Laying sod after Round-Up?

Question

Hello, i had a question about round up and laying sod. I have already prepped the area for sod by clearing all old grass and weeds. My hired help decided to spray Round-Up Extended Control Weed & Grass Killer on the area where sod is to be laid. How long do I need to wait before I can rototill and lay the sod down. The bottle says kills for up to 4 months. Do I really have to wait this long? Im really frustrated,was planning on new lawn for kids this summer. Thanks.

Answer 1

Hello Chris,

My name is Gardengail and I work for the Home Depot in the garden center.

Since you have used roundup extended control and not just roundup I would check the label or call the manufacturer. I don't believe it is safe to plant new things and that is what the control is for, stopping new growth.



Hope this helps,

Gardengail

Answer 2

Hello Chris,



You only need to wait 3-5 days; however it is suggested to do it a second time to assure there's no grass or weeds left before you rototill. Round Up works by asorbing through the leafs and in to the root system. Doing it a secon time will assure its been aborbed & detroyed. You have to clean out all the old/dead grass prior & after tilling the lawn to make sure nothing is left behind.



Till the dirt while adding Amendments and level. You can use a landscaping rake which is wider to assure your filling in and leveling any low/high spots. Walk your lawn in small short heal to toe side by side steps to make sure the soil is firm and not loose Apply a fertilizer, next day soak the lawn, but not to bad that you can't walk on it to lay the new sod down. Remeber if you add a large foot priint, it will be unleveled when the sod is layed down.



You can have a new awn in a week... The product is saying it will destroy the weeds for up to four months. Sod is typically 99.9% weed free.

Answer 3

Don't roll it. Rolling will tightly knit the surface, making the sod roots difficult to penetrate. You want the soil friable, not compacted.

Spread your compost and mix it in during the grading with a rake. That's good enough. If you till, there are thousands of weed seeds you could be bringing to the surface but never get them to germinate on this attempt. Plus, there are other disadvantages to tilling.



I don't exactly know what you mean by "thoroughly pre-irrigate" but make it about a week of shallow watering maybe twice a day. That's what weeds like, not saturation.



Roundup is not persistent in the soil. You can lay your sod one week after spraying the weeds. The herbicide will get into the growth of any plant it touches, not anything the chemical does not touch.



I don't know of a pre-m herbicide that controls germination of any weeds likely to grow this time of year. Pre-m only prevents weed seeds from germinating. Depending on which pre-m herbicide used, some will impede growth in early stages - shortly after germination. Just best not use it in this instance.



Just food for thought, you risk of alienating and never benefiting from some very knowledgeable people when you exclude them like that. Think about also, there may be someone who has done it before but doesn't mean it's the right thing to do.

Answer 4

Hi Chris, I have the exact same problem. Roundup extended control was applied to my soil to kill off weeds prior to sodding. But it was the "Extended Control" so I am worried about that fact it says it prevents any grass or weeds for 4 months. How did your new sod turn out? Any info on what you did to counteract or help the issue would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 5

Roundup Extended Control

Answer 6

Round Up is absorbed into the leaves and roots. It starts to break down after coming in contact with the soil. You should be able to lay down your sod shortly providing the hunidity is low.

http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5436386_long-roundup-stay-soil.html