Preparing Garden for Roll-Out Lawn

[bugler]

Hi All,

We recently moved into a new property whose garden has been seriously neglected by previous tenants & landlord. As far as I can tell it was left to overgrow into a mass of weedy jungle for a number of years, before there was a fire in the property, after which it was cleared out roughly.

What was left was a scarred, mostly grassless, weeded garden in dire need of some attention.

I've started on the job, picked up the rubbish, started to clear out the glass, pens, bits of ceramic, rocks, brick, tile, batteries, and other miscellaneous items from the soil.

I've put down weedkiller, waited, rotavated the soil, raked it, removed more stones. All for preparation of a roll-out lawn. The reason I'm set on roll-out is mainly due to the glass issue - I don't want my young son to play on grass that has glass lying amongst it. I'm hoping the combination of hours spent coming the soil and the roll out lawn will prevent that.

However, a few weeks after doing the above to one half of the lawn that is mostly prepared, I see many tiny little sprouts of weeds among the raked soil. One area that was particularly bad I have treated again with weedkiller. But I'm concerned that the soil is forever weeded, and that I'm wasting my time putting down a lawn that will ultimately be overcome by weeds. Should I be concerned over these? Should I treat again with weedkiller? Should I try to replace the soil?

 

[hastalavista]

small weeds like this are not a concern, thistles, docks, dando's and netttles would be a concern.

However If you don't cut the grass too short the grass will subdue most weeds and the odd one that will push through can be managed.

Weed seeds come in lots of ways so u will get airborne and wind borne weeds anyway

 

[horusd]

Most weeds will be prevented from sprouting by the new turf, a good weedkiller like Gouldings will kill off weeds and moss after it's laid. The key to laying the turf will be a level ground and good drainage. Make sure that drainage is adequate by absolutely soaking the soil and seeing what happens. If there are drainage issues, fix them before laying the soil. If the soil is heavy clay, add some horrticultural sand to loosen it up. Dig this/rake this into the soil.