Ahh, so when Fall comes I should:
Dig, dig, dig, and add… Would plain ol’ manure work? That I can get relatively cheaply around here.
(We were planning to dig out the itty-bitty plots of soil directly in front of the house that currently serves as the residence of some massive ugly bushes, so we’ll just dig up everthing while we’re at it.)
Thanks for the help!
Manure is a fertilizer, but can be mixed with top soil. Not the best way to add organic matter
Ok. I don’t know what you irrigation habits were.
Planting seed: the seed needs to contact the soil, but not move when watered. The soil can’t be hard…at a min, it needs 1-2" loosened, ideally 4" loosend. The grass seed should be watered several times per day, lightly. Mulching is good to prevent it from washing.
Seeding: I’ve had good results from created slits by hand or ny creating slits with a machine. The seed will germinate because it can’t wash away. Some seed even grows when buried.
Starter fertilizer: If the land is unfertile, get a starter fertilizer. You can wave the “organic only” rule when planting seed - just get a starter fertilizer (see home store).
Can you fertilize, seed so there is contact and no movement, irrigate 3-4 times per day and wait? If so, you have a chance. If these criteria cannot be met, don’t plant seed.
Run now, and get starter fertilizer and some more seed for later (fall).
Weeds are acceptable - heck, they’ll even help the seedlings stay in place…to a degree. You can’t have all that fresh ground and be weed free.
Most grass needs to be over 4" before cutting, and then only cut an inch.
I would let it get to 4-5" and cut it by an inch. I would get starter fertilizer on it NOW, and I would water it 4-5 times a day, lightly, keeping the soil moist. Not the best time to grow grass right now, but if you can water, you are ok. Come this fall, you can get your lawn to fill in completely.
How? Well…stop weeds before they start. How? In spring, put down a pre-emergent control. Then keep lawn cut high (see other advice in here about that golden rule) and water deep a few times a week. Cut regularly - weeds hate that. These practices, including getting OFF THE HOME IMPROVEMENT mega step program is a must. Mulch, don’t bag the clippings, etc. Right now, you can hold them off, but not annialate them weeds.
LESS IS MORE: Water heavy heavy 2-3 times a week and cut back if rain supplements. Cut High, fertilize only in fall - maybe…maybe once in early spring. Use organic fertilizer - it lasts long and doesn’t make gras grow fast…and it’s cheap. Leave the clippings…they are PRICELESS.
OK Philster, here ya go.
I live in S. Wisconsin. Brand new house and yard in Spring of 2000. Pretty good sun all around, maybe even a little too much on the front yard in the afternoon. I aerated, and reseeded this spring along with 2 aps of weed n feed. I still have 2 problems though:
Weeds: Mainly clover and dandelions. I am beginning to win this battle, but still have odd “stripes” of weeds in my lawn. I also think I may have overdone the weedkiller as I also have…
Thin grass: A few small bare spots (including one where the weed n feed spreaded tipped over :smack: ), but mainly just thin, brittle grass. The side of my house that gets the most shade has a patch of thick, luxurious grass but a few feet away it’s the same old thin crap. I water when I can (but not your recommended twice a week for 45 minutes). Could this alone do it?
Muchos Gracias
Well, first ask yourself if you are following all the golden rules that have been mentioned:
cut high
water deep
leave clippings
organic fert in fall
Yellowy grass in spots could be a disease. The whole lawn Overall? it might need a kick, I doubt it, because you have no weeds or other probs.
I’m going to go out on a limb and tell you to check (sharpen) your mower blade. To get a whole lawn yellowy looking and not have weeds, it is likely that you are cutting a bit short AND with a dull blade. Look at your grass…are the tops of the blades crisp and green or frayed and brownish and yellowy? Frayed = dull blade that is killing the grass.
If you cut high and w/ a sharp blade, even lacking fertilizer, you will be almost as green as any neighbor, especially over the long haul. Anybody can green up a lawn for the short haul w/ chems.
Those clippings that you leave and organic fertilizer will help you maintain a long green up, not like a short burst from chem fertilizers.
Rather than a dark dark green lawn in bursts, try for a modestly green lawn that stays that way for looonnnnng stretches.
You could dabble with some iron (Milorganite and Ironite are products that use iron for green up. Doesn’t seem to hurt the lawn in anyway, while it does seem to help…although research hasn’t had it’s final say on it. )
Thanks, Philster.
jk1245
thin crisp grass: underwatering
Clover: low nitrogen in soil. low usable nitrogen in soil - stop using the chem fertilizers like Scotts. Seek an organic alternative in your area…cut and leave grass clippings as they return nitrogen to the soil.
seed: weed and feed after seed? A big no-no. Weed and feed often contain chemicals that keep seed from germinating. Also, even if they just contain weed killers (kills live weeds), they should only be applied to established turf. Will harm new grass.
You need to be able to water if nature can’t do it. Watering grass that is crispy will probably rot it and or invite disease. dry grass is going dormant and can only be awakened by a heavy heavy rain - something a heavy watering can’t match.
In the shade, you soil is more moist, so grass is lusher.