"sherwindu" wrote in message
...
This is zone 5, just NW of Chicago.

The lawn is a front yard about 40 feet by 25 feet. My neighbor has
neglected it
for
several years, which includes not watering it last year. It's amazing
that he
even has
any grass left, at all. His biggest problem are dandelions (also my
problem, as
they
blow their seeds onto my lawn). The rest you already know.

That's only a thousand square feet. I would till it (rent a heavy duty
tiller), work in some compost, board it flat and and sod it.
Caveat - most sod is bluegrass, which likes sun and low traffic, so if the
space has traffic or is fairly shady, you either have to hunt for fescue sod
or plant grass seed.

If using grass seed - mixes are usually a blend of annual ryegrass, fescue,
and bluegrass.

According to an expert at the U, bluegrass needs 10-14 days of cool damp
weather to sprout. Fescue will sprout any time it gets steady moisture.
(That means if you plant a mix when it is warm, like later in the year, half
the seed is wasted.) In my experience, bluegrass and fescue both take to the
soil A LOT better if planted in the fall.

If you want to plant seed now - follow directions on the package.

If you can wait - (I used the following method on some really tough sandy
spots where spring planting didn't take -took first time and has been fine
ever since). You may have to buy the seed early and store it in a cool place
if your garden store doesn't have bulk seed in the fall.

Spray the weeds and after two weeks (depends on the weed killer), use a
dethatch machine with spring tines or similar to work the soil loose and
then seed in some annual ryegrass and fertilize and water it. Annual
ryegrass grows easily but only lasts a year.
Cut it long (3" plus) over the summer. Then in the fall after the frost
when the annual grass turns brown, cut it down to an inch and bag those dry
cuttings.

IF the old grass didn't come back, then go to the next step --
In late fall before a hard cold snap, shallow-till the old lawn up, smooth
it flat, and plant grass seed (you can spread the seed as the first big
snowstorm is just hours away) - use a mix of fescue and bluegrass - and
cover it with those ryegrass-hay clippings.
The snow will provide moisture for the grass to sprout, and it will grow
over the winter under the snow (very slowly), just like it does in nature.

--------

ALWAYS water bluegrass in the spring if the spring is unusually dry - NEVER
let bluegrass dry out badly before it has established itself for the year,
up to around June 1 here in zone 4, or it will die.
Bluegrass naturally goes dormant in July and turns a dull blue-grey. That
dormancy is normal and does not hurt it. In some areas, watering and
fertilizing it back awake into really hot weather can stress it.
In that dormant time, if it starts to turn from blue-grey to light grey
with light tan tips on the grass blades, or is dormant for more than a
couple weeks or it is really hot for weeks and it sits in direct sun,
watering is needed to keep it alive.


fwiw

Sherwin D.

wrote:

What zone? How big of an area?

In my area Z5b many lawns were lost to the drought last year (that BS
about never watering as the lawn will come back is well, BS).
Currently I see both reseeding bare spots and completely digging up and
reseeding. I haven't seen anyone go the sod route yet, but I've only
looked in a two block area. Eight new lawns or partial reseeding
going on. Looks like a minefield around here LOL. As for me, I'm
digging up and reseeding the parkways (corner house). Had 4 trees
removed, 6 put in and the lawn was a mess before hand. Much worse
afterwards. I'm starting from seed, not sod. In the fall the front
yard will probably be sodded. Getting kind of late to start from
seeds, but I lucked out with some extended cool/rainy weather. Now
to dig up another 4 or 5 wheelbarrows full of old tree roots on the
remaining section of the parkway.