On Sat, 30 Jul 2005 10:41:50 -0700, tenplay wrote:

We have over 2000 sq ft of lawn in the front, side and back of our
house. It is in pretty bad shape in several areas with bald patches and
a constant battle with weeds. We just mow it every week and pull
bunches of weeds every week or so. I see all kinds of products for
lawns - weed treatments, grass seeding kits, etc.. We're wondering at
this point if it is worth the effort and cost to apply these repair
treatments to our lawn or better just replace it. We are also conscious
of environmental concerns. Although we would like to save our lawn,
sometimes it seems that it is better to start all over with "a clean
slate". We live in the Pacific NW where it rains frequently.
Most environmental solution is to remove the lawn.

Next best is to treat your soil as a valuable commodity. If you get
on the chem bandwagon, you'll never get off. It results in sterile
soil and you might as well be going hydroponic. Instead, add
composted manure twice a year (or more) to encourage the soil
ecosystem to thrive. The grass will recover when the roots are happy.
This may not be a comlplete solution (not knowing much of your
specific situation) but it's the place to start.

k