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Mound System Grass #682683

Asked March 04, 2021, 2:53 PM EST

I recently had a mound system put in at my northern Illinois house. The mound system company left with not planting anything. It has become overrun with weeds. This spring I would like to tackle this. What is the best option for a DIY grass planting? How to first eliminate weeks and then to plant grass? Advice would be appreciated. 

Thanks.

Boone County Illinois

Expert Response

First, if there weeds that were not killed by the cold temperatures of the winter, then these will need to be sprayed with glyphosate herbicide. Depending on the size of the area of your mound it might be cheaper to buy a gallon of concentrated glyphosate herbicide rather than the pre-mixed, ready-to-use glyphosate products. Roundup is one of the tradenames for glyphosate herbicide.

After (or if) all the weeds are dead, (1) till the area to incorporate the weed debris. After tilling, (2) immediately seed this area with a grass seed mixture of Kentucky bluegrass, and perennial ryegrass. If the mound area has shade for greater than half the day, then include fine fescue in the seed mix. This is a rather common lawn mix. Cheaper lawn seed mixes will include annual ryegrass as a major part of the seed mix, which dies out after one year, so read the label before buying. The seeding rate for a bluegrass/perennial ryegrass or a bluegrass/perennial ryegrass/fine fescue seed mixture is 3 - 4 pounds per 1000 sq. feet of area. Immediately after seeding, (3) use a lawn roller to press the seed into the ground. This will ensure good seed germination and a better stand of grass. The seeding needs to be completed before May 1 and earlier is better than later. Cool, damp spring weather is necessary to establish a lawn seeding before the summer heat.

I hope this is the information that you are looking for -

Doug Gucker, MS, CCA Replied March 04, 2021, 4:42 PM EST
Thank you! 

Just to confirm, the herbicide recommended will not harm the mound system?

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 4, 2021, at 3:42 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:


The Question Asker Replied March 05, 2021, 12:55 PM EST

Glyphosate is inactivated by the soil, so it will not harm soil microbiology. Read and follow the label directions, and you should not have any problems.

Hope this answers your question-

Doug Gucker, MS, CCA Replied March 05, 2021, 1:37 PM EST

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