Hi Everyone,

The former owner of a house we recently moved into did not care for
his lawn and it is mostly dead. I want to put new seed down. I think
the soil is OK because the neighbors all have great lawns. So I am
wondering which should be my approach to prepare the ground:

1. Should I rake up what I can and then put a few inches of new
topsoil down? or...

2. Should I rent a rototiller to just break up the existing soil?

Thanks in advance!

Jon in NJ

These are great questions. Where about in NJ are you? I am in the Phila
Area.

1. Should I rake up what I can and then put a few inches of new
topsoil down?
Protect your trees by mulching correctly first. Taking it that you do have
some trees and that you want them to be healthy. Adding soil under your
trees can suffocate your trees. The require oxygen in the root system in a
process called respiration. Adding more soil can reduce the oxygen contact
thus cause suffocation.
For mulching suggestions for your trees check this out.

Mulching - http://home.ccil.org/~treeman/sub3.html and

http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/M/index.html Look up "Mulch"

2. Should I rent a rototiller to just break up the existing soil?

Again you would have to stay away from your trees with the rototiller. Your
non-woody absorbing roots are in the upper 4" of soil. Killing them by this
means would create problems for your trees. If your not within the drip
line of your trees (roots can go further than drip line) then if you
rototilled in leaf compost or mushroom soil that may help you. BTW I sell
organic mushroom soil in PA. I get it directly from the certified organic
mushroom growers. Just a thought.

Bottom line is to always consider your trees before performing other
treatments.

Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Arborist
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us
that we are not the boss.


Thanks in advance!

Jon in NJ

rake. compost. overseed. roll to make it even. straw over the top and set up a
flip flop to water every day in the morning if you arent getting nice showers. we
brought a lawn at our rental back from the dead in 1 year with this regimen. oh, and
we used weed killer because the lawn was full of weeds. but it was a sprayer and we
hit individual weeds with it. Ingrid

wrote:

Hi Everyone,

The former owner of a house we recently moved into did not care for
his lawn and it is mostly dead. I want to put new seed down. I think
the soil is OK because the neighbors all have great lawns. So I am
wondering which should be my approach to prepare the ground:

1. Should I rake up what I can and then put a few inches of new
topsoil down? or...

2. Should I rent a rototiller to just break up the existing soil?

Thanks in advance!

Jon in NJ



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List at
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sign up: http://groups.google.com/groups/dir?...s=Group+lookup
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I receive no compensation for running the Puregold list or Puregold website.
I do not run nor receive any money from the ads at the old Puregold site.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zone 5 next to Lake Michigan

And if you choose pesticides it might be wise to do a little research first
with respect to you, your pets, trees and wildlife.
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman/spring.html

Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Arborist
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us
that we are not the boss.


wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi Everyone,

The former owner of a house we recently moved into did not care for
his lawn and it is mostly dead. I want to put new seed down. I think
the soil is OK because the neighbors all have great lawns. So I am
wondering which should be my approach to prepare the ground:

1. Should I rake up what I can and then put a few inches of new
topsoil down? or...

2. Should I rent a rototiller to just break up the existing soil?

Thanks in advance!

Jon in NJ

Hi Everyone, and thanks so much for the info.

Actually, I have trees in this little yard, so my only goal is really
to get grass to grow. Sounds like I'm better off with a rototiller &
rake than with new topsoil, yes?

Thanks again!

Jon

If you would like healthy trees keep the tiller away from the drip line of
the trees. Proper mulching of your trees would not be a bad idea if you
have concern with the biological health of your trees.

Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Arborist
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us
that we are not the boss.




wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi Everyone, and thanks so much for the info.

Actually, I have trees in this little yard, so my only goal is really
to get grass to grow. Sounds like I'm better off with a rototiller &
rake than with new topsoil, yes?

Thanks again!

Jon

I actually got help for this same issue from the ebook at: http://gardening.cncboards.com/

do not rototill. it not only will sever the tree roots but it brings up weed seeds
from below the surface which will all germinate and you will have nothing but weeds
quickly. Ingrid

wrote:

Hi Everyone, and thanks so much for the info.

Actually, I have trees in this little yard, so my only goal is really
to get grass to grow. Sounds like I'm better off with a rototiller &
rake than with new topsoil, yes?

Thanks again!

Jon



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List at
http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/
sign up: http://groups.google.com/groups/dir?...s=Group+lookup
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I receive no compensation for running the Puregold list or Puregold website.
I do not run nor receive any money from the ads at the old Puregold site.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zone 5 next to Lake Michigan