Fall is when to make your money, in your area. Everybody wants to seed in the spring, but it's not optimal for cool season grasses. Be patient, it takes longer than we'd like for a lawn to come around but it will astonish you at how well it can recover. About the last week of August you should have the seedbed prepared and ready to go, seed laid down and prepare to water lightly at least 2X a day keeping the soil only slightly damp only for a few weeks up to germination and beyond, until first cutting or so. Core aeration is another fall activity mostly.

3 separate fertilizations, 1lb of N per 1000 sq/ft in the fall on the rest of the lawn. Anytime weeds are actively growing you can spot spray. Not when it's real hot, or dry periods, or anytime when the turf is under stress is a bad time to apply herbicides.

Fall seeding and germination works very well for cool season turfgrasses because the temperatures are favorable for growth, and the weed competition is so much less. Loading up on fertilizer for existing turf in the fall tends to increase food storage in the roots versus just making the grass taller. The frequency of mowing won't increase, at least not in the fall. You'll see real benefits the 2nd and 3rd year if you follow the standard fall fertilization routine, it will stay healthier looking through the summer and be a lot more drought and disease tolerant. A dense, healthy turf needs a lot less herbicide and weed control.

Why do you want to detach? Returning the grass clipping to the yard is one of the best ways to build up the soil in your yard. Returning the clippings, returns all of the nutrients to your yard and not to the dump.

When I mow, I blow the trimmings into the un cut grass, so when I cut the next swath the trimming are further chopped up and spread into the yard. After the last pass I run the mower over the row of trimming left in the middle of the yard, (Usually not much) If there are areas of clumping in the yard after I am done mowing I take the leaf blower and distribute the clumps of grass over the yard.

It is my understanding that on established yard with thick turf, you do have to bag and de-thatch occasionally. From your description of your yard it sounds like you do not have that an established turf.

My parents lived east of Fort Wayne, and I don't believe Dad ever used a core aerator on the yard. He spread fertilizer and when the yard was new spread seed on the yard. (It had been a hay field before Dad built) 10 years later he had a yard with great turf. I wish I could get one that looked as good as his. (I live east of Raleigh, about the only thing the ground is good for is growing houses.)

How many square feet do you have? Pictures would be nice. Return the dethatcher and aerator and get your money back!

You are on the right track. The overseeding should be done in late summer/early fall, probably mid to late August for you. A few weeks before seeding, you can spot spray weeds with glyphosate. It will kill any good grass it gets onto but the new grass will replace it. If you want to aerate, do it then so the holes will be filled back in by the time you seed. A few days before you seed, spot spray weeds again. If you are overrun with weeds and don't think spot sprays will suffice, you could use a selective herbicide (kills weeds but not grass) this summer. Read the directions and apply early enough (there's often a waiting period before you can seed). That would leave you less weeds to spot spray with glyphosate (no waiting period before seeding) later. When it's time to seed, cut low (gradually reduce your mowing height during the month) and bag the clippings. Use your dethatcher to rough up the ground (increase soil/seed contact) and get up the vegetation it cuts off. Spread your seed and fertilizer. Scott's has a starter fertilizer which has mesotrione which will keep weeds at bay for a few weeks giving the grass a head start. Mesotrione is the active ingredient in Tenacity, which some people may recommend (it's somewhat complicated to use and I think you can get by without it if you use the starter fertilizer with mesotrione). You will need to water lightly several times a days for a few weeks. As the grass comes up, you reduce the frequency and increase the amount. Can you set up hoses and sprinklers with a timer? If the yard is too big for that, maybe choose a section to do this year and do another section next year. Or plan on moving hoses around. Or look into getting irrigation installed this summer. Or take your chances with rain and whatever watering you can manage. You should do a light covering (peat moss, compost, etc.) to help keep the seed from drying out. There is a product called Seed Moist which could be helpful. You mix it with seed before spreading and it absorbs water. Kentucky bluegrass takes several weeks to germinate and is challenging to do an overseed with. Look into turf type tall fescue, maybe rye. Do some reading. Check out what Purdue University recommends. You might also get a soil test. If you need lime, apply it several weeks ahead of seeding when you aerate so it will get further into the ground.

I'll add a few different sets of pictures. I'm also going to get the exact square footage. The lot size is 170'x90', and I'm guessing the grass covers about 10,000 square feet.

House Lot (middle yard)

View from Upstairs Window

Ground Level Views

Brown/Bare Spots and Weed Examples

Can you get a nice close up, like 4 inches, from a good section of grass? Also, get some photos of the grass that has seed heads. This is best done on a cloudy day or when the sun isn't so bright.

Your second to last photo looks like it might have a weed called speedwell. It is a winter weed. Look it up and compare to see if that is right. This type of weed will die out in the summer, and only survives in low cut, thin lawns. Ignore it for this year as herbicides don't work well on it at this point and it will die out anyway. Fall is the time to take care of it with a preemergent like Tenacity if you are reseeding.

Whatever you end up doing in the fall, grow the grass as high as your mower will allow until then. If your grass falls over then you can cut back on the height a half inch or so.

I would get a bag of high nitrogen inorganic fertilizer on that lawn asap, like by next weekend. It looks like it is hungry for nitrogen. Don't bother with weed and feed products.

Is there a specific reason you bought a dethatcher and an aerator? Neither of these is necessarily needed if your soil chemistry is good and you mulch clippings and all the leaves you can get in the fall. There is some disagreement on this, but safe to say that these things are not required for year in year out maintenance of a great lawn.

Here's something you might try, since the ground is soft. Take a shovel and push it down and then tilt the shovel forward to expose a profile of your soil. Take a close photo showing the 4 inch profile of soil. We can see if you have any thatch to speak of. This is what I'm talking about:

DanielJ ... I'll work on getting some more pictures tomorrow. I've got a few more to upload from today, but I'll get that shoveled cross section ASAP.

As for the dethatcher and aerator, maybe I just got caught up in the advertising and thought something was necessary that wasn't. I do have a lot of dead tan/brown colored stuff around the grass though. For a long time, the yard was mowed with a non-mulching blade. Also, I used to travel for work so I'd go a week or two without mowing -- then I'd return and mow it to a 3 setting on my JD mower. So basically I'd have large clippings, and large clumps. I'd just go around and mow over the clumps to break them down a little so it didn't look like a hay field. That's what lead me to believe I'd have some dethatching to do. Also, I thought dethatching and aerating was just something that you were supposed to do every season, and I thought an aerator aided in overseeding and fertilizing. Maybe I just read too many websites of businesses that sell those items and services.

I picked up some fertilizer, but Menards didn't have much of a selection. I ended up getting this Simplify Single Application Fertilizer.

I'm not sure if this is what I needed or not, but I looked for something that listed Nitrogen. Most of their other stuff was "Menards" brand 4-step application products, crabgrass preventer, or weed and feed. Other products said it was for "new" lawns and sod application.

Here are some details on the stuff I got (do I have even close to the right thing?) ...

Nitrogen Content (N): 35

Phosphorous Content (P): 0

Potassium Content (K): 6

Simplify™ Single Application Lawn Fertilizer will feed your lawn for an entire growing season in just one application. This new and exciting product changes the way you think about fertilizing your lawn - where you no longer need to apply multiple fertilizer applications to achieve a thick, green lawn all season long. How is this possible? As your lawn grows and consumes nutrients, the Advanced Nitrogen Technology contained in the bag will release nutrients directly back to the root zone throughout the growing season for up to six months. Because this controlled-release approach is not affected by rainfall or irrigation, your lawn will consume those nutrients when they are needed with less chance for runoff or nitrogen loss. Apply Simplify™ Single Application Lawn Fertilizer in the spring for a green lawn all season long.

• One application feeds all season
• Apply in spring
• Once-a-year fertilizer
• Saves time over traditional lawn care fertilizer programs
• Provides consistent green color
• A great looking lawn with less effort
• Easy and convenient
• Contains advanced nitrogen technology
• Always read and follow label instructions printed on the bag
• 100% satisfaction guarantee
• 34Lb bag covers 5,000 sq ft

Rob,

I too live in NW Indiana and recently bought a house that the lawn needs help. The thing about NW Indiana soil is it ranges from very sandy to very thick clay. I think an aerator is a good idea if you have compact soil and chances are if your using a riding lawnmower it will get compact. There are many benefits to aerating.

Overseeding: Agree with what others have said, best to do in the fall. A little less forgiving if you forget to water once or twice.

This is a slow release fertilizer. It has some kind of coating to gradually release the nutrients. 35% is nitrogen, 6% is potassium, there is no phosphorus. Do you need phosphorus or potassium? Maybe, maybe not. A soil test would let you know. This 34 lb bag contains 11.9 lb of nitrogen (35% of 34 lb). Over 5000 square feet, it would give you 2.38 lb/k of nitrogen (11.9÷5). That would be too much to add at one time if it were a quick release fertilizer. But it's designed for a one time a year application, releasing gradually, and over the year it would give you 2.38 lb/k nitrogen. That's enough for fescue. KBG or rye would like another lb of nitrogen. Cool season grass should be fertilized mainly in the fall. This particular fertilizer is not bad. It just doesn't give you the flexibility of increasing the fertilizer in the fall when growth takes off. What is the WSN % and WIN %?

Becky,

I'm not seeing WSN or WIN listed anywhere, but here's the label info ...

Here are some other options available at Menards .... Would any of these work better than the other stuff I posted? I'm under the impression that I need something that works immediately, as opposed to the slow release stuff I originally posted ...

FOREVER GREEN® Starter Lawn Fertilizer - 10,000 sq. ft. (10-18-6)

Forever Green® Starter Fertilizer 10-18-6 is a granular fertilizer formulated for seeding or sodding to encourage strong root development and overall healthier grass. This product provides a balance of primary nutrients whenever seeding or sodding. The phosphorus and potash stimulate strong rapid root development creating early lateral shoot formation and dense even growth. Nitrogen provides feeding and additional thickening of the turf. Readily available nutrients help grass plants ensure rapid early growth and leaf development. Forever Green® Starter Fertilizer 10-18-6 promotes quicker lawn establishment, healthier grass and a thick lush turf.

FOREVER GREEN® Turf Food Lawn Fertilizer - 10,000 sq. ft. (28-0-3)

Forever Green® brand Turf Food model #260-1522. A granular ready-to-use formula that provides a fertilizer feeding for fast green up power packaged in a 32 lb. poly bag that treats up to 10,000 sq. ft. A specially blended formula that promotes increase resistance to disease and drought stresses while maintaining a thick lush turf. Apply using a spreader in mid-late summer as the third application of the growing season. This product can also be applied anytime through-out the growing season when a general feeding is required.

• Apply June - September or anytime during growing season
• 3rd application in the ForeverGreen® Lawn Care Program
• A summer (or anytime) feeding to promote increased resistance to disease / drought stress and to maintain thick, lush turf
• Specially blended formula for fast green-up
• Promotes improved color, density and uniformity to turf
• Slow-release nitrogen feeds for up to 6 weeks
• Always read and follow label instructions printed on the bag
• 28-0-3 with iron and poly coated sulfur coated urea (slow-release)
• 100% satisfaction guaranteed or your money back
• 32 lb. bag covers 10,000 sq. ft.

MENARDS® PREMIUM Lawn Food Lawn Fertilizer - 15,000 sq. ft. (30-0-3)

Menards® Premium brand Lawn Food model #260-1597. A granular ready-to-use formula that provides a fertilizer feeding that thickens and promotes a lush, deep green lawn packaged in a 51 lb. poly bag that treats up to 15,000 sq. ft. A uniquely blended formula that improves color and density, increases disease and stress-resistance, and promotes a healthier lawn. Contains advanced polymer-coated Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizer technology. As the lawn demands nutrients, nitrogen is released slowly into the soil for plant uptake. This controlled-release approach eliminates surge growth and provides predictable feeding for over 2 months ensuring consistent feeding, deep greening and promotes overall lawn health. Apply using a spreader in mid thru late summer as the third application of the growing season. This product may also be applied anytime through-out the growing season when a general feeding is required.

• Apply mid-late summer or anytime during growing season
• 3rd application in the Menards® Premium Lawn Care Program
• Controlled-release nitrogen - feeds lawn over 2 months
• Special formula that thickens and promotes a lush, deep green lawn
• For use on ALL varieties of turf grass
• Special formula to prevent surge growth
• Promotes improved color, density and uniformity to lawn
• 30-0-3 with iron and Enhanced Efficiency Technology (controlled-release)
• Always read and follow label instructions printed on the bag
• 100% satisfaction guaranteed or your money back
• 51 lb. bag covers 15,000 sq. ft.

The idea with cool weather grass is to help them get through the stress of the hot summer, which they do not like. To do this you feed it in the fall and winter before ground freeze, and once again in late spring (around now for fast acting inorganic, early may for organics). It is like an athlete carbing up the day before a competition. You need to eat in advance of the competition, not during. Likewise with your lawn. You don't want to feed it in 90 degree weather and force it to grow when it would just as soon take a nap and save its energy. For that reason I'd say skip anything that releases nitrogen during the hottest months. This might also encourage fungal attack under the right conditions.

Just get the cheapest brand (usually Lesco) of high nitrogen, low everything else fertilizer. Sometimes you can find 50-0-0 or 42-0-0, something like that. As long as the first number is a lot bigger than the other two, you're fine. Follow the directions, and consider going organic, at least for part of the year, but that's another discussion.

Pictures of seeding grass, as requested ...

Here are the cross-section photos that were requested. I'm planning on sending out soil samples this week to have tested.

The hay colored stuff was what I was considering "thatch", and was my reason for getting the dethatcher. Like I said, I'm a total novice. I bought this house when I was 21, and spent most of my 20's partying every weekend, and spent my weekdays traveling for work. Now I'll be 33 on June 8, and I decided it's time to get a grown-up lawn :)

Do they have Milorganite? The first alternative is heavy in phosphorus, which you may not need at all. The other two are slow release fertilizers, just not as slow as the Simply Single. Milorganite is an organic fertilizer and feeds the microbes in your soil. If you have not added much organic matter in recent years, it would be helpful to have at least one organic feeding. Milorganite has a fast release component (the WSN%) as well as a slow release (the WIN%). Also leave your clippings on the lawn when you mow. That practice can reduce your fertilizer need by 25%. In the fall, collect leaves (yours, maybe your neighbors' too) and mow them into the lawn. They provide valuable organic matter.

Leaves and clippings don't create thatch. Thatch is caused, among other reasons, by watering too frequently for short duration. This causes roots to grow to the surface in a tangled mess that eventually repels water. I don't see anything like that in your soil. If you pick at the soil you should be able to tell the difference between a thick mat and the clean soil. Some thatch (1/2 inch or so) is good to have.

The seed heads could very well be poa annua, essentially a bluegrass weed that looks like the real thing. You'd have to look a little closer if you really want to know. For now I'd focus on getting some fertilizer down because it looks like the lawn is starved. Have you fertilized it in the past?

Look up Logan Labs and follow their sampling directions. They give a reliable analysis for $25 which can be analyzed here or on another forum for you. It's good that you want to do that because it is necessary to get that data if you really want a great lawn.

If you get a soil test (it's not necessary but will tell you if you lack certain nutrients), use Purdue. Logan does not give recommendations without an extra payment. Purdue's test will let you know if major nutrients are deficient and if you need lime (and if you do, how much). Logan does not do a buffer test in their regular soil test, which is used to determine lime amounts. Purdue is quite familiar with Indiana soils. There is no guarantee that you will get an analysis of a Logan test here. Ridgerunner has expressed his dissatisfaction with Logan and he is the best interpreter on this forum.

Becky makes a good point about Purdue being nearby. Ridge doesn't like Logan but who knows if and when he'll do another analysis? There is another popular forum where the experts there prefer Logan. That's all I was sayin'.

Ok, I think I've got a fertilizer nailed down. It's 30-0-3. Label Details ..

It's sold in 51 lb bags. It has 30% N, but 9% is polymer coated slow release. So if I'm understanding things correctly, that should leave 21% as quick release. The coverage area is 15k, so using 21% that'd be .714lbs/1ksqft at 15k. My lawn yard is 11,875sqft, so that'd be 1.15 lbs/1ksqft if I used a whole bag on my yard. Is that too much? Is there an acceptable over/under on that 1lb/1k rule of thumb? Also, should I be factoring in the slow release N as well? I excluded the slow release (9%) from my calculations.

Thanks again everybody!

Daniel, I have not fertilized in the past (so 10+ years that I've lived here). I doubt the people before me did either. I'm going to make a probe out of a pipe tomorrow, and get some core samples to send to one of the labs listed on Purdue's website. It says they reply with fertilizer recommendations and graphs of their findings.

Use 4O lb of that fertilizer. 30% of 40 lb is 12 lb of nitrogen which is close to 1 lb/k of nitrogen for your 11.875 k. The general rule is to not apply more than 1 lb/k of a nutrient at a time. For slow release fertilizers, you can apply more than that at a time (follow bag instructions). But this one is mostly fast release. Water it in after applying.