Thread: Lawn Help
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TomC[_2_] TomC[_2_] is offline
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Default Lawn Help

wrote in news:793bb731-b47b-47b2-b427-b4b282adc093
@y21g2000hsf.googlegroups.com:

Ok, year #2 in the beautiful newly built house in the NE with the
crappy lawn. Builder half-assed it and the lawn is sparse with a lot
of crabgrass. I don't need a "home and garden" lawn but I'd like some
grass !
Questions:

1. My thought is to use a slit-seeder rented from home depot since
previous attempts by just chucking down seed and watering has failed.
Make sense? Other ideas?

2. Is now a good time to seed or should I wait 2 weeks or a month?

Thanks for your guidance!


I went throught a similar experience in my new house in south central Pa.
just three years ago . The top soil was basically turned under during the
building process. So, the real problem is lack of fertile soil for the
grass seed to get off to a good start. I had a soil test done at the
local extension office. They recommended the type of grass seed (Kentucky
Bluegrass) for my locale, and they said to use a starter fertilizer when
I seeded, and to follow up with continued use of the starter fertilizer
over the next three years, during the early spring, early summer, and
late fall. Worked out great. Important steps a

Get the right grass seed for your area;
Use the correct starter fertilizer and apply it when you seed (expensive
step, but if you don't do it the grass seed won't germinate in the poor
soil);
Insure good seed and soil contact; e.g. rake, cultivate, or use a slit
seeder, etc.;
Continue to fertilize poor soil for several years;

Be patient; it will grow and then you can spend a lot of time cutting it
:-)
If you seed in the spring and don't get enough rain to get that instant
lush lawn, don't fret about it over the summer. It will grow in the fall.
Oh yea, about the weeds; I wasn't to concerned with them. For the most
part they are green and will help to keep down erosion untill the lawn is
established, then you can attack the weed problems. But, if weeds do
really bother you and the current lawn isn't worth saving, spray the
whole area with roundup and start over.
Good luck!