil a couple of decades ago when starting one of my first perennial gardens. It took years and years to build up the rich loam I now have. You could plant clover, however, you will have a couple of problems with this. Clover blooms and attracts bees. This may be an issue for you. Also, you can not use any broadleaf weed killer on clover as it will kill the clover, too. Corn Gluten is expensive for large areas and needs to be reapplied periodically. You can't use it until your clover is established. Look into the cost of maintenance before you commit to this. Consider using ground covers instead. You still can't use broadleaf weed killers on them, but you can use organic mulch to hold down weeds while they are getting established and you can use Fertilome Over The Top Grassy Weed Killer on ground cover. You might try Liriope (called monkey grass) for sun or part shade. It blooms in fall and you can mow it down periodically. I would generously mulch with shredded bark all my planting to improve the soil over time. Sorry I don't agree, John, but if there was just one way of doing things all our lawns would look exactly the same and that would not be any fun! Thanks, Gemma 
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