1. On aeration, we have had a few landscapers come out, and they all say the soil is compacted enough to require aeration. That said, if we don't do aeration, how would you recommend putting down the seed? I assume we wouldn't just drop the seed on the existing lawn? Again, from what info you have given, it is unlikely you have compacted soil. For aeration to be a truly successful remedy of compaction, it should result in a minimum of 20 holes per sq ft. and at depths 4" or greater. I know of no landscaper that has that type of equipment--the type golf courses have. As aeration is messy and expensive, I only use it when I can combine it with other processes like topdressing, adding gypsum, fertilizing, etc. Seeding is not one of those processes. Although seed does seem to germinate well on the aeration hole edges, the seeds that fall into the deep holes do not and are wasted. Seed does germinate better when the soil surface is broken, but many have very good results just seeding over bare ground followed by rolling or a thin layer of peat moss. If your bare spots are not too large or numerous, light raking of the soil is fine. I get best results with KBG by broadcasting seed and then running a slit seeder over it. Just dropping seed over the existing lawn is common and called overseeding. 2. We just had a weed control and fertilizer application put down yesterday. So I am assuming we would need to wait a couple of weeks before we do the overseeding? Is mid Sep soon enough for a mix of Rye and KBG? I have not used Q4 specifically. Weed B Gone Max contains a similar AI cocktail as Q4 and Ortho recommends that overseeding not be done sooner than 4 weeks after application. As far as seeding is concerned: late summer is preferred as temperatures are beginning to subside, weed pressure is at a minimum and torrential rains are less common. Temps that do not fall below 50 F at night and that rarely exceed 80 F during the day are ideal for cool season grass establishment. No weed pressure removes the problems of feeding and watering the turf without feeding and watering a crop of competing weeds. Cool season grasses need to be planted early enough before soil temperatures fall below 50-55F--when grass plant growth slows or stops-- so that there is enough time for germination and subsequent plant growth so a root system develops and top growth has the chance to harden off--usually about the time of the third mowing. This time frame is dependent on region and the whims of Mother Nature--there is no hard and fast rule. 3. Thanks for the comparative comments. Any thoughts on Tall and Fine Fescue? Our original seeding as it turns out was a mix of KBG, Perennial Rye and Fine Fescue (roughly 1/3 each). Lol. Yes I have "thoughts", but they are just my opinion. All cool season grasses have advantages and disadvantages. Fine fescue is one of the few grasses that will grow in shadier areas, but does not hold up well in traffic. Rye and TTTF can make nice lawns, but they do not spread and self repair and require occasional overseeding to maintain thickness. My preference is KBG. If you can grow KBG, that is my recommendation. It makes a beautiful blanket lawn and after the third year, it is self repairing. I wont list the reasons I find it superior, but they are many, but choice of turf is subjective in many ways. 4. Yes typo on my part ��" I meant lb per 1000 sqft of course (otherwise that would be one heck of a seed bill!) Are there any commercially available mix of seeds that you know of that could work? I thought it was a typo, but better safe than sorry. You could check NTEP for the individual turf grass names in commercial bags to see what each type's individual characteristics are. What you definitely want is a bag labeled as containing 0% weeds. Better yet, 0% other crop seeds.

Hi, I am brand new to this board and fairly new to gardening. I grew up in New York City all my life and now I have a weekend home with 1.5 acres. We have just excavated our property and in the fall we are planning to plant grass seed (perenial rye). We are also planting some privacy shrubs and I have plans for a vegetable garden. I already have a few perenial gardens. I have calls out re. installing an automatic sprinkler system. I am worried that this is going to be too expensive. I have two working outdoor faucets and one that I can probably have fixed. What do you think of installing multiple hoses and using timers? What about the Accurain system? Do you think this is a good option for weekenders? Thank you in advance for your advice. Jennifer

Just my experience, but... 1. Yes, it will grow back if you simply overseed 2. Depending on the type of grass it is, rototilling and picking will likely not be sufficient. Ive spent the last year trying to eliminate the stuff, and am only now feeling like Ive gotten ahead of the problem. One polite suggestion: dont plant grass. Find some other groundcover type of plant to put there. Grass just isnt a good idea here in AZ, uses too much water and needs fertilizing, pesticiding, etc. Try sweet potatos. The kitty will appreciate the hiding spots, and it can be manicured and kept looking good without so much additional chemicals.

I am not familiar with your area and what types of grass is grown and readily available, so I will let someone else comment on that. I seeded Bermuda, im in texas, about 2 years ago when my house was built. I started off with rye grass during the winter, but since it did not take everywhere, it resulted in areas where there were washouts. I did not level my lawn again before planting Bermuda, wish I would have, but it is not all that bad for me. I am currently taking my time in leveling the lawn now with a very good amount of grass. I am doing it in small sections as I have over 3/4 of an acre to maintain. So back to your situation and what I would do. If you think you have bad soil, maybe consider doing a soil test. While the soil test is being done, spray the area with round-up if you are trying to get rid of whatever you currently have. If you do not want to do that, then bring in topsoil, and then get someone to use a box blade to smooth the area and then seed whatever and whenever is recommended. I will strongly recommend not tilling. I have tilled in certain areas, where I though the ground was too hard to seed and it did result in a bumpy yard. Tilling also roots up new weeds that you currently do not have. If you do some searching here and other sites, you will see some good posts on leveling, prepping and seeding your yard. Hope that helps as a start for you. To keep this post short, I will try to answer anything else if you have specific questions.