skip to main content

getting yard ready to seed, some questions

14 years ago

i am finishing fine grading my yard, trying to make it as smooth as possible for seeding. i am noticing more and more plants sprouting. i am wandering if i should apply herbicide and what kind and in what amount? i will spread compost before seeding.should i apply herbicide before doing so? also what starter fertilizer and when to apply? other thing i wanted to ask is, when you say certain grass type requires full sun, what does it really mena? is it nonstop sunshine from down till dusk? or is it certain amount of hours? the reason i ask is my yard has ssouthern exposure, but there are mature trees along south side of property. they shade but as sun travels shades from trees move, so there is direct sunshine at every spot at certain time of day. just wandering if i should select seed for full sun or sun/shade.

thanks

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

Gags
14 years ago
1. What are you planting? The daily sun reqs should be on the package. Also - where are you located?

2. Broadleaf herbicide (such as 2-4-D / Weed-b-gone) has a longer "residual" effect than a non-selective herbicide like Round-Up (RU), aka glysophate. With 2-4-D, I think it's about 2 weeks before you can seed. With RU, it may be less than a week. If you're grading your yard, I'm assuming it's already just dirt? I'd go with the RU to kill whatever's sprouting.

3. Starter fertilizer is usually applied at the time of seeding, to avoid having to walk all over the seedlings to apply it later. Some people have done it at half dosage, and then a few weeks later applied the other 1/2. Not sure how they did it w/o walking on the seedlings, though.

4. I would spread the compost after seeding, to help cover the seeds.
duckhnt
14 years ago
I would go ahead and round up everything right now and let it sit a few days..get some compost and spread across your yard, then use a harley rake to work it into the first couple inches of soil. By the time you get the compost spread and worked in the round up would have burned out and died out so you will be good to go with seeds. Seed the yard and get a stand going. You will probably get some weeds in there still, but you can fix that next year early with pre-emergent so year 2 will be really nice
Related Discussions
How to get forest harvested saplings ready for my yard?
Q
Comments (17)
You've created bare root trees at home! So, you can look up all the instructions for bare root plants offered by companies that sell them online. Most of these companies say plant them as soon as possible. If you have to wait a couple days, wrap the roots in moist paper or towels. If you can't do that, temporarily plant them in a ditch. I don't have bad luck with bare root trees, in general. From my perspective, the whole point of taking trees from the zo...buddies's property would be so I can take the root system. Also, I understand this is best done when the trees are dormant. I'd go back to my friend's property in October with a shovel and some flower pots. As to what to do with these...I'd dust the roots with a tiny bit of rooting hormone, then plant them in flower pots with potting soil and a dash of biotone starter fertilizer. That, or put them directly in the ground. Either way, keep them watered. Putting them in water is probably not a great idea. I understand oaks in particular are very sensitive to having part of their trunk surrounded by water.
...See More
I stole some coreopsis seed from a church yard.
Q
Comments (8)
Tiffy: I can say the Hail Mary in French. Are you impressed? It is the total of what I remember from 3 years of French. (I couln't write it though, couldn't spell those words). I used to know how to say it in Latin, too, though that's long lost in my brain. (2 years of Latin, too). I guess you can guess what kind of school I went to. Albert: If you just go to the church property to steal coreopsis seeds, I don't think it counts for Sunday mass. Karen
...See More
Some stuff getting ready to bloom
Q
Comments (2)
Thanks. I live about 10 miles due east of San Diego (I can see downtown from my balconies). I had the P. namaquanums for a number of years in pots. I've discovered they are among the easiest of Pachys to grow. They seem to handle the cold and wet quite well here. Just an FYI--for me at least, the more difficult Pachys for me to grow OUTSIDE are P. rosulatum and P. horombense. I lost a really nice, blooming P. horombense in a pot last year--just by moving it to a different, less sunny spot! The really touchy ones like P. eburneum and P. makayense I grow inside in one of those kitchen window greenhouses. -Ron-
...See More
Question about getting ready for fall gardening
Q
Comments (1)
No need to replant peppers. They should keep going until they freeze, in fact, fall is my best harvest. Yes you can start seeds in pots outside this time of year. I do mine on the east side of the house so they don't get the afternoon sun until they are bigger. If they don't sprout because it's too hot, then take them in until they do and then bring them back out after a day or two and put them in a cooler location. Personally I can take or leave raised beds. If I was further north, I would definitely go that route but since it seldom freezes for more than a day or two, I don't see much advantage. I plant inground at home and in raised beds at the community garden. It's about the same for me and I have clay soil at home vs great soil at the CG. Just experiment. Results are not the same each year so don't get discourged if things go bad every once in a while. Just try again.
...See More
brankulo
Original Author
14 years ago
thanks for all the answers. i am not sure what i am planting because of sun requirements. my wife loves kbg, so we will probably end up seeding some kbg/texas hybrid.
garycinchicago
14 years ago
Since you are seeing weeds germinate, that means the seeds are in the soil and will germinate further.

What I would do is to fallow the area before you sow seeds.
This simply means to treat the dirt as if you planted grass seeds - you start watering it, and water it every day.

Once you get a good looking salad there, use Round Up and kill everything before you sow your grass seed. You can seed 1 day after spraying Round Up. It has a very short residue on soil.

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES Seeds or Seedlings? How to Get Your Garden Started

By Abundant City

Growing delicious herbs and vegetables starts with knowing your goals and when you want to plant

MOST POPULAR Budget Beach House: A Trailer Gets Ready for Summer Fun

By Becky Harris

Punchy prints and colors star in a creative approach to Jersey Shore living

ENTERTAINING 5 Ways to Get Your Living Room Ready for Entertaining

By Vanessa Brunner

Whether you have a week for party prep or just a couple of hours, here's how to set the scene for comfort and fun

GARDENING GUIDES How to Get Your Landscape Ready for Summer Storms

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Don’t let high winds, dust storms and torrential rainfall catch you or your landscape by surprise

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Get Ready...It's Patio Time!

By Becky Harris

EXTERIORS Curb Appeal Feeling a Little Off? Some Questions to Consider

By Becky Harris

Color, scale, proportion, trim ... 14 things to think about if your exterior is bugging you

MORE ROOMS Dressing Rooms: Get Ready in Style

Imagine Getting Dressed in One of These Sumptuous Spaces

GREAT HOME PROJECTS Ready to Repaint Your Home’s Exterior? Get Project Details Here

By Laura Gaskill

Boost curb appeal and prevent underlying damage by patching and repainting your home’s outer layer

REMODELING GUIDES Fall Fixes: Get Your Fireplace Cold-Weather Ready

By Vanessa Brunner

Here's the low-down on what to check before lighting the hearth for the holiday season

BATHROOM DESIGN Little Luxuries: Get Ready for Your Close-up With Lighted Mirrors

By Sheridan Interiors, Kitchens and Baths

Get a better view applying makeup, shaving or dressing, with mirrors that put light right where you need it

Sponsored

Nova Design Build

Custom Premiere Design-Build Contractor | Hilliard, OH

More Discussions

Sowed a month ago, but little to no germination

5

plastic netting implanted in lawn!

2

Every spring and fall with pre-emergent, but still lot weeds???

3

Plastic netting in lawn starter

2

Help for lawn in Zone 3! This is its second spring.

1