Lawn Care

[_33]

My lawn is terrible.  It makes me feel frustrated.  I want to have a nice lawn but right now it is full of weeds and dandelions and lots of those little purple flowers and different types of grasses.  What can I do to fix it really quickly with minimal effort.  Fertilizer?  Weed killer? Weed AND feed?  Over seed?  Can someone tell me what do to in the spring (now), then in the summer, and then in the fall?  Make like a chart that tells me what to do in each season.

Also I know some people will say to just pay someone or whatever because ksu and being rich but I really want to do it myself.

[kso_FAN]

Good thread 33. I'm the same.

[CNS]

Spring: hire someone to kill it all and sod your yard
summer: hire someone to make sure sod takes root and stays happy
Fall: hire someone to feed your new sod
Winter: hire someone to winterize your sod.
next spring: hire someone to feed that grass with preventative stuff in the feed
Next summer and there after: hire someone to keep up with the right feed and treatment recommended.

[CNS]

There is no quick and easy if you do it yourself.

Doing it yourself is a mother and will take you a full year to two to get stabilized. 

[Tobias]

folks smarter than me, is it too late for him to put down the crabgrass preventer+fertilizer stage?  someone at work told me to do that a few weeks ago so i did that.  i think at some point in may you're supposed to do another round of weed preventer+fertilizer or something.  i think there's like 4 stages to do.  my lawn looks like crap though so probably don't listen to me

[Tobias]

POS neighbors with all of the dandelions!

[CNS]

Too late for prevent, we are in weed and feed mode.  Depending on brand, it is suggested that you do 2-4 weed and feeds before moving on to the next step which usually starts in late may to mid june, iirc.

That said, if you weed and feed a lawn full of weeds, you will end up with a muddy nothing in summer. 

It all depends on how prolific the weeds and clover are.  If it is most of the yard, just let it be for now then tackle it in late summer/early fall, kill it, verticut like a mother, seed, and spread some compost on top of the seed, then feed it like crazy and make sure it stays moist.  Once you have cut it several times, start feeding the roots and winterize it well. 

[_33]

folks smarter than me, is it too late for him to put down the crabgrass preventer+fertilizer stage?  someone at work told me to do that a few weeks ago so i did that.  i think at some point in may you're supposed to do another round of weed preventer+fertilizer or something.  i think there's like 4 stages to do.  my lawn looks like crap though so probably don't listen to me

I bought a giant bag of weed and feed stuff.  Was going to mow and put it down tonight because it's supposed to rain this week a lot and I heard that is good for the fertilizer.  But will it fertilize all my other types of weeds that are not crabgrass?  This stuff is so confusing.

[IPA4Me]

Scott's has a nice website with directions and timing of applications for your region.

[Belvis Noland]

tobytobin.com

[CNS]

folks smarter than me, is it too late for him to put down the crabgrass preventer+fertilizer stage?  someone at work told me to do that a few weeks ago so i did that.  i think at some point in may you're supposed to do another round of weed preventer+fertilizer or something.  i think there's like 4 stages to do.  my lawn looks like crap though so probably don't listen to me

I bought a giant bag of weed and feed stuff.  Was going to mow and put it down tonight because it's supposed to rain this week a lot and I heard that is good for the fertilizer.  But will it fertilize all my other types of weeds that are not crabgrass?  This stuff is so confusing.

If weeding and feeding, I believe it is best right after a rain.  you want those granular to stick to the weed's leaves.  If you put it down first, it will run down hill and the bottom of your yard will be awesome while the rest of it mocks the crap out of you all summer.

[Tobias]

tobytobin.com

[WildcatNkilt]

I have a great lawn but nothing about it is minimal effort.  I love doing it though so don't mind.  My dad gave me a system that is more based on climate/surroundings than months out of the year (example would be fertalize in the spring when redbud trees start to bloom, compared to "fertalize in May").  That way you are in sync with the growth of plants compared to a specific date range that may be way off.  Seems to work great.

[Mr Bread]

Spring: hire someone to kill it all and sod your yard
summer: hire someone to make sure sod takes root and stays happy
Fall: hire someone to feed your new sod
Winter: hire someone to winterize your sod.
next spring: hire someone to feed that grass with preventative stuff in the feed
Next summer and there after: hire someone to keep up with the right feed and treatment recommended.

We pay someone to do it and they are excellent. 

[Dr Rick Daris]

you can still lay down crabgrass preventer but it has to be the kind with pre and post emergent killer or whatever. the cheap menards house brand is an option. it will kill and prevent crabgrass from growing for a few months but you'll still get some in the late summer in the hotter parts of your yard (by sidewalks and streets). just spot spray that stuff.

your yard sounds pretty far gone though so i'd honestly/maybe just ride the spring/summer out. then kill your entire yard, wait a month and then plant new grass this fall. by next summer you'll be good. this summer is already a waste imo. also take pictures to show us all. by that i mean go home tonight and take pictures of your yard and then post them.

[Tobias]

i replaced the bonnet thing on my backflow preventer last night.  it involved a hacksaw and i felt like a badass construction expert

[Dr Rick Daris]

i used the long metal tool thing to turn my sprinkler water back on the other day. 

[Tobias]

i used the long metal tool thing to turn my sprinkler water back on the other day. 

is there anything you don't beat with a nightstick?

[Lefty]

Guys,

I get lawn guilt any time I drive up to my home and see how terrible it looks. My dad's and brother's lawns are lush and dark green. Mine's got dandelions, bare patches and the worst part, my dog has basically ruined the entire backyard. I don't want to dislike my dog, but i've secretly gotten mad at him for walking around. That's not fair.

I'm tired of the lawn guilt and hopefully this propels me to be a better lawn owner. Cathartic.

[HerrSonntag]

For the purple nettle, you really had to have put down a pre-emergent last fall, but the good news is that its all going to die off in a month.  For dandelions/clovers buy this:   https://www.google.com/#q=AMINE+400&safe=off

You want to spray it on a day that's a little drier/warmer, to make sure the weeds are thirsty enough to take a big drink, you don't need much.

It will kill every dandelion in your yard within a week and leave all the grass unharmed... it doesn't kill the clover but it will limit its growth.  Be careful around non-grass you don't want to kill, including small trees... its safe on grass, but not anything else.

[Emo EMAW]

tobytobin.com

x2

I've done it both ways, DIY, and hiring someone.  To maintain I do a split. 

_33 post up some pics.  No matter which way you go it can probably look at lot better by this winter, and then really good next summer.

[raquetcat]

Rick and cns are spot on here, just wait the summer out, kill everything in late summer, seed in the fall water like crazy and then do weed prevention stuff in 2015 spring. Most of the weed prevention stuff is snow proof so you can put it on in March and still be good if we get some late freezes. Sod is really the only quick fix.

[CNS]

_33, one thing to get a handle on is soil type.  Do you have decent soil, or lots of clay?  Lots of times builders strip off black dirt before building and use it as fill without putting back down where the lawn will go.  Or sometimes those assholes dig your basement and spread the what usually is clay over the top of the rest of the lot.

If you have a bunch of really bad clay, you will want to do some soil ammending before spending much time, effort, or money on the grass.  Grass is super hard to keep alive in heavy clay during Kansas summer.

[Trogdor]

POS neighbors with all of the dandelions!

Kill your neighbors? 

[Asteriskhead]

i used the long metal tool thing to turn my sprinkler water back on the other day. 

one of the most requested and hard to find pieces of equipment at your local hardware store.