Dethatching a lawn, any tips?

[Just Jack]

My front lawn is over run with weeds, and where there aren't weeds, there is dead brown grass that never recovers. So I'm looking into dethacting and reseeding. So far I've bought this dethatching rake. But with the few pulls I've already done, I see it'll take me a most of a morning or afternoon to do the entire front lawn. Anyways, after that's done, I was just going to dump new seed on the lawn, but I see where some recommend fertilizer instead. But I want to cut down on the weeds, not fertilize them so they grow back more. Any tips?

[ExiledInIllinois]

Can you bag when you mow?... If that isn't possible and you use a tractor... Don't they still sell those lawn "sweeps" that pick up the cut grass... I know you can also push them manually in tight spots...

 

Or... Mow and discharge in the same area... Then you got one big pile...

 

We do about 20-25 acres a week here and bagging is out of the question... I mow in the same direction... It helps to have a bucket on the tractor and a big wet place(river) to dump the fish "food" in...

 

[ExiledInIllinois]

Oh... Americans just don't want to work .

 

You can get a illegal to pull that dethatcher.

 

Cost:

 

Bag of rice and the burlap bag it came in to sleep on...

 

 

[TheMadCap]

My front lawn is over run with weeds, and where there aren't weeds, there is dead brown grass that never recovers. So I'm looking into dethacting and reseeding. So far I've bought this dethatching rake. But with the few pulls I've already done, I see it'll take me a most of a morning or afternoon to do the entire front lawn. Anyways, after that's done, I was just going to dump new seed on the lawn, but I see where some recommend fertilizer instead. But I want to cut down on the weeds, not fertilize them so they grow back more. Any tips?

731660[/snapback]

 

Yeah, dethatching sux. You could make it easier by cutting the grass really low before you rake it. There are dethatching units you can rent.

 

Definitely have the yard aerated if it hasn't been done in a while. THen seed the holy hell out of it this fall. I seed in mid-September.

 

I also fertilize in September, October, November and December. You will need some weed control put on in March, and a second dose in june. I never fertilize in spring or summer, grass naturally grows at that time.

 

If you feed it in winter, you will get great results, pending rainfall. Currently, my grass is fried from drought, but there is not much I can do about it, except wait. It will come back, it just goes dorment when there is no water.

 

If you do decide to water, I suggest that you water in the early morning very deeply. Use a screwdriver to measure the soil penetration depth. When the screwdriver no longer easily penetrates to about four-six inches, water deeply again. If I water, I ususally water about twice a week. Lots of people water too little, too frequently. I see people in my neighborhood water every day, which is a waste. It is best to have a sprinkler system, but if you don't have one bust out with the hose sprinklers. Good luck...

[Alaska Darin]

Next time, rent a power rake. It literally took me longer to pick up the stuff it rooted out than it did to use it. Awesome.

 

There is some really good advice in this thread.

 

1. Aerate.

2. Overseed late in the year.

3. Follow the Scotts' recommended method of feeding/weeding your lawn. Their stuff works and using it means ALOT less work.

4. When you water, make sure you do it deep enough. Watering daily doesn't work. If you water an adequate amount each day, you'll rot the grass. Anything less is simply a waste. I water 4 times a week - two days in a row each (depending on rainfall). My lawn is normally a golf course.

[TSNBDSC]

...cut grass low ... rent a power rake from home depot (4 hours, 40 bucks) ... run power rake east to west and or north to south ... run lawnmower to bag grass ... overseed ... lay down straight fertilizer (no weed killer) ... water, water, water ... in two weeks or so you shold be rocking ... when i use to power rake i tore the sheep out of the lawn (looked like heck) but it got all the bad stuff up and out and it ariated (spelling) the lawn at the same time ... do it earlier next year though (april or early may) ... good luck ~! ... tom

[TheMadCap]

Be carefull with watering. If you start watering the seed, you need to keep doing it. I prefer to let nature take it's course...

[Movinon]

Plant Zoysia plugs; it will choke out all the old grass and weeds in your lawn and requires very little care; the only downside is it lays dormant during the winter and turns yellow.

 

http://www1.zoysiafarms.com/

[plenzmd1]

Can't speak to the northeast, but doing anything to your lawn in the Mid-Atlantic this time of year is just one giant waste of time. I would suck it up till labor day, shedule an aeration and overseeding for then, and you will be fine for next summer. If you have big patches of weeds, or strains grass you do want (ir bermuda or zoysia) you will want to start killing them at least three weeks prior to aeration and overseeding. Just use plain ole roundup to kill them off.If they are not to thhick, they will die off at first cold snap even without the roundup.

 

BTW, i hate zoysia grass, ugly and stiff

[JÂy RÛßeÒ]

Any tips?

731660[/snapback]

Take back the rake and hire someone who knows what they're doing

[Movinon]

[quote=BTW, i hate zoysia grass, ugly and stiff

 

I have to disagree with you on this one -- Zoysia is very carpet like, plush and very green. It requires much less care then other grasses freeing my time up for the more important things in life like football, hunting, fishing and beer

[plenzmd1]

[quote name=BTW' date=' i hate zoysia grass, ugly and stiff

 

I have to disagree with you on this one -- Zoysia is very carpet like, plush and very green. It requires much less care then other grasses freeing my time up for the more important things in life like football, hunting, fishing and beer

731914[/snapback]

 

ahh beer, and i must agree on the less time aspect. Not sure where you are Mov, but the zoysia down here just goes dormant to quick. You will see absolutely zero zyosia lawns in the mid-atlantic, and every golf course has gone away from it as well.

 

But like most things, all that really matters is what YOU like.

 

BTW, in adition to what i said above, make sure when you overseed you buy a quality seed. Cheap seed equals waste of money in my opinion. Cheap seed can contain lots of crap beside grass seed.

 

I also personally hate Chem-lawn. To me if your going to pay someone to do your aeration and seeding, pay a little extra to a local, reputable guy who uses good seed. The extra cash will be well worth it in your results

[stuckincincy]

ahh beer, and i must agree on the less time aspect. Not sure where you are Mov, but the zoysia down here just goes dormant to quick. You will see absolutely zero zyosia lawns in the mid-atlantic, and every golf course has gone away from it as well.

 

But like most things, all that really matters is what YOU like.

 

BTW, in adition to what i said above, make sure when you overseed you buy a quality seed. Cheap seed equals waste of money in my opinion. Cheap seed can contain lots of crap beside grass seed.

 

I also personally hate Chem-lawn. To me if your going to pay someone to do your aeration and seeding, pay a little extra to a local, reputable guy who uses good seed. The extra cash will be well worth it in your results

731939[/snapback]

 

No zoysia here, for the reasons you state. It creeps, and can creep into your neighbor's property and crowd out his lawn.

 

Good point on getting decent seed.

 

For new lawns, the so-called "starter" fertilizers help - they are higher in phosphorus for root growth. The "winterizer" blend is also higher, for the same reason.

 

And fertilizing 4 times a year, as Scotts wants to do, is likely excessive. I put down some in December (never in Fall - the last thing the grass needs is a leaf growth spurt when it should be devoting energy to its roots for its dormancy), then some in late March/early April.

 

I don't bag clippings - and those generally amount to an extra bag of fertilizer.

[billsfanone]

Plant Zoysia plugs; it will choke out all the old grass and weeds in your lawn and requires very little care; the only downside is it lays dormant during the winter and turns yellow.

 

http://www1.zoysiafarms.com/

731864[/snapback]

 

My neighbor has that. It looks like a rug.

[inkman]

Any tips?

731660[/snapback]

 

 

Here is what you need:

 

1. Box of dynamite

2. Grass seed

3. Bottle of tequila

 

 

 

Let me know how it goes...

[bills_fan_in_raleigh]

My front lawn is over run with weeds, and where there aren't weeds, there is dead brown grass that never recovers. So I'm looking into dethacting and reseeding. So far I've bought this dethatching rake. But with the few pulls I've already done, I see it'll take me a most of a morning or afternoon to do the entire front lawn. Anyways, after that's done, I was just going to dump new seed on the lawn, but I see where some recommend fertilizer instead. But I want to cut down on the weeds, not fertilize them so they grow back more. Any tips?

731660[/snapback]

If ya lived in raleigh heres what ya would do. Buy some round up and kill everything in sight, in a week or so fertilize the dead stuff, water if needed and if anything green pops up again kill it with roundup, repeat till nothing is coming up, might take 3 total weeks since its weed seed that doesnt die with roundup but the fertilizer and water will get it to sprout. Once your sure its all dead rent a power seeder and put down a good quality fescue, rebels or any other blend is great. Fertilize with seed starter, water and by end of sept your lawn will be an award winner. Followup by winterizer at thanksgivin and spring fertilizer no later than valentines day. If ya get any weeds after that should be able to control with spot weed killers that wont harm the grass.

[billsfanone]

I pick weeks out with my bare hands. No weed killer for me.

[bills_fan_in_raleigh]

I pick weeks out with my bare hands. No weed killer for me.

732107[/snapback]

if the yard is infested as Jack describes good luck doing a "hand job"

[Beerball]

Dethatching a lawn

 

This is a euphemism for personal grooming isn't it Jack? I know it's tough being a newlywed, but honesty is the best policy. Sit down with your bride and let her know how you feel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[billsfanone]

if the yard is infested as Jack describes good luck doing a "hand job"

732111[/snapback]

 

It would be if I let it go. I do a little at a time. It seems much bigger of a job than it look like at the start. Until you start making headway. I had a little crab / quack grass outbreak that I yanked under control this weekend.