I need lawn help too!

[DKAudio]

I just bought a house last year in MN. Last year the lawn was not green, dry, patchy, etc. In the spring (last year) we got a dandelion infestation. I bought a weed killer and sprayed it over the whole lawn. Other than that I did nothing but mow. I assume the lawn is Kentucky Blue Grass based on my location but am not positive.

I want to do better this year, it is about 50 degrees now (was 80 early this month then dropped to 15, that's MN for ya). I talked with Shooter and he gave some great tips like using ironite (for green) and then lime and fertilizer. Please give some tips if you know any. Keep in mind that price DOES matter as I am quite low right now. Any suggestions would be great.

Thanks

Dan

 

[AVB]

Get a lawn aerator, the plug kind not the spike one, and reseed/overseed with tall fescue grass. Fescue is a cooler weather grass then Zoysia and will do better in MN.

 

[garrettbuckeye]

first off... don't assume it's kentucky bluegrass. location only plays a part in the fact that you're dealing with cool season grasses. kentucky bluegrass is a cool season grass, but so are Poa annua, tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, rough bluegrass, and many others. if your lawn is more than a few years old, you're going to have a big mix of all of them, especially if it wasn't sodded. since you've got such a weed problem, my guess is that it wasn't sodded. something to think about, some grasses do better in certain environments than others. example - fine fescues and Poa annua in the shade. kentucky bluegrass won't make it long there. the grasses in your lawn will succeed in areas they're best adapted to. that's why 95% of the grass seed you buy is a mix, not a blend (mixes are different grasses - blends are different types of the same grass). the reason for this is most homeowners just spread the seed, not wanting to worry cultivars, sunlight, etc.

anyways, the best defense against weeds and undesirable grasses is a healthy stand of turf. how do we get that? we sod (expensive but immediate) or we seed. the best time to seed is in the fall unfortunately. everyone gets excited this time of year and wants to make their lawn look great. problem is, there isn't really enough time for these little seedlings to get deep enough roots to survive a stressful summer or period without enough water. it can be done, and you'd be much more successful the further north you are. to put it bluntly, the best time to work on your lawn if in the fall. everyone gets tired of mowing by then, they know there's going to be snow sitting on it all winter, did i forget to mention leaves? but really, the most important time to pay attention to your lawn is the fall. seed then, fertilize then, sod then, you'll be rewarded. if you put your lawn to sleep in good condition, it'll wake up in good condition.

you need to think of why the grass hasn't done well there before. is your soil compacted in areas? is there a lot of shade? is you lawn always wet? is there adaquate air movement? is there a lot of traffic? these are all things that will affect the grass. start from the beginning, find out what the problem started as, and next time you'll know how to treat the situation.

 

[DKAudio]

Get a lawn aerator, the plug kind not the spike one, and reseed/overseed with tall fescue grass. Fescue is a cooler weather grass then Zoysia and will do better in MN.

Forgot to mention. I actually did that last year. It was the spike hole kind that you pull on the back of a rider or trackter. It made the dirt tirds My wifes parents borrowed one from their friend and we did both our lawns.

first off... don't assume it's kentucky bluegrass. location only plays a part in the fact that you're dealing with cool season grasses. kentucky bluegrass is a cool season grass, but so are Poa annua, tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, rough bluegrass, and many others. if your lawn is more than a few years old, you're going to have a big mix of all of them, especially if it wasn't sodded. since you've got such a weed problem, my guess is that it wasn't sodded. something to think about, some grasses do better in certain environments than others. example - fine fescues and Poa annua in the shade. kentucky bluegrass won't make it long there. the grasses in your lawn will succeed in areas they're best adapted to. that's why 95% of the grass seed you buy is a mix, not a blend (mixes are different grasses - blends are different types of the same grass). the reason for this is most homeowners just spread the seed, not wanting to worry cultivars, sunlight, etc.

anyways, the best defense against weeds and undesirable grasses is a healthy stand of turf. how do we get that? we sod (expensive but immediate) or we seed. the best time to seed is in the fall unfortunately. everyone gets excited this time of year and wants to make their lawn look great. problem is, there isn't really enough time for these little seedlings to get deep enough roots to survive a stressful summer or period without enough water. it can be done, and you'd be much more successful the further north you are. to put it bluntly, the best time to work on your lawn if in the fall. everyone gets tired of mowing by then, they know there's going to be snow sitting on it all winter, did i forget to mention leaves? but really, the most important time to pay attention to your lawn is the fall. seed then, fertilize then, sod then, you'll be rewarded. if you put your lawn to sleep in good condition, it'll wake up in good condition.

you need to think of why the grass hasn't done well there before. is your soil compacted in areas? is there a lot of shade? is you lawn always wet? is there adaquate air movement? is there a lot of traffic? these are all things that will affect the grass. start from the beginning, find out what the problem started as, and next time you'll know how to treat the situation.

I don't think the lawn is quite as bad as you think. The whole yard gets a good amount of sun, not a lot of traffic, just me and the wife. The house was built in 1954 and assume grass was done many, many decades ago. There are no weeds right now and the lawn is a very light green, it looks like most of my neighbors. I was thinking I could do the three things Shooter recommended (ironite, lime, fertillizer) but am not sure if I can do it all at once. I don't even know if MN allows ironite anymore either.

 

[garrettbuckeye]

funny thing about fertilizers and pesticides...

if you have the label for it, you can use it. there are golf course superintendents across the country with mercury stockpiled in their chemical rooms in case times get tough. even though it was banned long ago, they still have the labels and are still legally allowed to use them.

and i haven't a clue if you can mix the 3 you mentioned. i guess read the label. if it says nothing, do a quick google search. or if you want, try a test plot. just pick a section to try it on. if it kills the grass, it'll only kill a little spot, not the whole yard.



and if the lawn isn't that bad...

keep on mowing, but remember to fertilize in the fall

 

[slider9499]

when I bought my house in July 2002 the lawn was in need of some major help. I used the Scotts Lawn Program (quarterly seeding) and in 2004 the lawn finally came around. Ever since I truly have one of the best looking looking lawns on my block. I have a 65 x 100 lot and use one bag fo rboth the front and bacl areas. The bag seeds about 5000 square feet and it takes me about 30 minutes to seed both areas. I always seed in the morning when the dew is still on the grass. I then water either that afternoon or the next morning.

go to the Scotts website for more info