Hey neighbor,

Not to be dismissive, but have you checked out the stickied Cool Season Lawn Guide and the links at the top** of it? I think they'd answer some of your questions. Also, a photo's worth 1000 words if you have any of the renovation I'd post them.

 

I think you need to cut the lawn. Clover deal with in the spring you don't want no setbacks. Keep cutting minimum weekly twice a week if you can. I would buy a bag of fall fertilizer no weed killer and put it down at half bag rate. If spreader setting is 6 set it for 3 so you don't burn the baby grass. Water in keep cutting. In about two weeks after put down the fertilizer again half bag rate water in. Come next early spring you need to put down a crabgrass prevention extremely important or you back to a lawn full of weeds. Kill the clover and any other broad leaf weeds come spring after your first dose of fertilizer you want them actively growing to kill.

 

What M32075 said, waith for next year to deal with clover, mist weed be gone will kill it

 

Yeah, just let it grow and cut it. The weather is perfect here right now. You can hand pull the clover if you want. Otherwise triclopyr in the spring (April-ish).

also, am I reading you corrrectly- 100# of seed for 5k sqft? That’s 20#/sqft?

 

What M32075 says makes sense. Cut, water and fertilize with no chemicals until April. I just can’t figure out why there are thick and dark green areas on the lawn where you can’t even see the dirt and then some areas that are thin where you can see dirt. Those thin areas seem occupied mostly by clover and perhaps the grass isn’t thick there because the clover squeezed out the grass growth? Was there something I could have done differently prior to seeding that would have prevented all the clover?

so come April when I spray the clover with herbicide( is triclopyr best or tenacity ? ) do I need to physically pull out the dead clover and put grass seed in that spot? Can triclopyr or tenacity be used as my primary spring pre emergent? My old lawn LOVED crabgrass, quack grass, dandelions, nutsedge, plantain and of course clover

And I also suppose I have to generally over-seed again early spring to address thin areas? I’m a total rookie and this advice I’m getting is so helpful

and yes I’ve used soooo much seed. I think the birds most of ate most of it because I can’t see how it just disappeared from soil.

thanks again

 

The rate of germination and growth can be very different in even a small area.
Just keep watering properly , mow when needed , blades sharp and feed it

mow is the time to learn about weed control
What you have and what to use and when to use it.
As for pre emergents what worked for me so far split apps in the spring and a fall app for the fall germinating weeds like Dandelion.

I would not bother seeding in spring.
Take care of it , enough water over the next summer and maybe plan a fall over seed

Note : If you plan to over seed fall 2025 be mindful of your pre emergent apps and how long they are effective for

 

Ok just cut for first time and realized that I put way too much seed and fertilizer down and the grass is way too thick! Never thought I would have that problem as the soil is so bad but somehow it all grew like crazy. I didn’t realize how dense and thick it was until I cut it. There are still some thin spots ironically but I’ve read that grass too thick presents it’s own problems. So the only solution is to rent a dethatcher next summer and go over it? Man what did I get myself into?!?! I go from a thin/thick lawn full of weeds to this……

 

Dont panic and dont do anything come spring. Just get your watering in check and your fertilizer apps correct.
It will sort it self out. Stay on top of the mowing

IDK what height your Cutting it at but if thats over grown mayb get down to 2-2.5” and keep it mowed until the weather turns and growth stops.

I did the same thing a few years ago AND then screwed up again and dropped 1lbN/1000 july 4th weekend
Ugh …..nothing worse than mowing fungus infected lawn thats growing 2” a day in july ! Litterally mowing 3 days a week July -Aigust while trying to fight a fungus out break ——eventually I went from dollar spot and leaf spot to a Pythium out break …..not fun

so keep it mowed , water deep and infrequent tou will be ok