Some advice/clarificaitions on my lawn/overseeding

16 years ago

I have been reading up the past week or so on everyone's overseeding advice.

I have a few questions.

In short, my front yard stinks. I am embarrassed because I am a teacher who has most of summer free and I still failed. No excuses. I reseeded some dead areas last fall and they looked great. I have used Scott's to get rid of weeds but it hasn't seemed to work. Admittedly, I have only used the step 2 of Scott's program. I've used Menards brand the other seasons. Toward the middle of summer I had major yellowing and dying in big areas. They did not come back and weeds galore have taken place. I confess I did not water this summer.

After reading this forum I decided to RU the front yard weeds. I took my pump sprayer and spent a long time going over every weed and really thick bladed grass that I didn't like. I did this on Aug. 23. The weeds are turning brown and yellow and appear to be dying.

Sunday I rented an aerator and went crazy with it, making multiple runs. It was actually kind of fun.

From what I read, I'm hearing I should now fertilize, and then slit seed. I have also read I should cover the seed with compost, peat moss, or straw(weed free).

Questions

What fertilizer should I use?

Is this seed okay for me? Seedland ELITE Bluegrass Mix - 25 LBS. / With 40% Midnight Bluegrass + 40% Per. Ryegrass + 20% C.Red (I'm on a budget)

How can I make sure that the straw I buy at Lowe's is weed free?

Which is cheaper route for covering seeds? Peat moss, compost, or straw?

Thanks so much. I have learned so much just lurking, but I know my window of opportunity may be closing and I want to continue to get my lawn in shape.

Please feel free to tell it to me straight, I won't get my feelings hurt.

Thanks again

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Comments (14)

bpgreen
16 years ago
I'm not a big fan of the Scotts step program in the first place, but the plants can't tell and don't care what brand of fertilizer you use, so using the store brand with comparable features won't make things any worse, just less expensive.

I have a couple of problems with the Scotts step approach.

The first problem is that they're big on the weed killer fertilizer combined products. I think killing weeds works best if you fertilize first, then once the weeds are growing like gangbusters, spot spray with a weed killer, and only spray the weeds rather than the entire lawn.

The second problem I have is that most cool season grasses shouldn't be fertilized in the summer. You want them to slow their growth and use less water, but fertilizing them causes them to grow fast and use more water. If you use organic fertilizers, you don't have the growth spurt issue, but I still think it's best to fertilize cool season grasses in the spring and fall.

I don't know that much about seed mixes, but from what I've read, that mix seems pretty high in P Rye. Looking at Seedlands mixes and blends, I see that the Galaxy blend would be more than double the cost of the Elite mix, which might be a budget buster.

Their high noon blend is all bluegrass, but from the description, I'm not sure if it's really intended for lawns. It's in the same price range as the Elite mix, though.

How big is your lawn? If your lawn is smaller, maybe you could buy a smaller quantity of seed without as much (or any) P Rye in it.
User
16 years ago
That mix is WAY high in P. Rye. Really, 10% is the absolute maximum you want, unless you want a rye grass lawn. Which you might, so I could be conversing out of my posterior region. Even so, if you do you should just plant ryegrass and be done with it. :-)

Others will have better seeding suggestions than I ever would, but what I know says to avoid that mix.

Post-aeration and slit seed, the cover is optional and you don't really have to add anything. You can safely skip it. Even if you don't slit seed you can skip it. I did.

As long as you can keep that seed damp, you don't need a cover and you can save the cash. If you feel you must have it, straw is usually cheapest but, in my experience, always has weeds. You're going to get plenty of those naturally anyway.

Also in my experience, Scott's is crap. Actually, cancel that. Milorganite is literal crap and it's worlds better than Scott's and one of my preferred fertilizers. Bpgreen is right, get the weeds growing and then kill them. Ortho's Weed-B-Gone is wonderful for that, and you spot-spray the weeds instead of coating the whole lawn.

That having been said, you can either use the Scott's Starter Fertilizer or Milorganite to feed your seed bed. Both go down the day of seeding, or just before or after. Use the recommended rate on the bag.
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smallaxe
16 years ago
An additional thought on spot spraying the weeds. Read the instructions about 'actively growing'. Also on the label you want to see plenty of 2,4d , mecroprop, and dicamba in your broadleaf mix. All 3 , because the 2,4d is better on dandelions for example and mecroprop for clover etc.
oscarlawn
Original Author
16 years ago
My lawn is about 5-7000 sq ft. I think. Dumb question, What is the best way to measure square footage? I guess I would rather spend the money on better seed than on the cover, which morpheuspa says I don't need.

So slit seeding will sufficiently provide for seed to soil contact?

No, I don't want a ryegrass lawn. I think two 10 lb bags of Galaxy would fit into my budget if don't have to buy cover.

Thanks again everyone for your responses. I'm looking forward to hearing more.

Okay, I will go with Milorganite. Does that come in a bag like Scott's? I don't think I've ever seen that at Menards, but maybe b/c I've haven't looked for it.
I have also been convinced to not use weed and feeds.
parafly9
16 years ago
Square footage is length X width.

So find the most obvious square areas in your yard and multiply them out. You can use your house as a refernce if you know its footprint, or else get a tape measure.

My front yard, for example, is 90' by 120', or 10,800 sq feet.
User
16 years ago
Square footage is length X width.

Or calculate your lawn as a polar equation starting from the house and use the integral to find the area.

Kidding. Although it would work...

So slit seeding will sufficiently provide for seed to soil contact?

Yes. Slit seeding injects (some of) the seed right down into the soil. Even the stuff sitting on top of the soil works its way in a bit.

No, I don't want a ryegrass lawn. I think two 10 lb bags of Galaxy would fit into my budget if don't have to buy cover.

I'd rather take slightly slower gemination on a better seed than great germination on something I wouldn't be happy with. Pardon the dangling bits on that sentence and all that rot.

Without cover, germination will take a bit longer but it will be along. Expect to see sprout in less than two weeks, but "good" coverage not until week 3 or 4.

Okay, I will go with Milorganite. Does that come in a bag like Scott's? I don't think I've ever seen that at Menards, but maybe b/c I've haven't looked for it.

Yep, usually near it. If Menards doesn't carry it, your local Home Despot / Lowes / Big Box Store of Type-Other should carry it.
oscarlawn
Original Author
16 years ago
Without cover, how often should I water the seeds after slit seeding?

Do I have to be sure I've waited a certain amount of time after RUing the weeds and unsightly grasses before slit seeding?

The slit seeder at Lowe's has the hopper on the front that looks like a drop spreader built in, The Classen I believe. Elsewhere on this forum I've read of people not being particularly fond of the hopper and just broadcasted the seed with their own spreader and then used the slit seeder w/out the seed in the hopper to work in the seed. Does that make sense?
oscarlawn
Original Author
16 years ago
Another newbie question:
I've never understood how to set my spreader to match the requirements of the fertilizer, like 2lbs./1000 sq.ft. because my earthway broadcast spreader just has numbers on it from 1 to 30.
Could someone please explain.

I thank you in advance, again.
egghead2004
16 years ago
"Without cover, how often should I water the seeds after slit seeding?"

try watering fairly heavily the first time to make sure everything is wet, not saturated. From there just water lightly 3 times a day, maybe 10 minutes each time. 9am, noon, and 2:30 pm is what I am at now. Just make sure the soil is all damp.

""Do I have to be sure I've waited a certain amount of time after RUing the weeds and unsightly grasses before slit seeding?"

Yes, read the RU label. I think is 10 days or something.

"The slit seeder at Lowe's has the hopper on the front that looks like a drop spreader built in, The Classen I believe. Elsewhere on this forum I've read of people not being particularly fond of the hopper and just broadcasted the seed with their own spreader and then used the slit seeder w/out the seed in the hopper to work in the seed. Does that make sense?"

It sounds like it makes sense, but I'll tell you what happened to me.
The darn slit seeder hopper just dumped seed all over the place. So I did what you mentioned, then ran the slit seeder over that...bad bad bad. horrible germination rate. Maybe it was me and I did it wrong or maybe my soil was not good for germination. I did a soil test the next spring and had to add a lot of amendments. Just my experience, thats all.
oscarlawn
Original Author
16 years ago
I got out my lot survey last night to calculate my square footage and realized that I have a 1/2 acre, but 60-70% of it is wooded. I believe if I used the formula correctly I only have about 3,000 sq ft of lawn after driveways and flowerbeds are figured in.

I will go ahead with the 10 lb bag of galaxy blend.
parafly9
16 years ago
IMHO i would buy more seed. Rather have too much than not enough, unless $$ is really an issue. I bought 50lb and I havne't used it but I think I am cutting it too close. I wish I had bought like 60 or 70 lb to have an extra 10lb for bad areas, in the event of a washout, etc etc.
oscarlawn
Original Author
16 years ago
IMHO i would buy more seed. Rather have too much than not enough, unless $$ is really an issue. I bought 50lb and I havne't used it but I think I am cutting it too close. I wish I had bought like 60 or 70 lb to have an extra 10lb for bad areas, in the event of a washout, etc etc.

But putting in a rate of 3lbs/1000 sq. ft, I'm leaving a buffer of a extra lb. Don't you think that's enough?
parafly9
16 years ago
IF you measured accurately.... if you don't get a rainstorm.... if your spreader is accurate in the distribution... etc.

Its up to you but @ $4 - $5 dollars a pound I would rather buy some extra for any renovations you have to do or missed spots.

You can always buy it later, it is really just a suggestion based on what I wish I had done.
oscarlawn
Original Author
16 years ago
Parafly...I hear what you are saying. I don't want to have regrets after I've rented the slit seeder.

thanks

Some advice/clarificaitions on my lawn/overseeding

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