Flower Bed To Lawn?

Robie

One of my customers wants me to take what is now a 3' x 70' flower bed and turn it back into lawn that butts up against it. The bed has been mulched yearly, gets appropriate fertilizer and gets weeded regularly.
Can anyone take me through the steps of turning this back into just grass?
Thanks.
Rob

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If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters. ~Alan Simpson

ProWallGuy

Sod maybe?

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Wallpaper Hanger St. Louis
Digital Murals Installation

DecksEtc

I'd remove the flowers/plants, level it out and lay sod. Sounds like you've got a pretty good base to start with and the sod should catch on pretty quickly.

Robie

Thanks guys! That's why I come here. Sometimes the most obvious answers are the most elusive...sod never even occurred to me.
Do you think I should also rake up the existing mulch? It will have been down almost a year when I do this in the spring and is fairly composted now.
Thanks again.


Sheesh! Sod...why didn't I think of that?

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If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters. ~Alan Simpson

Glasshousebltr

Cover your seeds with damp paper towels and put them somewhere dark. When they sprout get your grass in the ground, use miracle grow and nip the outer branches as they stem out, this will give you more buds.



Bob

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Bob

DecksEtc

Bob's back alright!!!

DecksEtc

Depends on how much mulch. If you turn it into the soil you should be fine - unless there is a LOT of it. You want to avoid a low spot thus making it look like you just sodded over their garden - I'm assuming you want it to blend in with the existing lawn...

LandscapePro

Robie,

I'd spray it first and kill what's there. Then roto-till, level, and make several passes with a plate compactor to firm it up. You're not going to have the same compaction as the existing lawn area but this will help.Also there may be a need for some additional topsoil to get your new sod lined up with the existing lawn.

Might be a good idea of where to put the other half of that pallet of sod before you get it there though.

Mike
La. Landscape Contractor #2576

Robie

Thanks for all the help.
Uh, I guess sod isn't something I'm gonna buy a la carte, eh?
Okay, while we're here, let me get a few more questions out of the way.

So, how do I buy it? I was hoping I could go to the supplier and get close to the amount I needed and loaded on my flatbed...maybe not.

I live in Delaware and the last average frost date is the 1st week of May. When is the earliest I should plan doing this job?

What should one expect to pay for a pallet and how much does that cover?

Does "Ground Clear" by Ortho (I think) sound like a good chemical to get rid of what's there?

Thanks again for the help.
Rob

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If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters. ~Alan Simpson

LandscapePro

Rob,

O.K. I'll confess to being dumb here. I had some things blocked on the site that prohibited me from seeing Avatar's under folk's names.

Now that I see the plane your questions are clearer to me.

Sod comes 50 yds. to a pallet. Coverage should be 450 sq. ft. You can contact a local nursery and ask when they have sod available as to the timeframe.

I'm not familar with the Ortho product you spoke of. I'd use Round -Up Pro to kill off the existing grass and weeds. Note: You've got to have daytime temps in the mid 60's before it's going to work worth a hoot. Wait 10 days for kill, then roto-till in what's left. I'd use some Treflan 5G at the rate of 2 lbs per 1000 sq. ft. to stop any weed seed from germinating and coming up thru the new sod as well.

I'd also check and make sure you're not required to have a Landscape Contractor's License before doing this kind of work. The license requirement with regard to landscaping varies widely from state to state. Here you'd need a license before doing the work or face getting shut down and a fine.

Mike
La. Landscape Contractor #2576