RoundUp and grass cutting

[450Marlin]

I'm looking to kill and remove grass in my back yard to make room for sod. I'm wanting to kill with Roundup and then mow and bring in top soil to start fresh. How long do I need to wait for full absorption before I mow? I should be able to mow it before it browns and still prevent growth coming back correct?

[Sneeze]

I would advise against this - tried it and it took years to get the new sod to take.

It just doesn't seem to throw roots through the old layer of dead/rotting grass.

I would rent a sod cutter from home depot instead. They work quite well after you perfect the amount of water you need to loosen up the ground.

[450Marlin]

Makes sense but if I can get the grass dead and cut short then I will be bringing in topsoil, packing it and putting down sod.

[rottie]

why not kill it,rotatill it up,repack then sod. Its more work but should turn out pretty good

[450Marlin]

There is little to no topsoil as is. Weeds and crap grass grow but can't see sod taking as is.

[450Marlin]

Not much more than 3/4" of topsoil if that. Likely till more clay than anything.

[Rancid Crabtree]

In answer to your question. 3 days would be more than ample time for the roundup to have done it's work. In reality 24 hours would likely work but a little longer is best.

[450Marlin]

Thank you all.

[coreya3212]

Your sod will not take. The layer of dead grass under the new top soil will warm and creat a sort of compost layer, it will heat up and your sod won't grow. I Saw this topic on this old house and that's what the gardener dude said. Remove with a sod cutter, bring in your top soil and lay your sod. Green side up.

[Cowtown guy]

Your sod will not take. The layer of dead grass under the new top soil will warm and creat a sort of compost layer, it will heat up and your sod won't grow. I Saw this topic on this old house and that's what the gardener dude said. Remove with a sod cutter, bring in your top soil and lay your sod. Green side up.

Green side up! I love it.

I agree with the sod cutting. Bring in a cutter. Bring in soil. Lay sod.

[hunted]

If you spray with glyphosate(roundup) I would leave it for at least a week before mowing it. In that time the glyphosate will translocate to the roots and kill the roots. If you mow it after 24 hours it will kill the top but the roots will regrow as it is a perennial and stores lots of energy in the roots. Then you can mow. Then I would put some water on it then roto till it up then bring in topsoil. Or remove sod.
How much topsoil you bringing in?

[rosh]

Did sod 4 years ago, scraped old lawn off with bobcat, then laid some loam and sod. Last year and this year grass gone to crap. Ground/clay is to hard. So 4 weeks ago tilled it up really good and put down about 2-3" of loam ontop and sod again. Hope it turns out better as I was told to do it that way from nursery. Anyways good luck!

[roger]

Did sod 4 years ago, scraped old lawn off with bobcat, then laid some loam and sod. Last year and this year grass gone to crap. Ground/clay is to hard. So 4 weeks ago tilled it up really good and put down about 2-3" of loam ontop and sod again. Hope it turns out better as I was told to do it that way from nursery. Anyways good luck!

i did what he did and would do it again. as a proud owner of a bobcat with a gaggle of attachments and dump trailer its mucho ezee, id blast the crap out the whole lawn with roundup and leave it for three weeks and blast any quack grass rhizomes that popup in the meantime, especially near the perimeter of the property or under the sidewalk. nothing worse than a single quack grass root.
use a long handled paint roller with a fuzzy roller saturated with mixed roundup to get near desireables or make strait lines on property lines.
if you have a 'farmer type' loam supplier id blast the location of the pile as well at the same time so in three weeks its relevtively weed free. no sense bringing in fresh roots.
you may want to check with the local landfill they may have compost for sale. i buy it for $20 a tonne.