It seems everyone's rudeness sensitivity has a different adjustment. If you want to see rude, flip on over to the Soils forum or the Organic Gardening forum where it is too common to gang up on one member and flat out call him stupid in so many words. On the corn gluten meal thread which ZS started a week or so ago, he said I had accused him of something but he would ignore it because he wanted to remain positive. I put the following into a message. Can anyone help me see where I might have made an accusation and one that had a negative note to it? Then ZS replied with the following Dchall_san_antonio wrote: > In real life it is rare to find someone who has had a good experience with CGM as a preemergent. I'm not sure if he was ignoring my request or replying to it. If anyone would care to help, please send me an email through my member page. I don't see it. It seems to me that ZS is egging us on by posting quotes that fly in the face of what has become common knowledge. When we try to explain either what is wrong with the quote or where the quote left off vital information or where the source quote was taken out of context, then the tone of the messages changes for the worse. To me it is clear who threw the first punch on this thread. Tiemco asked some questions and ZS bit his head off. I offered some clarification and got my head bit off. ZS if you prefer to read books and do not like to read what we have to say in this forum, then why are you here? I'm not saying there is no reason to be here, I'm simply asking why you are here? Are you here to offer us the benefit of what you have read? If that is the case then we will respond completely differently. Most people come here to find out if what they have read holds water. We have made that assumption with you. If we have been giving you advice when you were not looking for it, then that might be the root of the antagonism. Giving unwanted advice is considered rude to a lot of folks. Please let us know. You can establish your credentials based on what you read outside the forums and we'll leave it alone. I might add that disagreeable messages are one reason that forums lose membership. I've seen some really great people leave this forum simply because of one or two members who pestered them mercilessly. If you would not like to receive our thoughts and comments on your threads, it is easy enough to make that happen. Since I seem to be a catalyst for you, ZS, and since I don't see where my remarks are setting you off, then I'll stop replying with these thoughts and let you go.

Decklap, I remember the transition from Windows 3.1 to Windows 95. My cousin, who built computers (each component from scratch), wrote software, and was proficient in several computer languages since the 70s, had a really hard time with Windows 95. While he was accustomed to being able to make a computer yield to his will, he was suddenly faced with infinitely more power (not comparing to current technology). I tried to make him see we aren't going back to 3.1 or anything remotely similar, so he might as well accept the advantages of new technology and profit from them. It's all about progression. Someone brought to my attention you might have a hard time wrapping these new and different concepts around your head, and that's what reminds me of my cousin. I can see you are a seasoned fellow with a lot to offer. What was customary still is in most respects. After all, how many people are tearing out their lawns and replacing them with new varieties? I still hope to impress upon you the notion that there are substantial improvements that render some of the ideals obsolete and adapting in those instances is essential, if not required. It might not be all that big a deal and who knows, you may never encounter a lawn that requires you to flip the script. We're not talking about a new operating system, after all, but a matrix of many. Sorry if I put you off or was too quick to judge. Ever now and then we get trolls visit the forum, so I guess I can be hasty in thinking I spotted one.

You purchased the house last year so there is, I'm supposing, no information on what the lawn in that area did last year at this time....maybe the same thing you are experiencing. It could be the ground is hard in the area and doesn't accept moisture down to a level that the lawn uses it to its advantage. In other words, maybe the lawn isn't getting water in that area and pays the price. Too much, is as bad as too little. Too much and too little causes short roots which, when the summer heat hits it, dries it up fast. You didn't say whether you fertilize regularly. Turf grass is, like any other plant, needs food. A regular schedule of fertilizing keeps a lawn in good health and even if grubs invade, a turf that is in the best of health can fight it off. I suggest you do an over layering of compost/triple mix or good topsoil...about 1/2" to 1" and do this every spring ....and fall. Then an overseeding at the same times. What this does is builds organic matter into the soil, improves the soil to absorb and hold moisture and results in a tough turf that can stand up to the dry periods or the over-wet times. To find out how much soil/compost to buy, simply measure the area you wish to cover...length times width...IN FEET. Multiply that by the depth IN INCHES the soil you wish to put down...and multiply that figure by 3.....and divide by 1000. The result will tell you exactly, in cubic yards, how much soil to buy. Thus, if you were to cover the entire 1000 square feet with 1" of soil....1000 sq ft X 1" = 1000, then multiply that by 3...= 3000 divided by 1000 = 3 cubic yards of soil would cover the area. By overlayering 1" of soil over the lawn every spring and fall will improve the drainage and water containment quality and improve the lawn's ability to grow grass in difficult times. A good combination of seeds for northern areas is" 40% Kentucky Blue, 30% perennial ryegrass and 30% fescue. This combo makes for a tough lawn that stands up to most what nature throws at it.

Here is what I plan to do based on an actual seeding date of September 9 (that answers your first question - mid-sept is the best time to seed in the north/transition zone): 1. buy some quality seed based on NTEP ratings for your area (www.NTEP.org) 2. If you have an irrigation system, perfect. I am jealous. If not, get a good set of timers and a good set of sprinklers that will be able to water your new seeds 3 times a day for 10-15 minutes per cycle. 4. call your nearest equipment rental place and reserve a verticutter or slit-seeder. And find a buddy with a lawn roller. 3. keep mowing and taking care of your weed patch for the next few weeks. Their time is short... so don't get too depressed. ^^^ these are things you can do now. 4. In mid sept, mow your lawn/weeds VERY low... like 1" - 1.5". Scalp the lawn basically. Bag the clippings. 5. use the slit seeder or verticutter to go over the lawn twice in different directions (i like 45 degree angles) with NO seed in the hopper. 6. run over the mess that gets chruned up with the mower and bag it up. If you are into hard labour, rake it up and bag it. Just get the debris off the lawn. 7. if you are using a slit seeder, fill the hopper, set it to the appropriate rate (1/2 the rate since you are making two passes here) and make two passes (not the same directions you made on the DRY run). If you are using a verticutter, then skip this step and spread the seed with a broadcast spreader. Again, use two passes at 1/2 the rate. this will help avoid 'cornrows'. 8. Apply starter fertilizer - I like Lesco - at the recommended rate. 9. Roll the seeds and fert into the furrows made by the seeder/verticutter. Use maybe 1/2 full of water.... no need to compact the soil - you just want to ensure good seed/soil contact. 10. Water pretty deeply to get the seeds further into the soil and give them a good start with moisture. I like to run each sprinkler for about 1 hour. for me that's maybe 1/2" of water. 11. Set your sprinkler timers to go off 3 times a day so the seeds don't dry out. I do mine at 10AM, 2PM and 4PM for about 15 minutes per run. The goal here is to keep the seeds MOIST at ALL TIMES! Once they get wet, don't let them dry out. You don't want puddles... Just want to keep the damp. 12. For TTTF you will see germination after about a week to two weeks. Longer for KBG. 13. Once the majority of the seeds have germinated, cut back on the watering, but water for longer. Like twice a week for an hour. Depends on your sprinklers, but the goal at this stage is to get water down deep so the fledgling grasslings will go down and get the water - establishing deep roots is the goal. Whew. Ok. There are other nuances here and there that I have probably left out, but that is what I do for overseeding and I have always had success. The magic three components to getting your seeds to germ are fertilizer, soil and water - so get good seed/soil contact at the right ground temps (mid-sept), fertilize with a good starter fert and water water water to keep them moist. You should have success!!!