overseeding lawn with crabgrass
L A
9 years ago
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morpheuspa (6B/7A, E. PA)
9 years agodchall_san_antonio
9 years agoRelated Discussions
Newbie with new lawn - Overseeding?
Comments (12)David, I want a test patch. Something out of the way, and from your picture, between the shrub and the tree with the orange tie on it would be perfect. Lay it out with those cheap tent stakes from the sporting goods section if you have to, but give me a patch 10' by 10', mostly square. Fertilize that square first. Just that square. A hand held whirley spreader (you're going to need one, so go buy one, they're nine bucks) will be fine. Nice and even, but just that square. Now fertilize the whole lawn (and I'm sure one bag of Milorganite isn't enough, for what we see in the picture. Two bags minimum, and if there's more lawn that doesn't show, add more.) and fertilize right over that test square, just as if you hadn't fertilized it at all. Nice and even. Straight rows. Sure enough, you have now fertilized your lawn, with what you think is enough, and one small section, that test square, has more fertilizer than the rest of it. Compare the two in thirty days. Also, compare the two in 45 days, because the main area may be fading, and the test area not yet fading. But my guess is that you're still learning about fertilizer rates for your particular lawn, and the test square will surely help. If that test square looks significantly better at three weeks, fertilize the WHOLE lawn again, including that test square. Now, (you math major, you) you will note that the test square has three applications, to the rest of the lawn's two applications. Compare, again, three weeks later. If there is a difference, if that test square looks more 'maximized' than the whole of the lawn, you're just not putting down what needs to be put down yet. It's a learning process. You are going to be putting down the neccessary fertilizer to maximize the performance from that lawn. And if you overseed with elite cultivars of KBG, those cultivars need (yes they do) MORE fertilizer than a regular lawn, at least for the first two years. But at least the guy who sold you the house didn't kill the lawn. It could be much worse. (Look at Scott504's post, titled 'Lawn Renovation Advice'). But the guy who sold you the house is a Suburbanite. A Suburbanite is a guy who's going to fertilize the lawn. Once. Because he heard that you're supposed to. (And, in your case, he probably only did it because the home was going up for sale). So a Suburbanite may fertilize once in the fall, or he may not do it until spring arrives, he doesn't care. And he doesn't care if he gets the right amount down. But he's sure he's going to cut it back a tad, because he doesn't want to 'burn' the lawn. And believe me, he won't. Neither get the right amount down, nor burn the lawn. And the lawn will not thrive. The little grass plants will just barely be hanging on. And look a lot like what you have now. You need to feed that lawn 'regularly'. That means every month or so, a half-application, (every two weeks would be better, if you want to 'maximize' and behave like a sod farm. But have you looked at a sod farm lately? Compared their grass to yours?) with Milorganite, and a big dose of nitrogen in the fall. That means a big-first number fertilizer, like a 24-X-X to Milorganite's 6-2-0. Or a 28-x-x, or a 30-x-x. But that's for the fall. In spring and summer, it's gotta be Milorganite. You're learning, and you'll get there. We'll help....See Moreoverseeding for 1st year lawn
Comments (5)Some people core aerate in order to expose more soil and improve the seed-to-soil contact. Others have had problems as a result of aerating because it brings weed seeds to the surface. A soil test is a good thing, but to really make use of it, you need to be able to interpret the results. The best time to overseed is after the summer heat breaks and when you can be around enough to ensure that it gets watered enough to stay moist until the seeds have germinated....See MoreOverseeding on top of crabgrass
Comments (5)@kidhorn - my concern is that those bare spots will be prone to weeds in spring since I won't be able to reseed in spring while also using dimension pre-emergent. I could use siduron, but I hear it's expensive and not that effective. @nearandwest - I don't know what mix of cool season grasses I have in my lawn. I over seeded with a sun and shade mix which included perennial ryegrass and KBG. Just so I know, which selective herbicide i could have used? Thanks both!...See Moreoverseeding overseeded lawn questions
Comments (1)I'd wait until it hits 3" and mow it down to 2, then keep mowing regularly to encourage thickening, until the cold slows the growth. As for thin areas, you can also hand core aerate with something like a Turf Hound for small areas that need prepped. The problem with just spreading lawn soil over your turf is that you might get a layering effect which is not stable. I'd rather core thin areas--with or without topdress....See Moredchall_san_antonio
9 years agoL A
9 years agodchall_san_antonio
9 years agoDoug/Debbie Ball/Prodaniuk
2 years ago
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