runnerduane wrote:

: Aerification is definitely a good start, but don't stop there. Late
: Fall is the best time of year to apply a Herbicide because the plant
: is storing energy for the Winter so it will absorb the chemical
: better. You should wait until the grass is dormant and apply a fast
: release fertilizer like Urea 46-0-0. ..

I had a similar question in another thread. Because of pets and
children we have been advised to use Corn Gluten Meal instead of
instead of more traditional weed killers. Is Urea safe enough or should
we stick with CGM?

Also confused about the order. Everyone seems to agree that
raking/aerating comes first. However, the other thread suggests
applying CGM (Nitrogen) before overseeding.

So I still need advice on when and in which order to do the following:

Spread fertilizer
overseed (= compost layer + seed + compost layer)
Corn Gluten Meal (or another safe weed preventer)

This is for Chicago, if the climate matters.