cwidene - Not sure what's wrong with the soil but the grass does not grow very well. I'm planning on getting a soil test. We bought the house last winter so this is my second spring in the house. Having just moved in last year I didn't have a lot of time to do anything outside except cut the grass and a lot of clean up. According to the neighbors that I talk to the previous owners cut the grass like 2 or 3 times a year because the town made them. I'm not expecting a perfect lawn this year or even next year but I want to get it on it's way. garycinchicago- Get off you're horse. So I did not learn anything..what makes you say that? You have no idea what my yard looks like or what the ground feels like yet you say that core aerating is bad. Why? From what I have been reading it seems like a lot of people say it's a good idea to loosen up the soil before seeding. Sure, maybe the spring was the wrong time to do it but I have a lot of bare spots and wanted to get something down. Last fall dandelions were the last thing on my mind so now I am trying to deal with them now. In stead of being a jerk, how about trying to help someone who is trying to get started on his lawn. Some people on here seem to think they are superior to others because they may know more then someone else, some people are very helpful.

Did you read my post? Using a preemergent in the late summer when soil temps are above 70 F is a good idea mainly to prevent poa annua germination. Lawn burn is usually caused by the fertilizer portion of weed and feed products, but those are generally post emergent herbicide/fertilizer combinations that need to remain on the lawn for a while without watering in. You should always water in fertilizer and fertilizer/preemergent combinations. There are several preemergents on the market you can buy that don't include fertilizer. Dimension, Barricade, Stonewall, Pendulum, Ronstar, etc. Here's a good site to decide what you want to use. http://turf.unl.edu/pdfctarticles/Marchherbicidedelayswhenseeding.pdf

The best thing is to take a sample and send it to a lab. You need to know the organic matter content in the soil. Without good soil it will be impossible to grow grass. Try to keep whatever is growing at least at 4". Assume that whatever is under the sod is just really bad soil. How many pounds of grass seed did you apply on your lawn? What is the approximate sure footage of the lawn area. You should apply at least 1lb/1000sf of grass seed mix. I would also use liquid organic fertilizer, compost application, and compost tea application. Then see what the soil test recommendations are , and apply then what is needed.

Hi Steve-I am in Upstate NY and have had great success with 1. various Johnathan Green organic products & following a specific application schedule provided by the regional sales rep 2. Cornmeal and molasses 3. Gardens Alive Iron X for spot week control 4. Garden's Alive Moss Aside for moss and mildew. 5. Gabriel Labs Burnout when necessary 6. Vinegar when necessary. It took me a while (around 5 years) to get things under control from the previous owner as the lawn was forced via chemical treatments vs naturally supported via organic products. I am happy to report that my lawn is now thick and lush but I still handle weeds with spot spraying with Iron X or Burn Out or straight vinegar, especially on these vine like weeds that come out from the forever wild on the back of my property. When I first moved in and started this program, doing manual spot weed control was a must even above and beyond the JGreen weed & fert , and now my weeds are fairly minimal. But it was the schedule provided by JGreen that gave me a starting point put me on the path of an effective, targeted program for my specific geography.