[jbokk10]

Alright. I have lived in my house for 12 years and other than cutting and weed eating, I have done nothing else. Nothing. My grass looks thin, weak, discolored and ugly.

This year WILL be my year to learn how to do this,
So, I have strolled through forums, and asked around, read stuff online, and I keep getting confused with the terminology. Compost, Weed and Feed, Nitro something, over seed, sod, thatching, dethatching, cultivate, etc. Anyway, here is what I have done so far.

I purchased an electric Sun Joe Dethatcher machine. My wife, son and I spent many hours and got the front are of our house done with that machine. Between running it, raking and bagging what it was pulling up, and running it over one more time, and bagging that, we were worn out. We got a lot done, and it looks a lot better, but it doesn't look "good". So, tomorrow, I am aerating the area I have done.

I have mostly crab grass and weeds for a lawn. My plan is to "overseed" my existing lawn. So, after aerating do I top off existing lawn with a compost or some sort of good "soil" before I seed, or after? What is the most cost effective way to do this.?

I appreciate any advice, I am learning, and I will stay on top of it. I just do not know what I am doing.

 

[Ware]

Welcome to TLF! You are in the right place. :thumbup:

Based on your location, I'm going to move this into the cool season subforum. It should get more traction there.

 

[gregonfire]

Welcome to TLF! Have you considered doing a complete renovation? (kill everything and start fresh)

If so, you could use the next few months to learn as much as you can and prepare they yard for a renovation in the fall.

 

[jbokk10]

Im almost there as it is. Very patchy and brown, and lots of bare spots. Running that machine this weekend really showed a lot of bare and really thin spots.

 

[Budstl]

Welcome jbokk! I'm from st louis as well. If you haven't put down a pre emergent, i would do that this week. I would focus spring and summer on controlling weeds and then seeding come September. Take some pics so we have an idea of what you're working with. More folks will be around to assist you.

 

[jessehurlburt]

Hey Jbokk10-

There is so much good info here! You're in the right place. Check out this thread that another member put together. There is plenty here to get you going.

https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1595

To address your specific question- yes, a light top coating of soil, peat moss or compost will help keep the seed moist, and in good contact with the soil. You might want to check out the town/city you live in and see if they offer compost. My town has a big pile of it free for the taking. Otherwise a bail of peat moss ($10) will cover around 1k sq ft. You will hear over and over again here that spring is not the best time of year to seed and it is true. The seedlings are still very yuong and tender when the summer heat arrives. You will need a solid irrigation plan to keep the new grass through the summer.. If you're set on doing this now, use a starter fertilizer that has a chemical to kill weeds (while letting your new seed grow)- like this- https://tinyurl.com/ybo67pwq

The better plan would be to to skip the spring seeding and put down a pre-emergent herbicide to prevent crabgrass and other weeds from germinating this spring. You're in luck as this is exactly the time of year to do that. You could then target the remaining tough weeds in the early summer and get yourself set up for success with a mid-august early sept overseed.

Make sure you're cutting with a sharp blade and mow the grass as tall as your mower will allow. This will help the grass and help prevent weeds.

Good luck!!!

Jesse

 

[Green]

I'm going to take the opposite approach. Only after considering the two options (seeding versus not seeding) can you make the best decision. So, playing devil's advocate...

It sounds like you're committed to starting this Spring now that you've dethatched and are looking to aerate. Mowing bare dirt with sporadic grass plants is too messy; you don't want to be doing that all Summer and come in caked with dust and have it in your eyes and breathe it in, right?

So, if you're going to aerate, why not seed the same exact day? If you can get TTTF seed with 0% weed and other crop, that would be ideal; you probably have enough existing weeds and weed seeds that you don't want more! If you don't mind having to repeat the overseeding proces again this Fall, I'd say go for it...just decide if there are areas you want to totally kil first, as now is the time to do that.

And you more than likely will have to repeat the overseed in the early Fall, because the chance of the new grass making it through the Summer isn't very high. But again, if you're ok with spending the money, time and effort on it, I'd say go for it.

The Scotts starter fertilizer with weed preventer (Mesotrione) will be very helpful!

 

[g-man]

Could you post an image? I'm very hesitant to suggest a Reno to any lawn but Ware's. His is 100% weed (I call Bermuda a weed).

 

[Ware]

Could you post an image? I'm very hesitant to suggest a Reno to any lawn but Ware's. His is 100% weed (I call Bermuda a weed).

I gut a chuckle out of this. :thumbup:

 

[ericgautier]

Could you post an image? I'm very hesitant to suggest a Reno to any lawn but Ware's. His is 100% weed (I call Bermuda a weed).

:lol:

 

[jbokk10]

I will grab some pictures and post tomorrow. The front lawn is small and street view, so I dont mind spending the money and extra time on it, the back yard is larger, and really not into doing it more times than needed, but it has been neglected for so long, and the ground is very moist right now, we have had a lot of rain the last 4 weeks.

 

[ericgautier]

Could you post an image?

I agree. Let's see some pictures...

For example:

Before:


After:

All I did over the last 6 months was: hand pull as much crabgrass as I could find; apply Oceangro; apply 2,4D; start cutting at the highest mower setting. The random Northeast mix of grasses did the rest all by itself.

So, I would do the following:

- Apply a pre-emergent now *I might change my mind after seeing your pictures
- Tackle existing weeds
- Feed the lawn

 

[jackiec522]

welcome! looking forward to seeing pics of your lawn and the transition it will make

 

[gene_stl]

welcome to TLF. There are several of us here in St. Louis. And it seems like winter may finally be over.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Welcome to TLF!

 

[MarkAguglia]

Welcome, I'm still a newbie but have learned a ton from these guys. This is a fantastic forum. Definitely post some photos.