Aerate your lawn definitely. Take some pics and a sample to your local state (horticulture?) office. In Colorado CSU has a great free website and people to speak with about plants and grasses for the local region. I'm sure someone close could give you Similar info for your region.Hello lawn care experts! I need some help!
We moved here last September, and, with a 3-month-old, an 18-month-old, and a soon to be 4-month-old, and the wife and I working, I haven’t taken the time to do anything to the yard aside from keeping it mowed and edged.
Like most in our (semi-rural) county area, our yard looks to me like a mix of weeds.
I’d like to get it looking good, with a mostly uniform grass type.
My wife is from Northern Indiana (Warsaw). When we visited up there in April, I was struck by how nice and verdant green, that seemingly everyone’s lawn was. There were very few weeds; if anything, there were a few wildflowers here and there. And almost every lawn was like that. And I doubt all those people were lawn care nuts who take exacting, meticulous care of their lawn. Probably some sort of cool season grass, I’m guessing.
Starting to think weeds are just more ubiquitous in the south.
So, I’m a lawn care newbie. I do understand a few principles from the limited amount of research I’ve done.
I’ve read that it’s good to use something to combat weeds - either pre-emergent (obv. too late in season for that), or post-emergent. I can certainly apply this myself. Just need to know what to use and when to use it.
I’ve read that it’s good to de-thatch and aerate (Don’t think I’ll buy equipment to do this; I’ll likely hire it out once a year).
I know I’ll need to seed (This I can do myself).
What I’m not sure about is what order to do these steps in.
What grass seed to use.
And when to get started.
Could I start now? Or should I wait until fall?
Say I seeded with something like fescue around September. Will it grow over the winter and then die out when it gets warm next spring/summer?
I’ve heard of people “nuking” the existing lawn (whatever is there) and starting over. Anyone done this?
Any advice is appreciated! I’d like to get this looking as good as possible. I realize it’ll take time. But I’d love to get it to a point where it’ll be something we can take pride in within a couple of years.
Here’s the front, which has quite a few trees. Ditch running around front & side yards.
View attachment 159466
View attachment 159473
Side yard, which has some trees, but mostly gets good sun. View attachment 159471
Back. Few trees, good sun coverage. View attachment 159493
Previous owner had a dog that created a “trench” by continually running back and forth along the same path, along the chain link fence. View attachment 159495
One of the bare spots in the side yardView attachment 159496
A tornado came through about 18 months ago and the previous owner lost a couple of trees, and had the stumps ground down and just left the mulch. I have 2 of these patches View attachment 159497
Need Lawn Advice
- Thread starter john_pifer
- Start date
Aerate your lawn definitely. Take some pics and a sample to your local state (horticulture?) office. In Colorado CSU has a great free website and people to speak with about plants and grasses for the local region. I'm sure someone close could give you Similar info for your region.
I recommend the 48" Brinley aerator. It is a higher quality homeowner grade unit. Parts are readily available for it especially if you hit a rock and break one of the plugs. You can easily replace the plug. Your zero turn can easily handle it. And it will pay for itself immediately. I do 3 acres with mine.
It looks excellent, and I would be proud to have my yard look that good!
Your advice sounds solid, and I will follow it!
Is there any certain type of fescue that you recommend? I see someone recommended fescue 31.
Chemicals on the lawn will do a number on local wildlife, including the beneficial stuff.
All kinds of stuff grows in my lawn. Guess what? I keep it natural and it all looks the same after I cut it. I believe people are just too hung up on having just-so lawns.
All kinds of stuff grows in my lawn. Guess what? I keep it natural and it all looks the same after I cut it. I believe people are just too hung up on having just-so lawns.
Fescue 31 is a hardy and drought tolerant seed. When you buy seed/fertilizer and other products avoid the big box stores. They are overpriced. I get my stuff from a local small farm supply place. Shop now and pay less later.
Kentucky 31 is the oldest strain being sold now. It is typically taller and more dense than the hybrid seeds. It withstands dry conditions well and adapts to most any soil type. Unfortunately any fescue is going to need to be over seeded every fall. I always likened a nice fescue lawn to having a “seasonal crop” like farming. There’s repeat tasks that have to be done to maintain the health and density of any type of fescue. The home we bought two years ago has a Bermuda lawn. I hate it.
Oh well.
The yard of the house I grew up in Germantown (outside Memphis) had Bermuda. That’s what most everyone around there has.
It’s not really all that green.
Like I was saying, I really enjoy that lush, verdant green of a lot of the lawns I saw up in Warsaw, Indiana, where my wife is from. I assume most of those are some variety of fescue or Kentucky bluegrass.
Id like to try some fescue. If I have to aerate and overseed every fall, that’s OK.
I do have a question - When I do overseed, what becomes of the existing lawn? Does it sort of get choked out by the new stuff that grows up?
Bermuda can look really good if watered and fertilized frequently, i does take a lot of care though. with the exception of a few spots that the previous owners didn't maintain well, mine looks like carpet across the yard. one of the spots is closing in nicely and the other is moving slower but still progressing.
I forget the name of the athlete that told the story but anyways here goes; while he's out in the yard playing with the kids, the wife yells out the door that they're ruining the grass. He replies that he's more interested in growing kids, not grass! Looks like you got plenty of room for a volleyball net, some horseshoes or Cornhole, maybe some wiffleball, whatever! Go have some fun with your kids!!
Yes. Mow it high.
You have a really big piece of property. To have any go at a really nice lawn you need irrigation. Otherwise you just chasing your tail. With out irrigation you can try k31 not nice but hardy n green should survive with just rain
I've got a big sunny and then not so sunny yard. It was quite weedy and still has issues but I've really attacked it for the last 5 years.
#1 mow high 3.5" or so and use a mulcher.
#2 Don't use crabgrass preventer.
#3 when seeding bare spots do so in the fall or spring and cover with some sort of mulch mat.
#4 then just let it grow. Don't worry about it getting too tall. Be sure to water it.
The weed killer I use is Gordons Trimec with some Quinclorac 75% at their recommended rates. And soap of some sort. A Harbor Freight 4 gallon back pack sprayer is the one to get. Also a one gallon one.
I first went after the Plantain and now the violets. The violets are very difficult to kill but the Quinclorac 75% is working this dry year. Dandelions aren't much of a problem with the grass cut higher.
My biggest weed now is Nimblewill and apparently it takes a near nuclear option to be rid of,
#1 mow high 3.5" or so and use a mulcher.
#2 Don't use crabgrass preventer.
#3 when seeding bare spots do so in the fall or spring and cover with some sort of mulch mat.
#4 then just let it grow. Don't worry about it getting too tall. Be sure to water it.
The weed killer I use is Gordons Trimec with some Quinclorac 75% at their recommended rates. And soap of some sort. A Harbor Freight 4 gallon back pack sprayer is the one to get. Also a one gallon one.
I first went after the Plantain and now the violets. The violets are very difficult to kill but the Quinclorac 75% is working this dry year. Dandelions aren't much of a problem with the grass cut higher.
My biggest weed now is Nimblewill and apparently it takes a near nuclear option to be rid of,
My advice, as well as what others have stated, wait until the fall if you want to start over.
Keeping the grass high will help choke out the weeds and keep the surface cooler from the shade of the grass blades.
I've done alot of trial and error....countless failures. The best success I have had recently was using Jonathan Green Ultra Black Beauty grass seed...the stuff is above and beyond anything I've used.
I started treating the soil before the seed went down, as we were coming out of the summer heat using their "Love My Soil".
I did a couple bags over the course of a month, along with some liquid products from Green County Fertilizer, the "N-Ext" line of Humic-12, Air-8, and RGS. The liquid requires more $$ to get going as you need a good backpack sprayer, there are a few very good battery options.
Once the seed went down, the soil was ready to get the roots going quick and strong, that's key for winter survival and upcoming summer the following year.
But get the soil right first, you can smoke the lawn and start over, or if you have at least 40-50% good grass, just treat the weeds, keep it watered, make sure you use a good fungicide for brown spot and dollar spot etc. Then wait for the fall to overseed.
I stopped using mechanical aerating and rely on liquid, keep it watered, good soil bio, and your dirt will work..just takes time.
Keeping the grass high will help choke out the weeds and keep the surface cooler from the shade of the grass blades.
I've done alot of trial and error....countless failures. The best success I have had recently was using Jonathan Green Ultra Black Beauty grass seed...the stuff is above and beyond anything I've used.
I started treating the soil before the seed went down, as we were coming out of the summer heat using their "Love My Soil".
I did a couple bags over the course of a month, along with some liquid products from Green County Fertilizer, the "N-Ext" line of Humic-12, Air-8, and RGS. The liquid requires more $$ to get going as you need a good backpack sprayer, there are a few very good battery options.
Once the seed went down, the soil was ready to get the roots going quick and strong, that's key for winter survival and upcoming summer the following year.
But get the soil right first, you can smoke the lawn and start over, or if you have at least 40-50% good grass, just treat the weeds, keep it watered, make sure you use a good fungicide for brown spot and dollar spot etc. Then wait for the fall to overseed.
I stopped using mechanical aerating and rely on liquid, keep it watered, good soil bio, and your dirt will work..just takes time.
Ha I should talk. The mower broke and it's been a month since mowing. Good thing it's been dry. But it's all mostly weed free and going to seed. Sprayed the whole yard once and had to go out and get the trees all sprouting.
Here's a pic of the groundskeepers. The eat a lot of grass. And leave a lot of fertilizer.....
Here's a pic of the groundskeepers. The eat a lot of grass. And leave a lot of fertilizer.....
A couple of points.
I rent the aerator from Home Depot so I don’t have to store it. I think I pay $65 for 4 hours, and pull it gingerly behind a small zero-turn, being careful not to rip up the lawn with tire spin.
for $3 you can buy a soil test kit from Home Depot. Get 2-3 samples from different points in your lawn, add a couple Ml of pure water, and read the colors. choose your fertilizer based on the color. //Worth It!!!//. Takes so much of the guesswork out.
I rent the aerator from Home Depot so I don’t have to store it. I think I pay $65 for 4 hours, and pull it gingerly behind a small zero-turn, being careful not to rip up the lawn with tire spin.
for $3 you can buy a soil test kit from Home Depot. Get 2-3 samples from different points in your lawn, add a couple Ml of pure water, and read the colors. choose your fertilizer based on the color. //Worth It!!!//. Takes so much of the guesswork out.
Wow! Great info.
I had considered buying that Brinly aerator that someone here recommended. It would, however, take up quite a bit of space in my (already space-challenged) detached garage.
I wasn’t aware of the cheap soil test kit from HD.
Thank you!
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