I have a ranch on a 1/4 acre of land. My lawn isnt huge but there is enough of it. Here's the link:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...ontofhouse.jpg



Yesterday, I really decided to tackle my terrible lawn. I have multiple issues. Maybe some of you
can help. Yesterday, I rented a power rake from Home Depot and thatched the lawn. Here is what came
out of the lawn only for the front yard. It may not look like a lot but there is a lot and I already
got rid of a few pails:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/thatch.jpg


What is the next step? Do I put lime down? Do I seed? Do I fertilize? I do not know what kind of
grass to use. I have planted Scotts seed last year and the grass is so different from the grass I
already have. Instead of thin dense grass, the Scotts grass is fat and grows way faster and higher.
I went to a local nursery yesterday and the guy insisted that the taller Scotts grass was weeds and
not grass and he had no idea what kind of grass I already have. How can I find out. When I patch the
lawn, I want it to match so that it isnt so obvious because of the differernt kinds of grass. See
he

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e.../grasstype.jpg



One other question: How do I level the lawn? It dips down a bit in the middle. And I want the lawn
to be higher by the house and grade down as it goes to the street. Do I add soil over the grass to
level it or do I have to rip the grass out and then add the soil. Here is a pic but its hard to see
the dips:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/slope2.jpg



I am trying to sell my house so I am not looking to pay a lot of money for a landscaper, which is
why I am doing this myself. I am on the verge of a short sale and I would be happy to sell to break
even and lose the $150,000 I paid these past 5 years rather than the kill my great credit. Do I have
any hope or do I need a professional landscaper? I cannot believe dirt and lawns are so friggin
complicated. Thanks for any help you can give.

Tony

"Tony" wrote in message
...
I have a ranch on a 1/4 acre of land. My lawn isnt huge but there is enough
of it. Here's the link:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...ontofhouse.jpg



Yesterday, I really decided to tackle my terrible lawn. I have multiple
issues. Maybe some of you
can help. Yesterday, I rented a power rake from Home Depot and thatched
the lawn. Here is what came
out of the lawn only for the front yard. It may not look like a lot but
there is a lot and I already
got rid of a few pails:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/thatch.jpg


What is the next step? Do I put lime down? Do I seed? Do I fertilize? I do
not know what kind of
grass to use. I have planted Scotts seed last year and the grass is so
different from the grass I
already have. Instead of thin dense grass, the Scotts grass is fat and
grows way faster and higher.
I went to a local nursery yesterday and the guy insisted that the taller
Scotts grass was weeds and
not grass and he had no idea what kind of grass I already have. How can I
find out. When I patch the
lawn, I want it to match so that it isnt so obvious because of the
differernt kinds of grass. See
he

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e.../grasstype.jpg



One other question: How do I level the lawn? It dips down a bit in the
middle. And I want the lawn
to be higher by the house and grade down as it goes to the street. Do I
add soil over the grass to
level it or do I have to rip the grass out and then add the soil. Here is
a pic but its hard to see
the dips:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/slope2.jpg



I am trying to sell my house so I am not looking to pay a lot of money for
a landscaper, which is
why I am doing this myself. I am on the verge of a short sale and I would
be happy to sell to break
even and lose the $150,000 I paid these past 5 years rather than the kill
my great credit. Do I have
any hope or do I need a professional landscaper? I cannot believe dirt and
lawns are so friggin
complicated. Thanks for any help you can give.


*There were a few episodes of "Ask This Old House" where Roger addressed
lawn issues. Maybe they have reruns online. I remember in one episode they
got a machine to aerate the lawn which was nothing more than putting spikes
in and pulling out slivers of dirt.

You can add soil on top, but it should be in thin layers.

I would try another nursery (Not a home improvement store) and see what they
have to say. Another thing you could do is contact a few landscaping
companies and pick the brains of each person who comes out for a look. If
you belong to a golf club, try and talk to the greenskeeper. He will be an
expert on grass.

Doing the power rake was a good step.

My personal preference is Zoysia grass, but for selling purposes it is not
worth the expense and time.

I would also suggest some shrubbery directly in front of the house. Flowers
are always nice.

My parents used to always add clover to their lawn which blended well with
the grass and did a good job of filling in where the grass was thin.

"Tony" wrote in message
...
I have a ranch on a 1/4 acre of land. My lawn isnt huge but there is
enough of it. Here's the link:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...ontofhouse.jpg



Yesterday, I really decided to tackle my terrible lawn. I have multiple
issues. Maybe some of you
can help. Yesterday, I rented a power rake from Home Depot and thatched
the lawn. Here is what came
out of the lawn only for the front yard. It may not look like a lot but
there is a lot and I already
got rid of a few pails:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/thatch.jpg


good job on the thatching. it would depend on your soil type as to what to
do next.
if it were me...i'd throw some blue grass fescue mix and water and stray it.
works great here in a heavy clay zone 6.

On May 2, 11:21*am, Tony wrote:
I have a ranch on a 1/4 acre of land. My lawn isnt huge but there is enough of it. *Here's the link:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...ontofhouse.jpg

Yesterday, I really decided to tackle my terrible lawn. I have multiple issues. Maybe some of you
can help. Yesterday, I rented a power rake from Home Depot and thatched the lawn. *Here is what came
out of the lawn only for the front yard. It may not look like a lot but there is a lot and I already
got rid of a few pails:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/thatch.jpg

What is the next step? Do I put lime down? Do I seed? Do I fertilize? I do not know what kind of
grass to use. I have planted Scotts seed last year and the grass is so different from the grass I
already have. Instead of thin dense grass, the Scotts grass is fat and grows way faster and higher.
I went to a local nursery yesterday and the guy insisted that the taller Scotts grass was weeds and
not grass and he had no idea what kind of grass I already have. How can I find out. When I patch the
lawn, I want it to match so that it isnt so obvious because of the differernt kinds of grass. *See
he

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e.../grasstype.jpg

One other question: How do I level the lawn? It dips down a bit in the middle. And I want the lawn
to be higher by the house and grade down as it goes to the street. Do I add soil over the grass to
level it or do I have to rip the grass out and then add the soil. Here is a pic but its hard to see
the dips:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/slope2.jpg

I am trying to sell my house so I am not looking to pay a lot of money for a landscaper, which is
why I am doing this myself. I am on the verge of a short sale and I would be happy to sell to break
even and lose the $150,000 I paid these past 5 years rather than the kill my great credit. Do I have
any hope or do I need a professional landscaper? I cannot believe dirt and lawns are so friggin
complicated. Thanks for any help you can give.

Tony

It would help a whole lot if you told us where you live, different
grasses for different areas of the country. Also, there are short-
term grasses you could use to sell, but that would not be durable for
more than one year. It is called annual ryegrass. There is also
perennial rye. Zoysia I thought was only for very warm climates and
would not survive a Chicago winter, for example.

Tony wrote:
I have a ranch on a 1/4 acre of land. My lawn isnt huge but there is
enough of it. Here's the link:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...ontofhouse.jpg



Yesterday, I really decided to tackle my terrible lawn. I have
multiple issues. Maybe some of you can help. Yesterday, I rented a
power rake from Home Depot and thatched the lawn. Here is what came
out of the lawn only for the front yard. It may not look like a lot
but there is a lot and I already got rid of a few pails:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/thatch.jpg


What is the next step? Do I put lime down? Do I seed? Do I fertilize?
I do not know what kind of grass to use. I have planted Scotts seed
last year and the grass is so different from the grass I already
have. Instead of thin dense grass, the Scotts grass is fat and grows
way faster and higher. I went to a local nursery yesterday and the
guy insisted that the taller Scotts grass was weeds and not grass and
he had no idea what kind of grass I already have. How can I find out.
When I patch the lawn, I want it to match so that it isnt so obvious
because of the differernt kinds of grass. See he

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e.../grasstype.jpg



One other question: How do I level the lawn? It dips down a bit in
the middle. And I want the lawn to be higher by the house and grade
down as it goes to the street. Do I add soil over the grass to level
it or do I have to rip the grass out and then add the soil. Here is a
pic but its hard to see the dips:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/slope2.jpg

Sprinkleing soil over the low spots a little at a time, raking to lift the grass
so it isn't buried and killed will bring it up slowly. Don't try to do it all at
once unless you want to start the grass over in those spots.


I am trying to sell my house so I am not looking to pay a lot of
money for a landscaper, which is why I am doing this myself. I am on
the verge of a short sale and I would be happy to sell to break even
and lose the $150,000 I paid these past 5 years rather than the kill
my great credit. Do I have any hope or do I need a professional
landscaper? I cannot believe dirt and lawns are so friggin
complicated. Thanks for any help you can give.

Nothing you can do other than re-sodding is going to fix it in a hurry. Over a
period of months, overseeding, fertilizing, and regular deep watering will make
a big difference. Lawns do a lot better with a little food. Also, mow it LONG.
Perhaps as high as your mower will go. This helps it grow better, as the leaves
gather more sun, and the roots will grow better, and the ground will be shaded
so it needs less water. Plus, it just looks greener. Mow regularly. If you wait
too long, you take off too much leaf, leaving mostly stem, and the grass
suffers.

When putting in new seed, rake the surface so the soil is loose. Sprinkle the
seed evenly, and rake it lightly to cover the seed, or sprinkle a little soil
over it. Roll it gently, or tamp it down with your feet, so watering doesn't
float the seed to the surface. Then keep it moist until the seed has sprouted.
This means don't let it dry out, even once. A sprinkler on an electronic timer,
set to sprinkle for 5 minutes several time a day will really help here. All it
needs to do is get it moist - don't over water it. Once it has sprouted, then
you want to water much less often and much heavier, so that between waterings,
the roots grow downward towards the deeper moist soil.

On May 2, 2:00*pm, "Bob F" wrote:

snip


Nothing you can do other than re-sodding is going to fix it in a hurry. Over a
period of months, overseeding, fertilizing, and regular deep watering will make
a big difference. Lawns do a lot better with a little food. Also, mow it LONG.
Perhaps as high as your mower will go. This helps it grow better, as the leaves
gather more sun, and the roots will grow better, and the ground will be shaded
so it needs less water. Plus, it just looks greener. Mow regularly. If you wait
too long, you take off too much leaf, leaving mostly stem, and the grass
suffers.

When putting in new seed, rake the surface so the soil is loose. Sprinkle the
seed evenly, and rake it lightly to cover the seed, or sprinkle a little soil
over it. Roll it gently, or tamp it down with your feet, so watering doesn't
float the seed to the surface. Then keep it moist until the seed has sprouted.
This means don't let it dry out, even once. A sprinkler on an electronic timer,
set to sprinkle for 5 minutes several time a day will really help here. All it
needs to do is get it moist - don't over water it. Once it has sprouted, then
you want to water much less often and much heavier, so that between waterings,
the roots grow downward towards the deeper moist soil.

Some top notch advice above, you readers of this NG. I can only add
that you may have a university extension service or similar, that
could have insights specific to your area. Good luck, it's going to be
a lot of hard work.

Joe

Tony wrote:

I have a ranch on a 1/4 acre of land. My lawn isnt huge but there is enough of it. Here's the link:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...ontofhouse.jpg

Yesterday, I really decided to tackle my terrible lawn. I have multiple issues. Maybe some of you
can help. Yesterday, I rented a power rake from Home Depot and thatched the lawn. Here is what came
out of the lawn only for the front yard. It may not look like a lot but there is a lot and I already
got rid of a few pails:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/thatch.jpg

What is the next step? Do I put lime down? Do I seed? Do I fertilize? I do not know what kind of
grass to use. I have planted Scotts seed last year and the grass is so different from the grass I
already have. Instead of thin dense grass, the Scotts grass is fat and grows way faster and higher.
I went to a local nursery yesterday and the guy insisted that the taller Scotts grass was weeds and
not grass and he had no idea what kind of grass I already have. How can I find out. When I patch the
lawn, I want it to match so that it isnt so obvious because of the differernt kinds of grass. See
he

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e.../grasstype.jpg

One other question: How do I level the lawn? It dips down a bit in the middle. And I want the lawn
to be higher by the house and grade down as it goes to the street. Do I add soil over the grass to
level it or do I have to rip the grass out and then add the soil. Here is a pic but its hard to see
the dips:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/slope2.jpg

I am trying to sell my house so I am not looking to pay a lot of money for a landscaper, which is
why I am doing this myself. I am on the verge of a short sale and I would be happy to sell to break
even and lose the $150,000 I paid these past 5 years rather than the kill my great credit. Do I have
any hope or do I need a professional landscaper? I cannot believe dirt and lawns are so friggin
complicated. Thanks for any help you can give.

Tony

Got to a seed and fertilizer vendor's web site like Scotts.com and look
at their guides for your region. You may have a state Ag extension
office that can give you advice as well. Soil additions should really be
based on a soil test to determine what is actually needed. Soil
compaction seems to be a big issue nearly everywhere, so aeration, or if
the lawn isn't worth saving, deep tilling the entire thing may be
needed.

Tony wrote:
I have a ranch on a 1/4 acre of land. My lawn isnt huge but there is enough of it. Here's the link:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...ontofhouse.jpg



Yesterday, I really decided to tackle my terrible lawn. I have multiple issues. Maybe some of you
can help. Yesterday, I rented a power rake from Home Depot and thatched the lawn. Here is what came
out of the lawn only for the front yard. It may not look like a lot but there is a lot and I already
got rid of a few pails:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/thatch.jpg


What is the next step? Do I put lime down? Do I seed? Do I fertilize? I do not know what kind of
grass to use. I have planted Scotts seed last year and the grass is so different from the grass I
already have. Instead of thin dense grass, the Scotts grass is fat and grows way faster and higher.
I went to a local nursery yesterday and the guy insisted that the taller Scotts grass was weeds and
not grass and he had no idea what kind of grass I already have. How can I find out. When I patch the
lawn, I want it to match so that it isnt so obvious because of the differernt kinds of grass. See
he

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e.../grasstype.jpg



One other question: How do I level the lawn? It dips down a bit in the middle. And I want the lawn
to be higher by the house and grade down as it goes to the street. Do I add soil over the grass to
level it or do I have to rip the grass out and then add the soil. Here is a pic but its hard to see
the dips:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/slope2.jpg

What is at the bottom of the photo - driveway or bare soil?



I am trying to sell my house so I am not looking to pay a lot of money for a landscaper, which is
why I am doing this myself. I am on the verge of a short sale and I would be happy to sell to break
even and lose the $150,000 I paid these past 5 years rather than the kill my great credit. Do I have
any hope or do I need a professional landscaper? I cannot believe dirt and lawns are so friggin
complicated. Thanks for any help you can give.

Tony


If you are selling, the dip in the middle of the lawn should not be a
worry, nor should the "Scotts grass", whatever that is. Just judging
from the pix, looks like any blue grass would be nice if you must
reseed. If you want it looking better than it does in a hurry, call your
county extension agent and ask what kind of seed is good for your area.
Long term, I would take a couple of plugs of the grass you have to the
extension service to have them ID it but that seems pointless when you
are selling.

The amount of thatch you removed is not a lot for 1/4 acre. Mow it
3-4", water deeply (1" per week if no rain), put down a slow-release
fertilizer if you must. A few annual flowers might do more for curb
appeal than all the lawn work.

On Sun, 02 May 2010 12:21:32 -0400, Tony
wrote:

I have a ranch on a 1/4 acre of land. My lawn isnt huge but there is enough of it. Here's the link:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...ontofhouse.jpg



You have a lot of shade, given the size of the trees. The tree roots
will deprive the grass of water. Increase watering times?


Yesterday, I really decided to tackle my terrible lawn. I have multiple issues. Maybe some of you
can help. Yesterday, I rented a power rake from Home Depot and thatched the lawn. Here is what came
out of the lawn only for the front yard. It may not look like a lot but there is a lot and I already
got rid of a few pails:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/thatch.jpg


What is the next step? Do I put lime down? Do I seed? Do I fertilize?

If the soil is compacted, I would use a powered coring machine
(rental) and core the areas. This pulls cores out about the size of
your pinky finger. The machines that have the thin "spikes", for
aeration are no comparison.

The cored holes will give the ground plenty of Oxygen, and allow you
to fill the holes with nutrients and new grass seed.

Where are you?

On May 2, 11:21*am, Tony wrote:
I have a ranch on a 1/4 acre of land. My lawn isnt huge but there is enough of it. *Here's the link:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...ontofhouse.jpg

Yesterday, I really decided to tackle my terrible lawn. I have multiple issues. Maybe some of you
can help. Yesterday, I rented a power rake from Home Depot and thatched the lawn. *Here is what came
out of the lawn only for the front yard. It may not look like a lot but there is a lot and I already
got rid of a few pails:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/thatch.jpg

What is the next step? Do I put lime down? Do I seed? Do I fertilize? I do not know what kind of
grass to use. I have planted Scotts seed last year and the grass is so different from the grass I
already have. Instead of thin dense grass, the Scotts grass is fat and grows way faster and higher.
I went to a local nursery yesterday and the guy insisted that the taller Scotts grass was weeds and
not grass and he had no idea what kind of grass I already have. How can I find out. When I patch the
lawn, I want it to match so that it isnt so obvious because of the differernt kinds of grass. *See
he

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e.../grasstype.jpg

One other question: How do I level the lawn? It dips down a bit in the middle. And I want the lawn
to be higher by the house and grade down as it goes to the street. Do I add soil over the grass to
level it or do I have to rip the grass out and then add the soil. Here is a pic but its hard to see
the dips:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/slope2.jpg

I am trying to sell my house so I am not looking to pay a lot of money for a landscaper, which is
why I am doing this myself. I am on the verge of a short sale and I would be happy to sell to break
even and lose the $150,000 I paid these past 5 years rather than the kill my great credit. Do I have
any hope or do I need a professional landscaper? I cannot believe dirt and lawns are so friggin
complicated. Thanks for any help you can give.

Tony

Photo 3 is Crab Grass not lawn grass, Ortho Weed Be Gone now does Crab
Grass. Your lawn looks to short, best is cut it as tall as you can
till maybe it kinda flops, not the highest mower setting but I think
about 3 1/4". How do you fertilise and water, what are the tree types.
Thick thatch is from liqued fertiliser. You need soil tests done and
some pro advise. If it was my lawn I would spray the crab grass and
fertilise, then in a few weeks seed. The crab grass is from last years
seed fom the Crab Grass growing not Scotts seed. Is it real shady, it
looks like it is and many types of Maples have shallow roots that make
getting a good lawn near impossible.

On May 2, 11:21*am, Tony wrote:
I have a ranch on a 1/4 acre of land. My lawn isnt huge but there is enough of it. *Here's the link:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...ontofhouse.jpg

Yesterday, I really decided to tackle my terrible lawn. I have multiple issues. Maybe some of you
can help. Yesterday, I rented a power rake from Home Depot and thatched the lawn. *Here is what came
out of the lawn only for the front yard. It may not look like a lot but there is a lot and I already
got rid of a few pails:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/thatch.jpg

What is the next step? Do I put lime down? Do I seed? Do I fertilize? I do not know what kind of
grass to use. I have planted Scotts seed last year and the grass is so different from the grass I
already have. Instead of thin dense grass, the Scotts grass is fat and grows way faster and higher.
I went to a local nursery yesterday and the guy insisted that the taller Scotts grass was weeds and
not grass and he had no idea what kind of grass I already have. How can I find out. When I patch the
lawn, I want it to match so that it isnt so obvious because of the differernt kinds of grass. *See
he

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e.../grasstype.jpg

One other question: How do I level the lawn? It dips down a bit in the middle. And I want the lawn
to be higher by the house and grade down as it goes to the street. Do I add soil over the grass to
level it or do I have to rip the grass out and then add the soil. Here is a pic but its hard to see
the dips:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/slope2.jpg

I am trying to sell my house so I am not looking to pay a lot of money for a landscaper, which is
why I am doing this myself. I am on the verge of a short sale and I would be happy to sell to break
even and lose the $150,000 I paid these past 5 years rather than the kill my great credit. Do I have
any hope or do I need a professional landscaper? I cannot believe dirt and lawns are so friggin
complicated. Thanks for any help you can give.

Tony

Go to a garden shop and get some plants for around the front of the
house , it looks terrible and just adds to the poor street appeal.
Some flowers would have people take their eyes off the grass and make
your chances of a sale MUCH better.

On May 2, 6:28 pm, ransley wrote:
On May 2, 11:21 am, Tony wrote:



I have a ranch on a 1/4 acre of land. My lawn isnt huge but there is enough of it. Here's the link:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...ontofhouse.jpg

Yesterday, I really decided to tackle my terrible lawn. I have multiple issues. Maybe some of you
can help. Yesterday, I rented a power rake from Home Depot and thatched the lawn. Here is what came
out of the lawn only for the front yard. It may not look like a lot but there is a lot and I already
got rid of a few pails:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/thatch.jpg

What is the next step? Do I put lime down? Do I seed? Do I fertilize? I do not know what kind of
grass to use. I have planted Scotts seed last year and the grass is so different from the grass I
already have. Instead of thin dense grass, the Scotts grass is fat and grows way faster and higher.
I went to a local nursery yesterday and the guy insisted that the taller Scotts grass was weeds and
not grass and he had no idea what kind of grass I already have. How can I find out. When I patch the
lawn, I want it to match so that it isnt so obvious because of the differernt kinds of grass. See
he

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e.../grasstype.jpg

One other question: How do I level the lawn? It dips down a bit in the middle. And I want the lawn
to be higher by the house and grade down as it goes to the street. Do I add soil over the grass to
level it or do I have to rip the grass out and then add the soil. Here is a pic but its hard to see
the dips:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/slope2.jpg

I am trying to sell my house so I am not looking to pay a lot of money for a landscaper, which is
why I am doing this myself. I am on the verge of a short sale and I would be happy to sell to break
even and lose the $150,000 I paid these past 5 years rather than the kill my great credit. Do I have
any hope or do I need a professional landscaper? I cannot believe dirt and lawns are so friggin
complicated. Thanks for any help you can give.

Tony

Photo 3 is Crab Grass not lawn grass, Ortho Weed Be Gone now does Crab
Grass. Your lawn looks to short, best is cut it as tall as you can
till maybe it kinda flops, not the highest mower setting but I think
about 3 1/4". How do you fertilise and water, what are the tree types.
Thick thatch is from liqued fertiliser. You need soil tests done and
some pro advise. If it was my lawn I would spray the crab grass and
fertilise, then in a few weeks seed. The crab grass is from last years
seed fom the Crab Grass growing not Scotts seed. Is it real shady, it
looks like it is and many types of Maples have shallow roots that make
getting a good lawn near impossible.

Doesn't look like any crabgrass I've known. Also, don't know where
he's located, but it would have to be someplace warm to have mature
crabgrass at this time of year. It looks to me like an undesirable
grass, eg poa trivialis. Which is really bad news, because there is
no selective herbicide to kill it without killing the desirable grass
too.

IMO, the power raking was a waste. You only need to de-thatch if it
is exceptionally thick and preventing water from penetrating into the
soil like a thatch roof would. Normal thatch is not a problem.

As someone else pointed out, the only quick fix is to use sod.
Trying to sell it, if you want to just do a fix that will make it look
a lot better in a couple months, then I would over-seed. Mow it
short, rake up all the debris, do any leveling off with topsoil if
really necessary, then rent a slit seeder and apply a high quality
seed appropriate for the climate, sun, etc. Apply starter
fertilizer. Then keep it constantly damp, which, this time of year
in USA is going to take a lot of water. Hopefully you have inground
sprinklers, because if you don't it's a real pain to keep watering a
decent size lawn. And be prepared to deal with weeds in a couple
months when the grass has established and can tolerate herbicide.
The weed and water issues are two big reasons Fall is the best time to
seed. I'd check and adjust the PH with lime if needed.

For the really correct solution to the whole problem I would have done
the above procedure in Fall after killing off all the existing plants
with Roundup. That would get rid of the undesirable rough grasss.
Also, if the soil is particularly dense, compacted, etc, then renting
an aerator prior to re-seeding would be a good idea too.

On Sun, 02 May 2010 16:38:41 -0400, " wrote:

Tony wrote:
I have a ranch on a 1/4 acre of land. My lawn isnt huge but there is enough of it. Here's the link:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...ontofhouse.jpg



Yesterday, I really decided to tackle my terrible lawn. I have multiple issues. Maybe some of you
can help. Yesterday, I rented a power rake from Home Depot and thatched the lawn. Here is what came
out of the lawn only for the front yard. It may not look like a lot but there is a lot and I already
got rid of a few pails:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/thatch.jpg


What is the next step? Do I put lime down? Do I seed? Do I fertilize? I do not know what kind of
grass to use. I have planted Scotts seed last year and the grass is so different from the grass I
already have. Instead of thin dense grass, the Scotts grass is fat and grows way faster and higher.
I went to a local nursery yesterday and the guy insisted that the taller Scotts grass was weeds and
not grass and he had no idea what kind of grass I already have. How can I find out. When I patch the
lawn, I want it to match so that it isnt so obvious because of the differernt kinds of grass. See
he

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e.../grasstype.jpg



One other question: How do I level the lawn? It dips down a bit in the middle. And I want the lawn
to be higher by the house and grade down as it goes to the street. Do I add soil over the grass to
level it or do I have to rip the grass out and then add the soil. Here is a pic but its hard to see
the dips:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/slope2.jpg

What is at the bottom of the photo - driveway or bare soil?



I am trying to sell my house so I am not looking to pay a lot of money for a landscaper, which is
why I am doing this myself. I am on the verge of a short sale and I would be happy to sell to break
even and lose the $150,000 I paid these past 5 years rather than the kill my great credit. Do I have
any hope or do I need a professional landscaper? I cannot believe dirt and lawns are so friggin
complicated. Thanks for any help you can give.

Tony


If you are selling, the dip in the middle of the lawn should not be a
worry, nor should the "Scotts grass", whatever that is. Just judging
from the pix, looks like any blue grass would be nice if you must
reseed. If you want it looking better than it does in a hurry, call your
county extension agent and ask what kind of seed is good for your area.
Long term, I would take a couple of plugs of the grass you have to the
extension service to have them ID it but that seems pointless when you
are selling.

The amount of thatch you removed is not a lot for 1/4 acre. Mow it
3-4", water deeply (1" per week if no rain), put down a slow-release
fertilizer if you must. A few annual flowers might do more for curb
appeal than all the lawn work.

The thatch in the picture was only for the front yard of the house. The entire property is 1/4 acre.
When you consider the house, garage, driveway, walkway, patio out back and a shed, there is only 1/8
grass. So, the thatch you see is probably for 1/16 of an acre. There was definitely more thatch then
there is grass now.

I had some trees and plants along the front of the house and I ripped them all out so I can start
over.

On Mon, 3 May 2010 08:00:09 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

On May 2, 6:28 pm, ransley wrote:
On May 2, 11:21 am, Tony wrote:



I have a ranch on a 1/4 acre of land. My lawn isnt huge but there is enough of it. Here's the link:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...ontofhouse.jpg

Yesterday, I really decided to tackle my terrible lawn. I have multiple issues. Maybe some of you
can help. Yesterday, I rented a power rake from Home Depot and thatched the lawn. Here is what came
out of the lawn only for the front yard. It may not look like a lot but there is a lot and I already
got rid of a few pails:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/thatch.jpg

What is the next step? Do I put lime down? Do I seed? Do I fertilize? I do not know what kind of
grass to use. I have planted Scotts seed last year and the grass is so different from the grass I
already have. Instead of thin dense grass, the Scotts grass is fat and grows way faster and higher.
I went to a local nursery yesterday and the guy insisted that the taller Scotts grass was weeds and
not grass and he had no idea what kind of grass I already have. How can I find out. When I patch the
lawn, I want it to match so that it isnt so obvious because of the differernt kinds of grass. See
he

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e.../grasstype.jpg

One other question: How do I level the lawn? It dips down a bit in the middle. And I want the lawn
to be higher by the house and grade down as it goes to the street. Do I add soil over the grass to
level it or do I have to rip the grass out and then add the soil. Here is a pic but its hard to see
the dips:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/slope2.jpg

I am trying to sell my house so I am not looking to pay a lot of money for a landscaper, which is
why I am doing this myself. I am on the verge of a short sale and I would be happy to sell to break
even and lose the $150,000 I paid these past 5 years rather than the kill my great credit. Do I have
any hope or do I need a professional landscaper? I cannot believe dirt and lawns are so friggin
complicated. Thanks for any help you can give.

Tony

Photo 3 is Crab Grass not lawn grass, Ortho Weed Be Gone now does Crab
Grass. Your lawn looks to short, best is cut it as tall as you can
till maybe it kinda flops, not the highest mower setting but I think
about 3 1/4". How do you fertilise and water, what are the tree types.
Thick thatch is from liqued fertiliser. You need soil tests done and
some pro advise. If it was my lawn I would spray the crab grass and
fertilise, then in a few weeks seed. The crab grass is from last years
seed fom the Crab Grass growing not Scotts seed. Is it real shady, it
looks like it is and many types of Maples have shallow roots that make
getting a good lawn near impossible.

Doesn't look like any crabgrass I've known. Also, don't know where
he's located, but it would have to be someplace warm to have mature
crabgrass at this time of year. It looks to me like an undesirable
grass, eg poa trivialis. Which is really bad news, because there is
no selective herbicide to kill it without killing the desirable grass
too.

I live on LOng Island. The area where that thick grass (that some are calling crab grass) was all
rocks when I moved here 5 years ago. I removed them all and replaced with soil I took from the local
landfill. I tried planting grass seed and all I got were some weeds and junk. I physically removed
every single weed from the root and planted Scotts grass seed and the entire section came up green
and thick but it was that crab grass looking stuff. I am afraid to patch my current lawn with that
same type of seed because of the obvious difference in the way they look. I want to seed with
identical grass seed so that it blends together. Going to a local nursery and then to Home Depot
gave me no results. No one knows what kind of grass I have (the left sample in the picture) even
though all of Long Island has the same stuff.


IMO, the power raking was a waste. You only need to de-thatch if it
is exceptionally thick and preventing water from penetrating into the
soil like a thatch roof would. Normal thatch is not a problem.

It wasnt a waste. There was so much thatch and acorns and leave bits that you could not see any
soil. Tons of thatch came out and I have a feeling that more would have been removed had I done it
more slowly.


As someone else pointed out, the only quick fix is to use sod.
Trying to sell it, if you want to just do a fix that will make it look
a lot better in a couple months, then I would over-seed. Mow it
short, rake up all the debris, do any leveling off with topsoil if
really necessary, then rent a slit seeder and apply a high quality
seed appropriate for the climate, sun, etc. Apply starter
fertilizer. Then keep it constantly damp, which, this time of year
in USA is going to take a lot of water. Hopefully you have inground
sprinklers, because if you don't it's a real pain to keep watering a
decent size lawn. And be prepared to deal with weeds in a couple
months when the grass has established and can tolerate herbicide.
The weed and water issues are two big reasons Fall is the best time to
seed. I'd check and adjust the PH with lime if needed.

For the really correct solution to the whole problem I would have done
the above procedure in Fall after killing off all the existing plants
with Roundup. That would get rid of the undesirable rough grasss.
Also, if the soil is particularly dense, compacted, etc, then renting
an aerator prior to re-seeding would be a good idea too.

Thanks for the input.

On Sun, 02 May 2010 15:12:01 -0700, Oren wrote:

On Sun, 02 May 2010 12:21:32 -0400, Tony
wrote:

I have a ranch on a 1/4 acre of land. My lawn isnt huge but there is enough of it. Here's the link:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...ontofhouse.jpg



You have a lot of shade, given the size of the trees. The tree roots
will deprive the grass of water. Increase watering times?


Yesterday, I really decided to tackle my terrible lawn. I have multiple issues. Maybe some of you
can help. Yesterday, I rented a power rake from Home Depot and thatched the lawn. Here is what came
out of the lawn only for the front yard. It may not look like a lot but there is a lot and I already
got rid of a few pails:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/thatch.jpg


What is the next step? Do I put lime down? Do I seed? Do I fertilize?

If the soil is compacted, I would use a powered coring machine
(rental) and core the areas. This pulls cores out about the size of
your pinky finger. The machines that have the thin "spikes", for
aeration are no comparison.

The cored holes will give the ground plenty of Oxygen, and allow you
to fill the holes with nutrients and new grass seed.

Where are you?

I live on LOng ISland (Suffolk COunty)

On May 3, 10:00*am, wrote:
On May 2, 6:28 pm, ransley wrote:





On May 2, 11:21 am, Tony wrote:

I have a ranch on a 1/4 acre of land. My lawn isnt huge but there is enough of it. *Here's the link:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...ontofhouse.jpg

Yesterday, I really decided to tackle my terrible lawn. I have multiple issues. Maybe some of you
can help. Yesterday, I rented a power rake from Home Depot and thatched the lawn. *Here is what came
out of the lawn only for the front yard. It may not look like a lot but there is a lot and I already
got rid of a few pails:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/thatch.jpg

What is the next step? Do I put lime down? Do I seed? Do I fertilize? I do not know what kind of
grass to use. I have planted Scotts seed last year and the grass is so different from the grass I
already have. Instead of thin dense grass, the Scotts grass is fat and grows way faster and higher.
I went to a local nursery yesterday and the guy insisted that the taller Scotts grass was weeds and
not grass and he had no idea what kind of grass I already have. How can I find out. When I patch the
lawn, I want it to match so that it isnt so obvious because of the differernt kinds of grass. *See
he

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e.../grasstype.jpg

One other question: How do I level the lawn? It dips down a bit in the middle. And I want the lawn
to be higher by the house and grade down as it goes to the street. Do I add soil over the grass to
level it or do I have to rip the grass out and then add the soil. Here is a pic but its hard to see
the dips:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/slope2.jpg

I am trying to sell my house so I am not looking to pay a lot of money for a landscaper, which is
why I am doing this myself. I am on the verge of a short sale and I would be happy to sell to break
even and lose the $150,000 I paid these past 5 years rather than the kill my great credit. Do I have
any hope or do I need a professional landscaper? I cannot believe dirt and lawns are so friggin
complicated. Thanks for any help you can give.

Tony

Photo 3 is Crab Grass not lawn grass, Ortho Weed Be Gone now does Crab
Grass. Your lawn looks to short, best is cut it as tall as you can
till maybe it kinda flops, not the highest mower setting but I think
about 3 1/4". How do you fertilise and water, what are the tree types.
Thick thatch is from liqued fertiliser. You need soil tests done and
some pro advise. If it was my lawn I would spray the crab grass and
fertilise, then in a few weeks seed. The crab grass is from last years
seed fom the Crab Grass growing not Scotts seed. Is it real shady, it
looks like it is and many types of Maples have shallow roots that make
getting a good lawn near impossible.

Doesn't look like any crabgrass I've known. * Also, don't know where
he's located, but it would have to be someplace warm to have mature
crabgrass at this time of year. * It looks to me like an undesirable
grass, eg poa trivialis. * Which is really bad news, because there is
no selective herbicide to kill it without killing the desirable grass
too.

IMO, the power raking was a waste. * You only need to de-thatch if it
is exceptionally thick and preventing water from penetrating into the
soil like a thatch roof would. *Normal thatch is not a problem.

As someone else pointed out, the only quick fix is to use sod.
Trying to sell it, if you want to just do a fix that will make it look
a lot better in a couple months, then I would over-seed. * Mow it
short, rake up all the debris, do any leveling off with topsoil if
really necessary, then rent a slit seeder and apply a high quality
seed appropriate for the climate, sun, etc. * Apply starter
fertilizer. * Then keep it constantly damp, which, this time of year
in USA is going to take a lot of water. * Hopefully you have inground
sprinklers, because if you don't it's a real pain to keep watering a
decent size lawn. * And be prepared to deal with weeds in a couple
months when the grass has established and can tolerate herbicide.
The weed and water issues are two big reasons Fall is the best time to
seed. * I'd check and adjust the PH with lime if needed.

For the really correct solution to the whole problem I would have done
the above procedure in Fall after killing off all the existing plants
with Roundup. *That would get rid of the undesirable rough grasss.
Also, if the soil is particularly dense, compacted, etc, then renting
an aerator prior to re-seeding would be a good idea too.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

My crabgrass looks just like that, right now in Chicago, and that
tall. I use Ortho weed B gone as it now does crab grass.

On May 3, 10:18*pm, Tony wrote:
On Mon, 3 May 2010 08:00:09 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
On May 2, 6:28 pm, ransley wrote:
On May 2, 11:21 am, Tony wrote:

I have a ranch on a 1/4 acre of land. My lawn isnt huge but there is enough of it. *Here's the link:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...ontofhouse.jpg

Yesterday, I really decided to tackle my terrible lawn. I have multiple issues. Maybe some of you
can help. Yesterday, I rented a power rake from Home Depot and thatched the lawn. *Here is what came
out of the lawn only for the front yard. It may not look like a lot but there is a lot and I already
got rid of a few pails:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/thatch.jpg

What is the next step? Do I put lime down? Do I seed? Do I fertilize? I do not know what kind of
grass to use. I have planted Scotts seed last year and the grass is so different from the grass I
already have. Instead of thin dense grass, the Scotts grass is fat and grows way faster and higher.
I went to a local nursery yesterday and the guy insisted that the taller Scotts grass was weeds and
not grass and he had no idea what kind of grass I already have. How can I find out. When I patch the
lawn, I want it to match so that it isnt so obvious because of the differernt kinds of grass. *See
he

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e.../grasstype.jpg

One other question: How do I level the lawn? It dips down a bit in the middle. And I want the lawn
to be higher by the house and grade down as it goes to the street. Do I add soil over the grass to
level it or do I have to rip the grass out and then add the soil. Here is a pic but its hard to see
the dips:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/slope2.jpg

I am trying to sell my house so I am not looking to pay a lot of money for a landscaper, which is
why I am doing this myself. I am on the verge of a short sale and I would be happy to sell to break
even and lose the $150,000 I paid these past 5 years rather than the kill my great credit. Do I have
any hope or do I need a professional landscaper? I cannot believe dirt and lawns are so friggin
complicated. Thanks for any help you can give.

Tony

Photo 3 is Crab Grass not lawn grass, Ortho Weed Be Gone now does Crab
Grass. Your lawn looks to short, best is cut it as tall as you can
till maybe it kinda flops, not the highest mower setting but I think
about 3 1/4". How do you fertilise and water, what are the tree types.
Thick thatch is from liqued fertiliser. You need soil tests done and
some pro advise. If it was my lawn I would spray the crab grass and
fertilise, then in a few weeks seed. The crab grass is from last years
seed fom the Crab Grass growing not Scotts seed. Is it real shady, it
looks like it is and many types of Maples have shallow roots that make
getting a good lawn near impossible.

Doesn't look like any crabgrass I've known. * Also, don't know where
he's located, but it would have to be someplace warm to have mature
crabgrass at this time of year. * It looks to me like an undesirable
grass, eg poa trivialis. * Which is really bad news, because there is
no selective herbicide to kill it without killing the desirable grass
too.

I live on LOng Island. The area where that thick grass (that some are calling crab grass) was all
rocks when I moved here 5 years ago. I removed them all and replaced with soil I took from the local
landfill. *I tried planting grass seed and all I got were some weeds and junk. I physically removed
every single weed from the root and planted Scotts grass seed and the entire section came up green
and thick but it was that crab grass looking stuff. *I am afraid to patch my current lawn with that
same type of seed because of the obvious difference in the way they look. I want to seed with
identical grass seed so that it blends together. Going to a local nursery and then to Home Depot
gave me no results. No one knows what kind of grass I have (the left sample in the picture) even
though all of Long Island has the same stuff.



IMO, the power raking was a waste. * You only need to de-thatch if it
is exceptionally thick and preventing water from penetrating into the
soil like a thatch roof would. *Normal thatch is not a problem.

It wasnt a waste. There was so much thatch and acorns and leave bits that you could not see any
soil. Tons of thatch came out and I have a feeling that more would have been removed had I done it
more slowly.







As someone else pointed out, the only quick fix is to use sod.
Trying to sell it, if you want to just do a fix that will make it look
a lot better in a couple months, then I would over-seed. * Mow it
short, rake up all the debris, do any leveling off with topsoil if
really necessary, then rent a slit seeder and apply a high quality
seed appropriate for the climate, sun, etc. * Apply starter
fertilizer. * Then keep it constantly damp, which, this time of year
in USA is going to take a lot of water. * Hopefully you have inground
sprinklers, because if you don't it's a real pain to keep watering a
decent size lawn. * And be prepared to deal with weeds in a couple
months when the grass has established and can tolerate herbicide.
The weed and water issues are two big reasons Fall is the best time to
seed. * I'd check and adjust the PH with lime if needed.

For the really correct solution to the whole problem I would have done
the above procedure in Fall after killing off all the existing plants
with Roundup. *That would get rid of the undesirable rough grasss.
Also, if the soil is particularly dense, compacted, etc, then renting
an aerator prior to re-seeding would be a good idea too.

Thanks for the input.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Try the new Ortho Weed Be Gone that states on the front Kills Crab
Grass. I have a builbing that the city did concrete work and the added
crap soil full of that stuiff and slowly Ortho is getting me craby
free. Crab Grass is supposed to be killed with a Pre Emergent like
that found in Scotts that granual you put down in very early spring,
or you need special weed killers, until recently Ortho didnt offer it
and after it came up you were left crabby

On May 3, 11:18 pm, Tony wrote:
On Mon, 3 May 2010 08:00:09 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
On May 2, 6:28 pm, ransley wrote:
On May 2, 11:21 am, Tony wrote:

I have a ranch on a 1/4 acre of land. My lawn isnt huge but there is enough of it. Here's the link:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...ontofhouse.jpg

Yesterday, I really decided to tackle my terrible lawn. I have multiple issues. Maybe some of you
can help. Yesterday, I rented a power rake from Home Depot and thatched the lawn. Here is what came
out of the lawn only for the front yard. It may not look like a lot but there is a lot and I already
got rid of a few pails:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/thatch.jpg

What is the next step? Do I put lime down? Do I seed? Do I fertilize? I do not know what kind of
grass to use. I have planted Scotts seed last year and the grass is so different from the grass I
already have. Instead of thin dense grass, the Scotts grass is fat and grows way faster and higher.
I went to a local nursery yesterday and the guy insisted that the taller Scotts grass was weeds and
not grass and he had no idea what kind of grass I already have. How can I find out. When I patch the
lawn, I want it to match so that it isnt so obvious because of the differernt kinds of grass. See
he

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e.../grasstype.jpg

One other question: How do I level the lawn? It dips down a bit in the middle. And I want the lawn
to be higher by the house and grade down as it goes to the street. Do I add soil over the grass to
level it or do I have to rip the grass out and then add the soil. Here is a pic but its hard to see
the dips:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/slope2.jpg

I am trying to sell my house so I am not looking to pay a lot of money for a landscaper, which is
why I am doing this myself. I am on the verge of a short sale and I would be happy to sell to break
even and lose the $150,000 I paid these past 5 years rather than the kill my great credit. Do I have
any hope or do I need a professional landscaper? I cannot believe dirt and lawns are so friggin
complicated. Thanks for any help you can give.

Tony

Photo 3 is Crab Grass not lawn grass, Ortho Weed Be Gone now does Crab
Grass. Your lawn looks to short, best is cut it as tall as you can
till maybe it kinda flops, not the highest mower setting but I think
about 3 1/4". How do you fertilise and water, what are the tree types.
Thick thatch is from liqued fertiliser. You need soil tests done and
some pro advise. If it was my lawn I would spray the crab grass and
fertilise, then in a few weeks seed. The crab grass is from last years
seed fom the Crab Grass growing not Scotts seed. Is it real shady, it
looks like it is and many types of Maples have shallow roots that make
getting a good lawn near impossible.

Doesn't look like any crabgrass I've known. Also, don't know where
he's located, but it would have to be someplace warm to have mature
crabgrass at this time of year. It looks to me like an undesirable
grass, eg poa trivialis. Which is really bad news, because there is
no selective herbicide to kill it without killing the desirable grass
too.

I live on LOng Island. The area where that thick grass (that some are calling crab grass) was all
rocks when I moved here 5 years ago. I removed them all and replaced with soil I took from the local
landfill. I tried planting grass seed and all I got were some weeds and junk. I physically removed
every single weed from the root and planted Scotts grass seed and the entire section came up green
and thick but it was that crab grass looking stuff. I am afraid to patch my current lawn with that
same type of seed because of the obvious difference in the way they look. I want to seed with
identical grass seed so that it blends together. Going to a local nursery and then to Home Depot
gave me no results. No one knows what kind of grass I have (the left sample in the picture) even
though all of Long Island has the same stuff.



IMO, the power raking was a waste. You only need to de-thatch if it
is exceptionally thick and preventing water from penetrating into the
soil like a thatch roof would. Normal thatch is not a problem.

It wasnt a waste. There was so much thatch and acorns and leave bits that you could not see any
soil. Tons of thatch came out and I have a feeling that more would have been removed had I done it
more slowly.



I suggest you go some googling and learn what thatch really is. It's
not typical debris like left over grass clippings on the surface,
which generally break down on their own. It's a thick dense mat
formed mostly of dead grass crowns. A normal amount of about 1/2"
isn't a problem. And a power rake, which also damages some of the
existing grass, isn't required to remove acorns or bits of leaves.
The only way to tell if you have a thatch problem is to take out a one
foot square sample and examine the profile.

If there are any state agricultural extension services available in
your area, they can be a good source of info and you can take them
samples to look at, soil to be tested, etc.

It's usually impossible to identify grass from just a pic. But from
the one photo and your location, I would say that what you have is a
type of fine fescue. You don't have to exactly match it either. A
good shade mix that you seed over the whole thing should blend in well
and will typically contain fine fescues. The only BIG problem is that
the nasty grass, which looks like poa trivialis to me, will still be
there. Usuallly, that crap is most visible in early Spring because
it's a different coloer, grows faster and stands up out the desirable
grass. But in another month or so, it's no longer visible. And
since the only way to get rid of it is to Roundup the whole thing and
you're trying for a quick fix to sell it, I'd just ignore it.

On May 4, 7:16 am, ransley wrote:
On May 3, 10:00 am, wrote:



On May 2, 6:28 pm, ransley wrote:

On May 2, 11:21 am, Tony wrote:

I have a ranch on a 1/4 acre of land. My lawn isnt huge but there is enough of it. Here's the link:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...ontofhouse.jpg

Yesterday, I really decided to tackle my terrible lawn. I have multiple issues. Maybe some of you
can help. Yesterday, I rented a power rake from Home Depot and thatched the lawn. Here is what came
out of the lawn only for the front yard. It may not look like a lot but there is a lot and I already
got rid of a few pails:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/thatch.jpg

What is the next step? Do I put lime down? Do I seed? Do I fertilize? I do not know what kind of
grass to use. I have planted Scotts seed last year and the grass is so different from the grass I
already have. Instead of thin dense grass, the Scotts grass is fat and grows way faster and higher.
I went to a local nursery yesterday and the guy insisted that the taller Scotts grass was weeds and
not grass and he had no idea what kind of grass I already have. How can I find out. When I patch the
lawn, I want it to match so that it isnt so obvious because of the differernt kinds of grass. See
he

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e.../grasstype.jpg

One other question: How do I level the lawn? It dips down a bit in the middle. And I want the lawn
to be higher by the house and grade down as it goes to the street. Do I add soil over the grass to
level it or do I have to rip the grass out and then add the soil. Here is a pic but its hard to see
the dips:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/slope2.jpg

I am trying to sell my house so I am not looking to pay a lot of money for a landscaper, which is
why I am doing this myself. I am on the verge of a short sale and I would be happy to sell to break
even and lose the $150,000 I paid these past 5 years rather than the kill my great credit. Do I have
any hope or do I need a professional landscaper? I cannot believe dirt and lawns are so friggin
complicated. Thanks for any help you can give.

Tony

Photo 3 is Crab Grass not lawn grass, Ortho Weed Be Gone now does Crab
Grass. Your lawn looks to short, best is cut it as tall as you can
till maybe it kinda flops, not the highest mower setting but I think
about 3 1/4". How do you fertilise and water, what are the tree types.
Thick thatch is from liqued fertiliser. You need soil tests done and
some pro advise. If it was my lawn I would spray the crab grass and
fertilise, then in a few weeks seed. The crab grass is from last years
seed fom the Crab Grass growing not Scotts seed. Is it real shady, it
looks like it is and many types of Maples have shallow roots that make
getting a good lawn near impossible.

Doesn't look like any crabgrass I've known. Also, don't know where
he's located, but it would have to be someplace warm to have mature
crabgrass at this time of year. It looks to me like an undesirable
grass, eg poa trivialis. Which is really bad news, because there is
no selective herbicide to kill it without killing the desirable grass
too.

IMO, the power raking was a waste. You only need to de-thatch if it
is exceptionally thick and preventing water from penetrating into the
soil like a thatch roof would. Normal thatch is not a problem.

As someone else pointed out, the only quick fix is to use sod.
Trying to sell it, if you want to just do a fix that will make it look
a lot better in a couple months, then I would over-seed. Mow it
short, rake up all the debris, do any leveling off with topsoil if
really necessary, then rent a slit seeder and apply a high quality
seed appropriate for the climate, sun, etc. Apply starter
fertilizer. Then keep it constantly damp, which, this time of year
in USA is going to take a lot of water. Hopefully you have inground
sprinklers, because if you don't it's a real pain to keep watering a
decent size lawn. And be prepared to deal with weeds in a couple
months when the grass has established and can tolerate herbicide.
The weed and water issues are two big reasons Fall is the best time to
seed. I'd check and adjust the PH with lime if needed.

For the really correct solution to the whole problem I would have done
the above procedure in Fall after killing off all the existing plants
with Roundup. That would get rid of the undesirable rough grasss.
Also, if the soil is particularly dense, compacted, etc, then renting
an aerator prior to re-seeding would be a good idea too.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

My crabgrass looks just like that, right now in Chicago, and that
tall. I use Ortho weed B gone as it now does crab grass.

I'd have to respectfully disagree. Whatever you are seeing in Chicago
right now isn't crabgrass. Crabgrass doesn't even germinate until
you have daytime temps consistently in the 80s, which is why one
guideline for applying pre-emergent is to put it down when the
forsythias bloom, so that protection starts then. And that is for
it to just germinate. Here in NJ, where it's warmer, you never see
actual crabgrass in lawns until July at the earliest. Also, crabgrass
spreads out low to the ground and looks like a crab, hence the name.
Whatever grass is in that pic is growing straight up.

Here's a pic of crabgrass:

http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardand.../crabgrass.jpg

On May 4, 8:54*am, wrote:
On May 4, 7:16 am, ransley wrote:





On May 3, 10:00 am, wrote:

On May 2, 6:28 pm, ransley wrote:

On May 2, 11:21 am, Tony wrote:

I have a ranch on a 1/4 acre of land. My lawn isnt huge but there is enough of it. *Here's the link:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...ontofhouse.jpg

Yesterday, I really decided to tackle my terrible lawn. I have multiple issues. Maybe some of you
can help. Yesterday, I rented a power rake from Home Depot and thatched the lawn. *Here is what came
out of the lawn only for the front yard. It may not look like a lot but there is a lot and I already
got rid of a few pails:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/thatch.jpg

What is the next step? Do I put lime down? Do I seed? Do I fertilize? I do not know what kind of
grass to use. I have planted Scotts seed last year and the grass is so different from the grass I
already have. Instead of thin dense grass, the Scotts grass is fat and grows way faster and higher.
I went to a local nursery yesterday and the guy insisted that the taller Scotts grass was weeds and
not grass and he had no idea what kind of grass I already have. How can I find out. When I patch the
lawn, I want it to match so that it isnt so obvious because of the differernt kinds of grass. *See
he

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e.../grasstype.jpg

One other question: How do I level the lawn? It dips down a bit in the middle. And I want the lawn
to be higher by the house and grade down as it goes to the street.. Do I add soil over the grass to
level it or do I have to rip the grass out and then add the soil. Here is a pic but its hard to see
the dips:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/slope2.jpg

I am trying to sell my house so I am not looking to pay a lot of money for a landscaper, which is
why I am doing this myself. I am on the verge of a short sale and I would be happy to sell to break
even and lose the $150,000 I paid these past 5 years rather than the kill my great credit. Do I have
any hope or do I need a professional landscaper? I cannot believe dirt and lawns are so friggin
complicated. Thanks for any help you can give.

Tony

Photo 3 is Crab Grass not lawn grass, Ortho Weed Be Gone now does Crab
Grass. Your lawn looks to short, best is cut it as tall as you can
till maybe it kinda flops, not the highest mower setting but I think
about 3 1/4". How do you fertilise and water, what are the tree types.
Thick thatch is from liqued fertiliser. You need soil tests done and
some pro advise. If it was my lawn I would spray the crab grass and
fertilise, then in a few weeks seed. The crab grass is from last years
seed fom the Crab Grass growing not Scotts seed. Is it real shady, it
looks like it is and many types of Maples have shallow roots that make
getting a good lawn near impossible.

Doesn't look like any crabgrass I've known. * Also, don't know where
he's located, but it would have to be someplace warm to have mature
crabgrass at this time of year. * It looks to me like an undesirable
grass, eg poa trivialis. * Which is really bad news, because there is
no selective herbicide to kill it without killing the desirable grass
too.

IMO, the power raking was a waste. * You only need to de-thatch if it
is exceptionally thick and preventing water from penetrating into the
soil like a thatch roof would. *Normal thatch is not a problem.

As someone else pointed out, the only quick fix is to use sod.
Trying to sell it, if you want to just do a fix that will make it look
a lot better in a couple months, then I would over-seed. * Mow it
short, rake up all the debris, do any leveling off with topsoil if
really necessary, then rent a slit seeder and apply a high quality
seed appropriate for the climate, sun, etc. * Apply starter
fertilizer. * Then keep it constantly damp, which, this time of year
in USA is going to take a lot of water. * Hopefully you have inground
sprinklers, because if you don't it's a real pain to keep watering a
decent size lawn. * And be prepared to deal with weeds in a couple
months when the grass has established and can tolerate herbicide.
The weed and water issues are two big reasons Fall is the best time to
seed. * I'd check and adjust the PH with lime if needed.

For the really correct solution to the whole problem I would have done
the above procedure in Fall after killing off all the existing plants
with Roundup. *That would get rid of the undesirable rough grasss.
Also, if the soil is particularly dense, compacted, etc, then renting
an aerator prior to re-seeding would be a good idea too.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

My crabgrass looks just like that, right now in Chicago, and that
tall. I use Ortho weed B gone as it now does crab grass.

I'd have to respectfully disagree. *Whatever you are seeing in Chicago
right now isn't crabgrass. * Crabgrass doesn't even germinate until
you have daytime temps consistently in the 80s, which is why one
guideline for applying pre-emergent is to put it down when the
forsythias bloom, so that protection starts then. * *And that is for
it to just germinate. * Here in NJ, where it's warmer, you never see
actual crabgrass in lawns until July at the earliest. *Also, crabgrass
spreads out low to the ground and looks like a crab, hence the name.
Whatever grass is in that pic is growing straight up.

Here's a pic of crabgrass:

http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardand...crabgrass.jpg- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

The tall stuff in the picture I look at is crab grass and it is
growing here in Canada and it is guite cool still this is hard to get
rid of quickly , keep it cut short and put some top soil down with
good seed mixed in to it . And water this will take time , either
that or dig it out and reseed the area.

In article ,
Tony wrote:

I have a ranch on a 1/4 acre of land.

Not according to my definition of ranch.

I have a ranch(house)on a 1/4 acre of land.

Not according to my definition of ranch.

On Tue, 04 May 2010 18:53:01 -0700, Smitty Two
wrote:

In article ,
Tony wrote:

I have a ranch on a 1/4 acre of land.

Not according to my definition of ranch.

It stretches as far as the eye can see (it is on Long Island).

On Tue, 04 May 2010 23:43:51 -0500, "
wrote:

On Tue, 04 May 2010 18:53:01 -0700, Smitty Two
wrote:

In article ,
Tony wrote:

I have a ranch on a 1/4 acre of land.

Not according to my definition of ranch.

It stretches as far as the eye can see (it is on Long Island).

Like the first time a guy saw the ocean. "Some how I imagined it would
be bigger than this!"

On May 4, 8:54*am, wrote:
On May 4, 7:16 am, ransley wrote:





On May 3, 10:00 am, wrote:

On May 2, 6:28 pm, ransley wrote:

On May 2, 11:21 am, Tony wrote:

I have a ranch on a 1/4 acre of land. My lawn isnt huge but there is enough of it. *Here's the link:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...ontofhouse.jpg

Yesterday, I really decided to tackle my terrible lawn. I have multiple issues. Maybe some of you
can help. Yesterday, I rented a power rake from Home Depot and thatched the lawn. *Here is what came
out of the lawn only for the front yard. It may not look like a lot but there is a lot and I already
got rid of a few pails:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/thatch.jpg

What is the next step? Do I put lime down? Do I seed? Do I fertilize? I do not know what kind of
grass to use. I have planted Scotts seed last year and the grass is so different from the grass I
already have. Instead of thin dense grass, the Scotts grass is fat and grows way faster and higher.
I went to a local nursery yesterday and the guy insisted that the taller Scotts grass was weeds and
not grass and he had no idea what kind of grass I already have. How can I find out. When I patch the
lawn, I want it to match so that it isnt so obvious because of the differernt kinds of grass. *See
he

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e.../grasstype.jpg

One other question: How do I level the lawn? It dips down a bit in the middle. And I want the lawn
to be higher by the house and grade down as it goes to the street.. Do I add soil over the grass to
level it or do I have to rip the grass out and then add the soil. Here is a pic but its hard to see
the dips:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/slope2.jpg

I am trying to sell my house so I am not looking to pay a lot of money for a landscaper, which is
why I am doing this myself. I am on the verge of a short sale and I would be happy to sell to break
even and lose the $150,000 I paid these past 5 years rather than the kill my great credit. Do I have
any hope or do I need a professional landscaper? I cannot believe dirt and lawns are so friggin
complicated. Thanks for any help you can give.

Tony

Photo 3 is Crab Grass not lawn grass, Ortho Weed Be Gone now does Crab
Grass. Your lawn looks to short, best is cut it as tall as you can
till maybe it kinda flops, not the highest mower setting but I think
about 3 1/4". How do you fertilise and water, what are the tree types.
Thick thatch is from liqued fertiliser. You need soil tests done and
some pro advise. If it was my lawn I would spray the crab grass and
fertilise, then in a few weeks seed. The crab grass is from last years
seed fom the Crab Grass growing not Scotts seed. Is it real shady, it
looks like it is and many types of Maples have shallow roots that make
getting a good lawn near impossible.

Doesn't look like any crabgrass I've known. * Also, don't know where
he's located, but it would have to be someplace warm to have mature
crabgrass at this time of year. * It looks to me like an undesirable
grass, eg poa trivialis. * Which is really bad news, because there is
no selective herbicide to kill it without killing the desirable grass
too.

IMO, the power raking was a waste. * You only need to de-thatch if it
is exceptionally thick and preventing water from penetrating into the
soil like a thatch roof would. *Normal thatch is not a problem.

As someone else pointed out, the only quick fix is to use sod.
Trying to sell it, if you want to just do a fix that will make it look
a lot better in a couple months, then I would over-seed. * Mow it
short, rake up all the debris, do any leveling off with topsoil if
really necessary, then rent a slit seeder and apply a high quality
seed appropriate for the climate, sun, etc. * Apply starter
fertilizer. * Then keep it constantly damp, which, this time of year
in USA is going to take a lot of water. * Hopefully you have inground
sprinklers, because if you don't it's a real pain to keep watering a
decent size lawn. * And be prepared to deal with weeds in a couple
months when the grass has established and can tolerate herbicide.
The weed and water issues are two big reasons Fall is the best time to
seed. * I'd check and adjust the PH with lime if needed.

For the really correct solution to the whole problem I would have done
the above procedure in Fall after killing off all the existing plants
with Roundup. *That would get rid of the undesirable rough grasss.
Also, if the soil is particularly dense, compacted, etc, then renting
an aerator prior to re-seeding would be a good idea too.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

My crabgrass looks just like that, right now in Chicago, and that
tall. I use Ortho weed B gone as it now does crab grass.

I'd have to respectfully disagree. *Whatever you are seeing in Chicago
right now isn't crabgrass. * Crabgrass doesn't even germinate until
you have daytime temps consistently in the 80s, which is why one
guideline for applying pre-emergent is to put it down when the
forsythias bloom, so that protection starts then. * *And that is for
it to just germinate. * Here in NJ, where it's warmer, you never see
actual crabgrass in lawns until July at the earliest. *Also, crabgrass
spreads out low to the ground and looks like a crab, hence the name.
Whatever grass is in that pic is growing straight up.

Here's a pic of crabgrass:

http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardand...crabgrass.jpg- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

What ive found is crabgrass starts to emerge when soil is 60f , there
are at least 230 different types and it can grow 3 ft tall and look
like his photo and what I have, not all types just spread out and stay
6" high. We have had 60 f ground temp for quite awhile. It may be
something different but it has the crabgrass charicteristics of
spreading and taking controll and thriving with no water, reseeding
and being hard to control. I have the small type also, it all came in
brought in new dirt by the city in redoing concrete. All I know is I
hate it and have a hard time getting rid of it. I did see one site I
cant find that showed a photo of the same grass as one of crabgrasses
various types.

On May 5, 7:17 am, ransley wrote:
On May 4, 8:54 am, wrote:



On May 4, 7:16 am, ransley wrote:

On May 3, 10:00 am, wrote:

On May 2, 6:28 pm, ransley wrote:

On May 2, 11:21 am, Tony wrote:

I have a ranch on a 1/4 acre of land. My lawn isnt huge but there is enough of it. Here's the link:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...ontofhouse.jpg

Yesterday, I really decided to tackle my terrible lawn. I have multiple issues. Maybe some of you
can help. Yesterday, I rented a power rake from Home Depot and thatched the lawn. Here is what came
out of the lawn only for the front yard. It may not look like a lot but there is a lot and I already
got rid of a few pails:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/thatch.jpg

What is the next step? Do I put lime down? Do I seed? Do I fertilize? I do not know what kind of
grass to use. I have planted Scotts seed last year and the grass is so different from the grass I
already have. Instead of thin dense grass, the Scotts grass is fat and grows way faster and higher.
I went to a local nursery yesterday and the guy insisted that the taller Scotts grass was weeds and
not grass and he had no idea what kind of grass I already have. How can I find out. When I patch the
lawn, I want it to match so that it isnt so obvious because of the differernt kinds of grass. See
he

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e.../grasstype.jpg

One other question: How do I level the lawn? It dips down a bit in the middle. And I want the lawn
to be higher by the house and grade down as it goes to the street. Do I add soil over the grass to
level it or do I have to rip the grass out and then add the soil. Here is a pic but its hard to see
the dips:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/slope2.jpg

I am trying to sell my house so I am not looking to pay a lot of money for a landscaper, which is
why I am doing this myself. I am on the verge of a short sale and I would be happy to sell to break
even and lose the $150,000 I paid these past 5 years rather than the kill my great credit. Do I have
any hope or do I need a professional landscaper? I cannot believe dirt and lawns are so friggin
complicated. Thanks for any help you can give.

Tony

Photo 3 is Crab Grass not lawn grass, Ortho Weed Be Gone now does Crab
Grass. Your lawn looks to short, best is cut it as tall as you can
till maybe it kinda flops, not the highest mower setting but I think
about 3 1/4". How do you fertilise and water, what are the tree types.
Thick thatch is from liqued fertiliser. You need soil tests done and
some pro advise. If it was my lawn I would spray the crab grass and
fertilise, then in a few weeks seed. The crab grass is from last years
seed fom the Crab Grass growing not Scotts seed. Is it real shady, it
looks like it is and many types of Maples have shallow roots that make
getting a good lawn near impossible.

Doesn't look like any crabgrass I've known. Also, don't know where
he's located, but it would have to be someplace warm to have mature
crabgrass at this time of year. It looks to me like an undesirable
grass, eg poa trivialis. Which is really bad news, because there is
no selective herbicide to kill it without killing the desirable grass
too.

IMO, the power raking was a waste. You only need to de-thatch if it
is exceptionally thick and preventing water from penetrating into the
soil like a thatch roof would. Normal thatch is not a problem.

As someone else pointed out, the only quick fix is to use sod.
Trying to sell it, if you want to just do a fix that will make it look
a lot better in a couple months, then I would over-seed. Mow it
short, rake up all the debris, do any leveling off with topsoil if
really necessary, then rent a slit seeder and apply a high quality
seed appropriate for the climate, sun, etc. Apply starter
fertilizer. Then keep it constantly damp, which, this time of year
in USA is going to take a lot of water. Hopefully you have inground
sprinklers, because if you don't it's a real pain to keep watering a
decent size lawn. And be prepared to deal with weeds in a couple
months when the grass has established and can tolerate herbicide.
The weed and water issues are two big reasons Fall is the best time to
seed. I'd check and adjust the PH with lime if needed.

For the really correct solution to the whole problem I would have done
the above procedure in Fall after killing off all the existing plants
with Roundup. That would get rid of the undesirable rough grasss.
Also, if the soil is particularly dense, compacted, etc, then renting
an aerator prior to re-seeding would be a good idea too.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

My crabgrass looks just like that, right now in Chicago, and that
tall. I use Ortho weed B gone as it now does crab grass.

I'd have to respectfully disagree. Whatever you are seeing in Chicago
right now isn't crabgrass. Crabgrass doesn't even germinate until
you have daytime temps consistently in the 80s, which is why one
guideline for applying pre-emergent is to put it down when the
forsythias bloom, so that protection starts then. And that is for
it to just germinate. Here in NJ, where it's warmer, you never see
actual crabgrass in lawns until July at the earliest. Also, crabgrass
spreads out low to the ground and looks like a crab, hence the name.
Whatever grass is in that pic is growing straight up.

Here's a pic of crabgrass:

http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardand...grass.jpg-Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

What ive found is crabgrass starts to emerge when soil is 60f , there
are at least 230 different types and it can grow 3 ft tall and look
like his photo and what I have, not all types just spread out and stay
6" high. We have had 60 f ground temp for quite awhile. It may be
something different but it has the crabgrass charicteristics of
spreading and taking controll and thriving with no water, reseeding
and being hard to control.

There are a zillion other weeds and grasses that fit that description
and weed indentification can sometimes be difficult. One
distinguishing characteristic of crabgrass is that it doesn't
germinate until you have warm temperatures and is a summer lawn
problem, not present in Spring.

Take a look at this crabgrass control document from Rutgers
University. They indicate that pre-emergent needs to go down by April
10, meaning the crabgrass has not germinated by then. That is
consistent with the advice on all the pre-emergents that are sold.
If crabgrass doesn't germinate until after April 10 in NJ, you can't
have large, mature plants in Chicago or Canada by May 5. I see
crabgrass here every year and never before July.

On May 5, 8:53*am, wrote:
On May 5, 7:17 am, ransley wrote:





On May 4, 8:54 am, wrote:

On May 4, 7:16 am, ransley wrote:

On May 3, 10:00 am, wrote:

On May 2, 6:28 pm, ransley wrote:

On May 2, 11:21 am, Tony wrote:

I have a ranch on a 1/4 acre of land. My lawn isnt huge but there is enough of it. *Here's the link:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...ontofhouse.jpg

Yesterday, I really decided to tackle my terrible lawn. I have multiple issues. Maybe some of you
can help. Yesterday, I rented a power rake from Home Depot and thatched the lawn. *Here is what came
out of the lawn only for the front yard. It may not look like a lot but there is a lot and I already
got rid of a few pails:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/thatch.jpg

What is the next step? Do I put lime down? Do I seed? Do I fertilize? I do not know what kind of
grass to use. I have planted Scotts seed last year and the grass is so different from the grass I
already have. Instead of thin dense grass, the Scotts grass is fat and grows way faster and higher.
I went to a local nursery yesterday and the guy insisted that the taller Scotts grass was weeds and
not grass and he had no idea what kind of grass I already have. How can I find out. When I patch the
lawn, I want it to match so that it isnt so obvious because of the differernt kinds of grass. *See
he

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...grasstype..jpg

One other question: How do I level the lawn? It dips down a bit in the middle. And I want the lawn
to be higher by the house and grade down as it goes to the street. Do I add soil over the grass to
level it or do I have to rip the grass out and then add the soil. Here is a pic but its hard to see
the dips:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...783/slope2.jpg

I am trying to sell my house so I am not looking to pay a lot of money for a landscaper, which is
why I am doing this myself. I am on the verge of a short sale and I would be happy to sell to break
even and lose the $150,000 I paid these past 5 years rather than the kill my great credit. Do I have
any hope or do I need a professional landscaper? I cannot believe dirt and lawns are so friggin
complicated. Thanks for any help you can give.

Tony

Photo 3 is Crab Grass not lawn grass, Ortho Weed Be Gone now does Crab
Grass. Your lawn looks to short, best is cut it as tall as you can
till maybe it kinda flops, not the highest mower setting but I think
about 3 1/4". How do you fertilise and water, what are the tree types.
Thick thatch is from liqued fertiliser. You need soil tests done and
some pro advise. If it was my lawn I would spray the crab grass and
fertilise, then in a few weeks seed. The crab grass is from last years
seed fom the Crab Grass growing not Scotts seed. Is it real shady, it
looks like it is and many types of Maples have shallow roots that make
getting a good lawn near impossible.

Doesn't look like any crabgrass I've known. * Also, don't know where
he's located, but it would have to be someplace warm to have mature
crabgrass at this time of year. * It looks to me like an undesirable
grass, eg poa trivialis. * Which is really bad news, because there is
no selective herbicide to kill it without killing the desirable grass
too.

IMO, the power raking was a waste. * You only need to de-thatch if it
is exceptionally thick and preventing water from penetrating into the
soil like a thatch roof would. *Normal thatch is not a problem.

As someone else pointed out, the only quick fix is to use sod.
Trying to sell it, if you want to just do a fix that will make it look
a lot better in a couple months, then I would over-seed. * Mow it
short, rake up all the debris, do any leveling off with topsoil if
really necessary, then rent a slit seeder and apply a high quality
seed appropriate for the climate, sun, etc. * Apply starter
fertilizer. * Then keep it constantly damp, which, this time of year
in USA is going to take a lot of water. * Hopefully you have inground
sprinklers, because if you don't it's a real pain to keep watering a
decent size lawn. * And be prepared to deal with weeds in a couple
months when the grass has established and can tolerate herbicide.
The weed and water issues are two big reasons Fall is the best time to
seed. * I'd check and adjust the PH with lime if needed.

For the really correct solution to the whole problem I would have done
the above procedure in Fall after killing off all the existing plants
with Roundup. *That would get rid of the undesirable rough grasss.
Also, if the soil is particularly dense, compacted, etc, then renting
an aerator prior to re-seeding would be a good idea too.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

My crabgrass looks just like that, right now in Chicago, and that
tall. I use Ortho weed B gone as it now does crab grass.

I'd have to respectfully disagree. *Whatever you are seeing in Chicago
right now isn't crabgrass. * Crabgrass doesn't even germinate until
you have daytime temps consistently in the 80s, which is why one
guideline for applying pre-emergent is to put it down when the
forsythias bloom, so that protection starts then. * *And that is for
it to just germinate. * Here in NJ, where it's warmer, you never see
actual crabgrass in lawns until July at the earliest. *Also, crabgrass
spreads out low to the ground and looks like a crab, hence the name.
Whatever grass is in that pic is growing straight up.

Here's a pic of crabgrass:

http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardand...ss.j....quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

What ive found is crabgrass starts to emerge when soil is 60f , *there
are at least 230 different types and it can grow 3 ft tall and look
like his photo and what I have, not all types just spread out and stay
6" high. We have had 60 f ground temp for quite awhile. It may be
something different but it has the crabgrass charicteristics of
spreading and taking controll and thriving with no water, reseeding
and being hard to control.

There are a zillion other weeds and grasses that fit that description
and weed indentification can sometimes be difficult. *One
distinguishing characteristic of crabgrass is that it doesn't
germinate until you have warm temperatures and is a summer lawn
problem, not present in Spring.

Take a look at this crabgrass control document from Rutgers
University. *They indicate that pre-emergent needs to go down by April
10, meaning the crabgrass has not germinated by then. * That is
consistent with the advice on all the pre-emergents that are sold.
If crabgrass doesn't germinate until after April 10 in NJ, you can't
have large, mature plants in Chicago or Canada by May 5. *I see
crabgrass here every year and never before July.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Well im learnin about weeds, and what ever it is grows to dam fast.
They say a weed is just a plant you dont like. Golden Rod used to be
on everybodys hate list, now my garden center sells it, HD!

On Sun, 02 May 2010 12:21:32 -0400, Tony
wrote:

I have a ranch on a 1/4 acre of land. My lawn isnt huge but there is enough of it. Here's the link:


Tony,

Lawn grasses and their needs vary greatly from one area of the
world to another.

Assuming you are in the US, you might want to contact your
local county extension agent. They will likely have some area
specific instructions. Their instructions will likely be far better
than you will get from someone trying to sell you something and will
be specific for your area. You might even get them to come out and
take a look at what you are and offer some specific recommendations.

On Wed, 5 May 2010 04:17:36 -0700 (PDT), ransley
wrote:

Yesterday

Why would anyone beat a dead horse?

wrote:
On Wed, 5 May 2010 04:17:36 -0700 (PDT), ransley
wrote:

Yesterday

Why would anyone beat a dead horse?


To tenderize it for the grill, you big silly.

TDD