Sod Cutter vs. Rake vs. Tiller

wpoveromo – posted 29 August 2005 14:33

So this is know my 3rd time to seed my yard with Fescue. Last fall it went well, however I didn’t level my yard well and it was very lumpy. I did it again early Spring, but the worst happened and Crabgrass took over. I’ve konw applied my first coat of Roundup to Kill the crabgrass.

So, is it good enough to simply get a metal rake and rake over the crabgrass before it dies. I’m thinking about renting a sod cutter because it will give a nice flat surface. I don’t want to till because of the work. Any thoughts comments?

I’m in Atlanta, GA…

kyleinmarietta – posted 29 August 2005 17:45

Tilling is the way to go. Visit your local Home Depot rental center, rent the big Honda Rear-tine model, and go to town.

If you tilled last year, it should be very easy this year. Once you’ve tilled, rake and roll till level, then seed and straw.

Yeah, lots of work, but you probably won’t get good results doing a halfway job.

Do it right and you won’t need to do it again for 20 years.

Jeff Otis – posted 30 August 2005 10:29

You could save time by laying a few inches of fresh top soil and then seeding. The grass will fill in nicely. Also, try a crabgrass preventer instead of roundup, it will kill only the crabgrass and not your good grass.

kyleinmarietta – posted 30 August 2005 18:42

Crabgrass preventer is usually a pre-emergent. It’ll prevent any other seeds from sprouting too, including your new fescue seed.

Depending on the pre-emergent, it’ll be effective for anything from a few weeks to several months.