R.Mariotti (at) FinancialDataCorp.com (Bob Mariotti) wrote in message
...
Hello All;

I live in New England and quite frankly "my lawn looks like hell!".

I have five grandchildred ages 8 and down to play a lot but I also
have a lot of shade. The problem is bare spots and "crab" grass(?)
or whatever.

I would like to do something this fall that might yield some results
come spring.

Somewhere I was reading mentioned "power seeding" and I am wondering
exactly what that is. Do they mean just a power spreader or something
else that might better place seed into the ground?

I was also thinking of hydroseeding now hoping that the results would
be ready for the spring emergence.

Please make any recommendations that you can that might help me make
the most beneficial decision.

Thanks.

Bob

I think 'power seeding' is just a term some lawn care companies use to
describe their particular method of seeding a lawn. There are different
seeding techniques and even machines that will do the seeding for you, but I
wouldn't recommend seeding for you at this time. If you do everything else
right your lawn will probably "fill in" on it's own.

If you have a crabgrass problem you will want to go after that in the
springtime, just about the same time that the new seed would be germinating.
Since the crabgrass killer doesn't know the difference between a desirable
grass seed and an undesirable one it will kill off the new grass along with
the crab.

I would recommend a healthy late fall fertilization to make sure that your
lawn gets off to a jump start next spring. Make sure that you get "all" of
your leaves raked up. Then next spring a late spring fertilization, weed
control and crabgrass control. Then comes the tricky part. The bugs.

Most people wait until signs of an insect problem before going after them.
The problem w/ this method is that by the time you've diagnosed the problem
it's usually too late to save the lawn. In my opinion there is no point in
cultivating a lawn unless you are going to protect it and to do that you
have to get down a bug killer. I would recommend something for chinch bugs
in June and then an imidicloprid as a grub preventor in July. Be sure to
follow the manufacturer's instructions and keep the kids off the lawn until
watered in and then completely dry.

Good luck w/ it.

Peter H