Timothy wrote:
On Wed, 08 Mar 2006 10:11:54 -0800, tenplay wrote:

I am a real novice at taking care of lawns and gardens. My yard has a
huge "lawn" that is in very bad shape. It has weeds, moss, crabgrass,
bald spots, etc.. Other than regular mowing and occasional weeding, I
don't know what else to do. A friend suggested hiring a lawn service
business for a year or two to get the "lawn" back into decent shape. Has
anyone tried this before? What exactly would they do? How much should I
expect to pay? I live in Western Washington. Thanks for any advice.

The real question to ask yourself is do you want to do it yourself or pay
for it. The average rates for western Washington is going to be about 65
dollars an acre for a complete mowing. The "average" size lawns around
here are going to cost 25 to 30 dollars per mowing. Many companies will
insist on a seasonal contract, so there will be 4 mows per month need it
or not. So your total cost will be $900.00 or more per year. This cost is
_just_ the mowing. Fertilization and weed control will be charged
separately. These prices can range quite abit.

What I would do to your property to get it back. Liquid broadleaf spot
spraying. I don't weed and feed any longer. It's more of a waste than it's
worth. A fertilization for the spring to start the lawn off. After the
broadleaf weeds are dead, over seed the lawn areas with a good grass seed
(from your local farm supply). Mow the lawn areas at 2.5 to 3 inches for
the rest of the season. In the fall I would fertilize again, may aereate
the lawn if the soil is compacted and spot spray the broadleaf weeds again.

Your lawn should look a 100% better by winter and will look just fine the
next season. Keep the mowing hight at 2.5 to 3 inches and fertilize twice
a year. Feel free to contact me if you have more questions. If your in the
Whatcom or Skagit are, look at my site to get a hold of me. I can stop by
and help you out.

http://www.ywgc.com


Thanks for your helpful response. Unfortunately I am down in Tumwater,
WA. Actually what I am thinking of is having the lawn service fertilize
and control the weeds as needed, and do the weekly mowing myself.
Having them come in 3-4 times to do the stuff I don't know how to do
should run about $300-400, shouldn't it?

If I decide to try it myself, are you saying that I should fertilize
first, then spray liquid broadleaf, overseed the lawn, and mow the lawn
at 2.5-3 inches, and then, in the fall, fertilize, aerate the lawn and
spot spray the broadleaf weeds again? Did I get the order right?
Thanks. Mike