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Help with turfing my lawn - next steps? Bother with weed killer? pics attached

maley63maley63 Posts: 3
in Problem solving
Hi all,
I've been working on my garden for the past 2 weeks.  Previously had chuckies at the bottom and top of the garden, with large overgrown bushes to the sides and slabs/edgings around the perimeter of the grass.

This is where I am now currently at...



My plan is to turf everywhere and put a 3.5m x 3.5m patio at bottom left and top left with slabs connecting on left hand side.

My plan was to
  • Weed killer (RoundUp Spray) the entire area (grass included)
  • Wait 1 week
  • Rotavate the entire area and reapply the weed killer
  • Wait 1 week
  • Lay small amount of top soil on top
  • Turf
I have read that weed killer requires the leaves and won't really work in the soil.  There are some visible roots that I will pull.

The soil has alot of chuckies, twigs, leaves etc.  Do I bother weed killering?

What would you consider doing next?  Any suggestions much appreciated.




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Posts

  • gunndabadgunndabad Posts: 35
    I would apply Round Up but I think you might need more time before rotavating. It will take a while to take effect and rotavators seem to work better with less ‘green’ grass. I’d go Round Up, wait 3ish weeks until everything is brown then rotavate, rake up debris, add topsoil & level. Leave for a week or two to see if levels are still good and adjust if necessary. If any weeds germinate then Round Up could be used again at this point. Finally lay the turf. It’s worth taking time with levels in my experience as it’s very difficult to fix later. 
  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,995
    Same.. wait at least three weeks for weedkiller to work all the way down to kill the roots.  
    Utah, USA.
  • gondorgondor Posts: 135
    I know that "chuckies" is gravel, but is tht an aussie term or what?
  • maley63maley63 Posts: 3
    I've pulled out a lot of the roots.  You can see in the image the size of the large one.

    If I spray weed killer everywhere in garden.  Do I risk that the glyphosate will stay in the soil and may damage grass when I come to lay?

    Waiting 3 weeks before rotavating is no problem.

    Chuckies is a term in Scotland for gravel.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    We say chuckies up here  :)
    There's no point using weedkiller unless there's growth for it to act on, so bear that in mind, and allow a good five or six weeds afterwards before turfing.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    I'm Scottish but had forgotten the term chuckies, for chippings / gravel. I was thinking chuckies were chickens.  :/
    Devon.
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    I'll just echo the advice on using glyphosate-based weedkillers - the only thing which will waste away if you spray bare soil with it, is the money in your bank account:

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    Hostafan1 said:
    I'm Scottish but had forgotten the term chuckies, for chippings / gravel. I was thinking chuckies were chickens.  :/

    So was I, and I was mightily confused by "The soil has alot of chuckies" :s
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    JennyJ said:
    Hostafan1 said:
    I'm Scottish but had forgotten the term chuckies, for chippings / gravel. I was thinking chuckies were chickens.  :/

    So was I, and I was mightily confused by "The soil has alot of chuckies" :s
    I was thinking 🐓 🐥 🐥 🐥 too 😂 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I didn't realise it was specifically a Scottish term. I've always assumed it refers to the kind of size that would be suitable for 'chucking', but I've never looked into it. 
    It's been commonly used through my lifetime, so I was unaware no one else used it. Even my English Dad said it   :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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