I am currently working hard on my lawn. I have a loam type soil that is really bad...compacted. I have been aerating once a year for two years now. I have not vacuumed up cores though, letting them fall apart and go back into the lawn. My lawn is still tight though. I currently have centipede, but I hate it and I need to get something more hearty...I have 2 kids and a dog...in addition I have anywhere from 2-5 other kids in my yard from the neighbors playing...so it plays heck on the centipede.

This year I reclaimed a ditch bank, cutting everything back and removing the wax myrtles, etc. I also had a spot beside the dog kennel that was overtaken by weeds from the hay in the dog house. Once I cut everything back I BURNED EVERYTHING WITH FIRE to kill as much as I could...it was really the only way to get rid of much of the undergrowth, etc. I then seeded with Scotts bermuda which is a variety called Sonesta. The stuff has FLIPPING TAKEN OFF on the ditch and beside the kennel. I just mowed it two days ago and it needs it again...I DO have some weeds in it but in some areas I can see where the weeds are having a hard time coming up enough to get sun....so the bermuda is doing fine. My home faces south west and I have only two trees, both of which are small. So my lawn should be getting enough sun for bermuda. My questions are as follows...

My intention is to get a soil sample report done in a few months to see what I have...I then plan to use roundup on EVERYTHING but the ditch and kennel area next year and plant bermuda. I plan on round up once then again two weeks later. Then run an aerator in two directions to get holes in the yard. I then plan on putting out bermuda and some starter fert. I DO have an irrigation system with a well so water isn't an issue....is this OK to do and is it a good plan?

Also, what would your opinions be on my compaction issue? I have been told to maybe run the aerator in two directions and vacuum up all cores, then add black cow to the yard to fill them in...