renderblade, The key to getting rid of weeds and keeping an area weed free is planning far enough ahead and constant maintenance. I don't recommend Roundup, you don't need it. Weed eating is a futile effort unless your taking out the roots as well. So long as the roots are still in the ground, most of your weeds will continue to come back. You need to completely eliminate the entire plant: top and bottom. Depending on what "weeds" were in your soil that you tilled, you most likely brought up dormant weed seeds that were too deep to sprout and broke up stems (crab grass for instance) into smaller pieces where the nodes still sprouted. Here is my suggestion to you due to the size of your area: If tilling is the chosen method, then do so at least six weeks in advance, and preferably months in advance in order for the soil tilth to build back again as well as for dormant seeds to sprout so you can skim them to kill them as they come up. Do this a few times for a couple of weeks until they've subsided, then you're ready to plant. Next you need to mulch and mulch well (2-3 inches). This will prevent further sprouting of weeds and prevent migrating wind born seeds from taking root in your soil. If you plant vegetable seeds, you can mulch with a thin layer of shredded leaves or grass clippings or compost or straw, etc. When the seedlings get 3-4 inches tall you can mulch at a greater thickness and more as they get larger. If you had that many ants, your soil must have been too dry. Mulch will help keep your soil moist and the soil temperature stable. If you want to go the newspaper route, try Freecycle.org and ask for newspaper. You might be pleasantly surprised. There's probably someone out there (like me) with plenty of newspaper to share, especially if it's going to good use and getting recycled. You can also call your local newspaper, tell them what you need it for and ask if they have any discards. You need to do layers of 8-12 damp (soak them in a bucket of water first) sheet, then cover with soil. If you don't it will dry and fly away. But if you can cover with soil, or mulch, it would work. You can also try cardboard. Call local businesses for both. You can also try black plastic mulch, but it won't add organic matter to your soil. The issue with straw are seeds which might sprout and cause problems. It works great, just make sure you know what you're getting: When using hay or straw, you need to know your source and exactly what is in the bales. Hay and Straw Glossary A popular organic mulch, hay is commonly used to protect soil and plants from the elements, to line pathways, and to address various needs in the garden. What many people don't realize, however, is that various products are often labeled as "hay" at garden centers, but there are many different types of hay and straw that are commonly sold in bales. While they are easily confused, it's important for gardeners to become familiar with the differences. Salt hay Salt hay, or Spartina patens, is a grassy plant that grows in salt marshes and wetlands. Martha has long used salt hay in her gardens. It is useful for keeping weeds from growing in paths, preventing runoff, and keeping soil from turning into mud whenever it rains or the garden is watered. A layer of salt hay will keep soil moist and encourage worms to come to the surface, which will help to aerate the soil. It also makes an attractive path to walk on between garden rows. Salt hay is an ideal all-purpose mulch because its seeds won't grow away from salt water'so it won't germinate in your garden. Golden straw What is commonly termed "Golden straw" is either oat straw, Avena, or wheat straw, Triticum. This straw is a by-product of the process of separating oat or wheat seeds from their stalks. Golden straw is often used as bedding in horse stalls; because there are no seeds, the horses won't eat it. This straw spreads nicely, and the lack of seeds means there is no risk of it germinating in your garden. It can be used in the same way as salt hay. Wheat straw An excellent choice for straw for use in the vegetable garden. Lay down six inches in height in the fall then direct sow seeds in the spring. No need to dig. There will be a handful of weak sprouts from seeds, just pull them out. Feed hay Just as its name implies, feed hay is used to feed livestock. Though inexpensive and plentiful, it is not a good choice for use in gardens because it is full of seeds. The main ingredient of feed hay is alfalfa, Medicago sativa. It also frequently contains flowers and seeds from many other plants and weeds such as clover and golden rod. These seeds are likely to germinate, resulting in a garden full of weeds rather than flowers and vegetables. Soil Solarization is another technique you can use, using clear 6 mil plastic. It has been around for a long time. It's effective for those who have patience and can plan ahead. A drawback is that it kills beneficial organisms and bacteria in the soil. What I do is lay roof shingles over any area where I want to create a bed. Within two weeks vegetation underneath is weak and pretty close to dead. I wait until the soil is crumbly underneath, sink my spade in and start hand sifting and pulling out everything then I crumble it back in the spot along with compost so it's light and airy and never walk on it again. Then I'll mulch with leaves and/or grass clippings. Usually the latter. I don't do huge areas of space at a time. Literally just lay them on top of the grass and overlap them a bit so light doesn't get thru. After a couple of weeks and after a rain check to see if the soil is "friable" (soil crumbles in your hands). Length of time after a rain will depend on whether your soil is sandy, clay, etc. For me it can be 2-3 days in certain parts of the yard, 1 day in another area of the yard. When you lift the shingles, you'll see there is little to no grass and what you can see is yellow or white. Sink a spade in and lift up, then just get in there with your hands and fingers and take a chunk and pull out the roots. This works fabulously with bermuda grass because the main runner stem is in tact but the roots have died off so all you have to do is follow the runners. Sometimes they're 4 feet long. But they're soooo much easier to get out! Much less work than tilling and sifting. Then crumble the soil lightly back into the spot with your fingers. As you crumble take out out any weed matter and into the compost pile they go. This is the best time to incorporate compost or any other soil amendments. Now don't walk on the area or you'll compact the soil. I'll take out large rocks as well since we grow rocks around here. I've responded to "Wanted: Rocks" on freecycle.org a couple of times so now they're gone and have found use to fill holes under fences so dogs don't escape. The problem with tilling bermuda grass is that when you do that, you create a lot of little pieces that are not easy to find and get out without a sifter. If one tiny piece with a node get's left behind, it'll take root and take off and you have the same problem all over again.

I agree with those who suggest that a poor ground may be the most likely culprit. For my fence, I drove in two 8-foot copper ground rods, the same ones they use for house grounding. The two rods are connected with heavy gauge copper wire. They work great through wet weather or dry... I just hope I never have to pull them out. ;-) Oh, and a fence pole driver made quick work of driving the rods for the first 6 feet. No one has mentioned the wire yet. I started off using steel fence wire, but bought aluminum wire one year. Wow! What a difference! The spark was visibly stronger than it had been with steel, on the same charger. Aluminum wire is more expensive, but I highly recommend it, especially for long runs. My method for fence testing isn't scientific, but it works. I use a rod with a rubber handle, but a garden trowel with a rubber handle works just as well. With the fence on, first ground the rod against a metal fence pole, then move the tip toward the wire. Hopefully as it nears, it will snap loudly, and you should see a fairly bright spark... in which case it is strong enough. If the spark is weak, then it probably won't keep raccoons out (or groundhogs). In that case, I would check for (1) bad connections; (2) poor ground; or (3) a weak fence charger. Also, check the insulators for dirt or debris which might allow a current path to the poles. Chargers do go out, I had to replace mine after about 10 years of use. It still "worked", but the spark was so weak I could hold the wire. All that being said... raccoons are very determined pests. The fence works best to discourage them from entering for the first time. If they get a taste of something they like before the fence is on, they will put up with a minor shock to get in. I got my fence up late one year, and the raccoons got a taste of the corn - they then found a way in even after I charged the fence. Fence chargers rated for use against predators (which can be similarly tenacious) are more effective - they really sting. They are also better at "burning" (killing) most vegetation that touches the wires. My fence has chicken wire on the bottom, which I connect to an aluminum ground wire woven in a loop throughout the length of the fence. The chicken wire is stretched tightly enough so that it can't be pushed over. There are two closely-spaced hot wires just above the chicken wire, to discourage anything from climbing over. There are also two "deer wires", spaced just far enough apart so that I can climb over the first, and under the second. Fortunately, deer don't seem to grasp that concept. Unfortunately, sometimes deer "bull rush" the fence, snapping the wires. I find tufts of their fur caught in the wires... that really had to hurt. :-o

Fertilize ASAP. Ive already feed my lawn 2x this year and the 3rd time will be around July 4th. So you have some catching up to do. Apply the Milorganite @ 1lb nitrogen per 1000sqft. Which would be 18lbs of Milorganite per 1000sqft. What's easiest to put down for organic fertilizer? I don't know of a feed store around me that carries the typical organics you guys talk about. I like Soy Bean Meal best, Alfalfa pellets second. Just ask the feed store for a 50lb bag of Soy Bean Meal Or Alfalfa Pellets. Its not labeled fertilizer, its livestock food. You said the yellow spots stay soggy, that's why I mentioned overwatering. The rest of the yard may not suffer because of sprinkler overlap. These areas could be getting alot more water than you think. Under watering could also be a cause. The only way to tell is with the tuna can test. Im not sure about fungus or grubs and I wouldn't worry about it too much. If you suspect Fungus you could apply ordinary Corn Meal to these areas @ 20lbs per 1000sqft. Remember SA spreads by runners, so even if you have some trouble areas in your lawn they will fill back in with new grass soon enough. Do the pitchfork thing, its going to loosen the soil if compacted and also help the water flow. Then put some fertilizer down then water in.

Pests and disease are a given with gardening. Minimizing the potential would seem the best course. Noting that the soil is the most uncontrolled environment must be appreciated. Our management enhances survival and harvest. I prefer to start the most prone plants from seed under lights in a prepared soil mix; the mix is your choice but I locate one approved by OMRI. Under the lights I can control the moisture and temperature suitable for germination and growth until transplanted. Preparing the soil for the transplants is on-going. The fall cover crop is tilled under and allow the organisms to incorporate it sufficient to avoid negative influence to future seedling transplants. Weekly (2-3) before transplants I scratch the top 1-2" of topsoil for cutworms and weeds. In the week ahead of transplant I lay out the drip lines appropriate for my planned layout; 9" and 18" emitter spacing or individual fed emitters. The week ahead of transplant is also a good time to incorporate your cured compost. A mention of the plan reveals that I plant in 3' wide beds. Each bed receives a mixed planting based on companion planting; 3-5 different species. Some of the direct seed species go in before or with transplants. Many of the companion plants provide the best companionship action when in bloom; like the radishes, nasturtiums and herbs. The brassicas are an invitation to pests. All of these get a row cover to keep out the moths. This is the cleanest option. Checking the soil pH each month is part of the routine. While there is little one can do for immediate correction, you can select a mulch of specific pH so not to compound the problem. Make a note for fall action with pH. Finely crushed eggshells surround the tender plants that attract slugs. Coffee grounds can also deter some of the crawlers. Old copper plumbing pipe cut in half can form a nice boarder and really blocks the slugs and snails. Shallow dishes of vegetable oil and soy sauce make nice traps; even for the odd cutworm. I avoid anything even moderately harmful to pets and children. The larger pest like crows and raccoons are always a challenge since they are so creative. Selecting variety for resistances is good but I also save seed from those plants displaying acquire horizontal improvements. It is great with heirlooms which can adapt over the years. I have gardened for over 40 years and have found heirlooms for all my plantings. By far the most critical is the healthy soil. Correct pH, balanced nutrients and a diverse amendment with organic matter provide the best of growing environments for your plantings. Close monitoring and management plan increase your successes. Good luck.