dchall

Thanks, but why wouldn't you apply a pre-emergent when the Forsythia bloom?

Personally, I'd do something a bit different here.

You know MA better than I do. If you're going to get snow-locked for most of the winter, just before that snowfall, seed the lawn pretty heavily--around the normal fall rate.

If snow-melting-snow-melting is going to happen, seed before a good January or early February snowfall (or cold rainfall if the weather isn't being particularly cooperative with the snow this year).

It sounds crazy, but it's a dormant seeding and it'll sprout the instant it can in spring and it's second only to a fall seeding in terms of survival. You're going to have to coddle it a bit next summer, but...

You can skip all feeding until Memorial Day even with the new seeding, but if you're really jumpy, a light organic feeding in April wouldn't be a mistake, either. Don't overdo, half rate of Milorganite or 7 pounds of soybean meal per thousand square feet. Don't shock the babies, they're not up to adult feeding yet and it's cold out there, the teenagers aren't awake yet and they're a little hung over from the high school party they had that you didn't know about.

Skip pre-emergents as they'll harm the babies. You can use them out front if you want, though, when the forsythia bloom, just not on the new stuff. You're stuck with manual removal on the new growth for now.

Got some close ups... especially the barren looking areas? Reason I ask is it looks like you have enough coverage there in most of what I see--you might be OK with not reseeding. To me, seeding is spring is a losing proposition. You will be spending a ton on watering through the summer and will be fighting weeds all along the way.

I'd prefer to apply pre-emergent and fertilize liberally come April, even if some areas will be barren.

Please see the close-ups of a couple of different areas in the backyard.

As you can see it is very thin.

I think you'll be fine without spring reseeding.

mishmosh

What would you recommend for an April fertilization?

Milorganite, a synthetic starter fertilizer, or something like a Scott's Turf Builder?

Thanks

because of your late seeding, I would use Scott's starter with crabgrass preventer (mesotrione) in early April. you will probably need to extend crabgrass coverage 6 weeks after that application with something like Dimension. spring and summer, I think is a great time for Milorganite, which I would apply liberally.

Thanks mishmosh,

when would you apply the Milorganite?

if starter applied early april, you could do Milorganite late april or early may. Once a month would not be excessive. mind you, i would only recommend this based on your circumstances with late seeding and new lawn. i myself start milorganite or soybean meal around mid may on my well established lawn.