I am converting from fescue/common bermuda to Patriot bermuda this summer. The common is taking over my lawn and I want a nice bermuda if I am going to have it. A PhD turfgrass extension/research specialist did bring up a very important point to consider. He suggested that I till to a depth of 4' to 6' and here is why. He stated that RU will kill the top portion of the plant but not the rhizomes underneath the ground that are laying dormant. By tilling, it brings the rhizomes to the surface. Upon doing this he suggested to wait 2-3 weeks after tilling. When/if the rhizomes begin to generate new shoots hit it again with another blast of RU or equivalent. One thing he stressed, and others on this board have too. Hit the bermuda with a shot of nitrogen 2 weeks prior to applying RU to really get it growing. When you apply the RU hit it with Roundup Pro or generic equivalent and the full 4 quart per acre rate. He stated that if you merely make it sick it will not take in any more RU, unlike other herbicides. When the rhizomes begin to grow shoots hit it with the 3% solution of the 4 lb per gallon RU. He stated that he once was unable to till on his property due to erosion issues and fought killing the rhizomes with RU for a long time since he was unable to till. To be sure, I DO NOT want to till. But, given the tendencies I have experienced with my lawn, I am considering it. I once thought my neighbors bermuda was encroaching on my lawn, which it is in some areas. However, base on his information, I now think that some of the once-dormant rhizomes are a big reason why I now have widespread bermuda showing up and choking out my fescue. I have only lived here a year and can only speculate what the previous owner did. But, both of my neighbors have the same bermuda that I have and am left wondering if my lawn was at one time the same. I do not want to till for other reasons too. But, if I have a choice to till and fight leveling or not till and fight this darn common bermuda I think I would choose to deal with leveling. This is just my opinion but I really want to do all that I can to get minimize it. He did state that if the bermuda was not that widespread in my lawn then he would not see a need to till as he does recognize that there is a great deal of extra work involved. Given this, I guess each person has to make his own determination of what might be right given their own individual circumstances. That's what I am fighting with now.

I'll check on what the fertilizer is when it gets here. It's some sort of slow release thing I think because it's applied to the soil before laying the sod on top. The company I'm getting the sod from works with our local Ag university on developing KBG blends that will be more drought resistant in our climate and has a good reputation. I am getting 'contractor price' on the sod (5 cents less per sq. ft.) so I guess if I have to spend $50 on some fertilizer it's still a bargain. It is a bit of a pain though that you only get the warrantee if you buy the fertilizer. Thanks for the advice on the grubs. I won't worry for this year. Like everyone here, I just want a beautiful lawn. We've cut back the total square footage of sod (had about 8,500 sq.ft. now I'll have 3,500 sq.ft.) to be more waterwise given our climate so I want to pull out all the stops to make the lawn I have as beautiful as possible.

I asked because I bit the bullet and hired a company to come in. They basically told me to RU everything and then get out of the way. They're going to bring in a sod cutter to remove the top layer, then use something called (I think) a "Gill". Then grade and install the sod. Interesting, in that when I thought I might do this myself I called another sod company. They told me to till everything before I ordered the sod. Different strokes, I guess. Best of luck to both of us.

First question, can I apply Preen before I lay the sod to help kill any weed seeds (and there are plenty)? NO It will stay in the soil too long and possibly hurt/kill your new sod. You can/should spray Round-Up, wait one week then spot spray any survivors/new sprouts. Once everything is dead either remove or scalp down to bare dirt. The fill we used was pumped sand. Do we need to add top soil or other ammenities to the soil before laying the sod? What is pumped sand? Ideally you would want to apply an 1" or 2 of top soil/compost mix. Basically something that will retain water and hold nutrients If I need to apply fertilizer, is there something natural I can apply? Yes, Alfalfa Pellets @ 30lbs per 1000sqft. Available at your local farm/feed store. Lightly water in for a few days then rake/work them into the soil a bit before laying sod. Alfalfa Pellets are primarily used to increase organic matter in the soil but do offer nutrients and a high availability of trace minerals. They contain trianconatol, a natural fatty-acid growth stimulant. Excellent fertilizer. As for mowing I would say about a month. After 3-4 weeks grab handful of sod and gently pull upwards. If its solidly stuck you know the roots have taken and you can mow.