Re-Seeding my entire front lawn

[stevestojan]

Yes, I have googled this and that's why I'm asking here. Most of the sites assumed you know something about this topic. I need it explained in simplistic terms so i don't !@#$ something up.

 

My front yard is patchy, has some weeds, dry spots, etc. I just want to re-do the whole thing.

 

I would think I would just need to rototil the whole yard, mix some topsoil in, and use a spreader to get the seeds on there. It seems some websites make it seem more complex.

 

Anyway, any tips would be great: types of grass to use, additives, etc...

[ofiba]

[Just Jack]

Here's a thread i had a while ago about lawn care....

 

http://www.stadiumwall.com/index.php?showtopic=48982

[stevewin]

I would first suggest you wait until the fall - or at least until after the worst heat of the summer.

 

I personally am a big fan of slit seeding - over aeration/spreading. Cut the lawn as short as possible then Roundup the whole thing a few weeks before you plant - then rent a slit seeder or find a company that uses one. No need to dig, rototil etc. - just run the machine over the bare lawn. This is what I did for my last two houses which were bought new w/o lawns established - killed the whole thing at the end of the summer then slit seeded - in each case whole lawn came in great.

 

It is imperative that after you seed you keep the lawn watered and seeds moist the whole time until after the seeds germinate and establish.

[TheMadCap]

I would first suggest you wait until the fall - or at least until after the worst heat of the summer.

 

I personally am a big fan of slit seeding - over aeration/spreading. Cut the lawn as short as possible then Roundup the whole thing a few weeks before you plant - then rent a slit seeder or find a company that uses one. No need to dig, rototil etc. - just run the machine over the bare lawn. This is what I did for my last two houses which were bought new w/o lawns established - killed the whole thing at the end of the summer then slit seeded - in each case whole lawn came in great.

 

It is imperative that after you seed you keep the lawn watered and seeds moist the whole time until after the seeds germinate and establish.

 

Absolutely correct, Don't bother until late September, unless you plan to water the piss out of it all summer...

[Fan in San Diego]

There are some good reseeding options that are great for just repairing bald spots. It's called Zoia or something like that. Google for it and I bet you find it.

[stevestojan]

Absolutely correct, Don't bother until late September, unless you plan to water the piss out of it all summer...

 

Here's the thing with that: I live in WNY. The hottest day in summer will be, what 88? And that might happen twice. If I wait until "Fall", god knows when the first frost will hit...

 

Wouldn't I be OK so long as I kept a sprinkler with a timer on?

[dib]

One word.

 

 

Sod.

[Stussy109]

Here's the thing with that: I live in WNY. The hottest day in summer will be, what 88? And that might happen twice. If I wait until "Fall", god knows when the first frost will hit...

 

Wouldn't I be OK so long as I kept a sprinkler with a timer on?

 

 

Yea... just water the hell out of it. I noticed since i added sprinklers to my back yard (used to have them n the just the front) most of the issues have gone away. A Well fed lawn (Water and fertilizer) usually keeps most weeds out. When i redid my backyard, I got a couple loads of soil from the dump, put seed in it, mixed it in with a rake, then watered the heck out of it.

[BuffaloBud]

One would think that the WNY weather would allow for starting / reseeding during the summer. 88 is still very warm for getting the new seeds to germinate and properly watered. The new blades of grass are very thin, thus are very susceptable to stress. Watering a lot at this time can induce diseases as well. I have done the slit seeding thing as well, but I don't buzz cut the grass. I might cut the height in half. That way the new grass has a small amount of cover to keep it cool and moist. Don't forget to run the slit seeder in both directions for proper coverage.

 

If the area that is patchy and dry is small enough, sod is a great way to get it fixed in a hurry. Again, just make sure that it is properly watered.

 

I've become a proponent of core aeration as well. Once a year - in the spring.

[Beerball]

Go to the experts.

[stuckincincy]

There are some good reseeding options that are great for just repairing bald spots. It's called Zoia or something like that. Google for it and I bet you find it.

 

Zoysia.

 

It's a bad choice. It's very invasive, and will attack and overtake your whole lawn. And also your neighbor's...

 

And unless you live in the South, it only greens up for 5 months or so - otherwise, it's dormant and brown.

[Nanker]

There are some good reseeding options that are great for just repairing bald spots. It's called Zoia or something like that. Google for it and I bet you find it.

 

Good Lord. Don't ever put zoysia grass on a lawn in the north. It is a tough grass, doesn't need a lot of care, water, mowing etc.

However, it goes dormant at the first chill, so you have an ugly brown carpet from October through May.

[kegtapr]

Here's the thing with that: I live in WNY. The hottest day in summer will be, what 88? And that might happen twice. If I wait until "Fall", god knows when the first frost will hit...

 

Wouldn't I be OK so long as I kept a sprinkler with a timer on?

 

Doesn't matter. Don't do it now. As others have said, seeding now won't give the grass time to develop a good root system. A week of 90 degree temps (not uncommon in WNY) will cause havoc on new grass.

 

End of July use a spray weed killer on your lawn. It won't take care of all of them, but it will give you a good start. Give 4-6 weeks between the weed killer and seeding or grass seed won't germinate.

 

Wait until September. Dethatch your lawn, scalp it with the mower and overseed. Use a high quality seed (Bluegrass, Ryegrass, Fescue mix), or you'll just be introducing more weeds. There are mixed reviews on a starter fertilizer in the fall, I used it last year with great results. Water consistantly, seeds need to stay moist to germinate. Don't mow for the first few weeks and don't expect immediate results. Reviving a lawn is a marathon, not a sprint. You'll see some new growth in the fall, but it will really pop in the spring. Put down a winterizer in early november.

 

Early spring but down a fertilizer with crab grass control. Use the spray weed killer again a few weeks on either side of that if needed.

 

I moved into a house last year with a lawn that had about 80% weeds and the rest was dead grass. 10 months later, my lawn is one of the best in the neighborhood and I still have work to do. Very few weeds, full lawn, only a few trouble spots.

[ricojes]

Here's the thing with that: I live in WNY. The hottest day in summer will be, what 88?

Supposed to be 90 on Friday!!!

[stuckincincy]

Doesn't matter. Don't do it now. As others have said, seeding now won't give the grass time to develop a good root system. A week of 90 degree temps (not uncommon in WNY) will cause havoc on new grass.

 

End of July use a spray weed killer on your lawn. It won't take care of all of them, but it will give you a good start. Give 4-6 weeks between the weed killer and seeding or grass seed won't germinate.

 

Wait until September. Dethatch your lawn, scalp it with the mower and overseed. Use a high quality seed (Bluegrass, Ryegrass, Fescue mix), or you'll just be introducing more weeds. There are mixed reviews on a starter fertilizer in the fall, I used it last year with great results. Water consistantly, seeds need to stay moist to germinate. Don't mow for the first few weeks and don't expect immediate results. Reviving a lawn is a marathon, not a sprint. You'll see some new growth in the fall, but it will really pop in the spring. Put down a winterizer in early november.

 

Early spring but down a fertilizer with crab grass control. Use the spray weed killer again a few weeks on either side of that if needed.

 

I moved into a house last year with a lawn that had about 80% weeds and the rest was dead grass. 10 months later, my lawn is one of the best in the neighborhood and I still have work to do. Very few weeds, full lawn, only a few trouble spots.

 

Good post. I'd mention that winter fertilizer application time varies...here in SW Ohio, early December is best because sometimes in November, the grass is still active.

 

I've spot seeded in the summer - but it's very much a kid glove process...aerate the patch and scratch up the surface and mix in some fresh topsoil and the seed, tamp down, apply a bit of fertilizer, then peg down some screening.

[kegtapr]

Good post. I'd mention that winter fertilizer application time varies...here in SW Ohio, early December is best because sometimes in November, the grass is still active.

 

I've spot seeded in the summer - but it's very much a kid glove process...aerate the patch and scratch up the surface and mix in some fresh topsoil and the seed, tamp down, apply a bit of fertilizer, then peg down some screening.

 

I spot seeded a couple weeks ago because I pulled out a couple trees and changed the landscaping around the front of my house, pulling some parts back a bit. I'll be watering the hell out of those all summer.

[PastaJoe]

I worked for a landscaper doing this sort of work. First we used a sodcutter to remove the old lawn in the fall. Rototilling will just bury the bad grass and weeds, you won't get them all, and eventually they'll grow through. Then put down a couple inches of topsoil. Use the wide landscaper rake and crosshatch to show any high/low spots that need to be leveled. Then either sod, which is much more expensive but gives you instant lawn (when matching sides, pull both up a bit and then pat down so one edge don't overlap the other), or grass seed and fertilizer. Important thing is to keep it watered, best way is to get sprinklers to cover the entire area and put them on a timer. Then in the spring you'll have to touch up any areas that didn't grow properly (spots too dry or wet).

[Fan in San Diego]

Good Lord. Don't ever put zoysia grass on a lawn in the north. It is a tough grass, doesn't need a lot of care, water, mowing etc.

However, it goes dormant at the first chill, so you have an ugly brown carpet from October through May.

 

Really, thanks for the info, I didn't know that, misleading advertising.

[Gordio]

Here's the thing with that: I live in WNY. The hottest day in summer will be, what 88? And that might happen twice. If I wait until "Fall", god knows when the first frost will hit...

 

Wouldn't I be OK so long as I kept a sprinkler with a timer on?

 

 

Funny you say that because it is supposed to be 88 on thursday & 90 on friday. I think summer has finally arrived.