Grass/Crabgrass - need plan of attack
Just trying to get the lawn here in NW Ohio in better condintion.
The lawn has various bare spots and lots of crabgrass. The bare spots are not big enough for sod - so I am thinking some type of patching mix might be best. And there are a bunch of areas too. Is it possible to attack both problems at one time? I know I need to apply a pre-emergent in the spring for the crabgrass, but will I be able to grow grass at the same time? I could start trying to patch this fall, but it's so mixed in w/crabgrass that it seems like I will have bare spots in the spring regardless where the crabgrass is heavy. Any suggestions on the best way to go about this project? Thanks! |
K. Kly wrote:
Just trying to get the lawn here in NW Ohio in better condintion. The lawn has various bare spots and lots of crabgrass. The bare spots are not big enough for sod - so I am thinking some type of patching mix might be best. And there are a bunch of areas too. Is it possible to attack both problems at one time? I know I need to apply a pre-emergent in the spring for the crabgrass, but will I be able to grow grass at the same time? I could start trying to patch this fall, but it's so mixed in w/crabgrass that it seems like I will have bare spots in the spring regardless where the crabgrass is heavy. Any suggestions on the best way to go about this project? I've spent 2 years building a lawn out of a crabgrass patch, and it now looks pretty good. So my advice comes from that experience. You cannot reseed and use pre-emerge crabgrass preventer at the same time. The best approach is to reseed this fall. You won't see all that much grass, but a lot of what you plant will come back and grow strongly in the spring. Put down the crabgrass pre-emerge preventer in the spring. Then overseed again next fall. If you have spots that are always bare, try loosening the soil and maybe putting some more soil and compost in that area before you seed. I also notice that I'm getting crabgrass in areas where I had killed strangling amounts of invasive clover with weed killer. So I plan to lime my lawn again this year to make the pH better for grass. If you haven't checked your lawn's pH, do so now, and add lime this fall (or add sulfur if you need to go the other direction.) When you do overseed, be sure to keep the new seed watered for a few weeks. |
On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 13:10:35 -0400, "K. Kly" wrote:
Just trying to get the lawn here in NW Ohio in better condintion. The lawn has various bare spots and lots of crabgrass. The bare spots are not big enough for sod - so I am thinking some type of patching mix might be best. And there are a bunch of areas too. Is it possible to attack both problems at one time? I know I need to apply a pre-emergent in the spring for the crabgrass, but will I be able to grow grass at the same time? I could start trying to patch this fall, but it's so mixed in w/crabgrass that it seems like I will have bare spots in the spring regardless where the crabgrass is heavy. Any suggestions on the best way to go about this project? Thanks! Crabgrass likes sunny bare areas and grows as an annual. What you need to do now is prevent it from seeding--the seeds can live dormant for 10 years. Also pull out (by hand) what crabgass you see. In the bare spots prep the soil with compost and add lime if your pH is below 6.8. Seed these areas heavily and overseed the entire lawn (after mowing close). Apply starter fertilizer. Protect the bare areas with straw and keep moist. Use high quality seed. Next spring your lawn will be thicker and shade out most of the crabgrass. Use a pre-emergence next spring, wait 90 days, and apply again. Overseed again next year as directed above. A nice lawn takes time. |
Also, bag (with mower) before the mother plant drops seed, usually in Feb,
Mothers Day and by Aug 10th here in Richmond,Va. Ohio might not be too far behind that. Remember...If you see the crabgrass, its too late for pre-em.. Apply it in early Spring, then pay attention around Mothers day and see if it is coming up again, if so, bag till dead again, and re-apply pre-em only (not with fertilizer) again in the end of July.. Then watch your neighbors cut their grass and blow their crap into your pretty yard...Fun I reckon.. I usually wait until they cut, then I cut and blow it all back...Really, mine is fantastic green and virtually weed free and theirs is patchy brown like card board, and I think Ortho.com got all their weed pics in their weed finder section from their yards... Its not rocket science, just the right timing..Have fun with it! "Phisherman" wrote in message ... On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 13:10:35 -0400, "K. Kly" wrote: Just trying to get the lawn here in NW Ohio in better condintion. The lawn has various bare spots and lots of crabgrass. The bare spots are not big enough for sod - so I am thinking some type of patching mix might be best. And there are a bunch of areas too. Is it possible to attack both problems at one time? I know I need to apply a pre-emergent in the spring for the crabgrass, but will I be able to grow grass at the same time? I could start trying to patch this fall, but it's so mixed in w/crabgrass that it seems like I will have bare spots in the spring regardless where the crabgrass is heavy. Any suggestions on the best way to go about this project? Thanks! Crabgrass likes sunny bare areas and grows as an annual. What you need to do now is prevent it from seeding--the seeds can live dormant for 10 years. Also pull out (by hand) what crabgass you see. In the bare spots prep the soil with compost and add lime if your pH is below 6.8. Seed these areas heavily and overseed the entire lawn (after mowing close). Apply starter fertilizer. Protect the bare areas with straw and keep moist. Use high quality seed. Next spring your lawn will be thicker and shade out most of the crabgrass. Use a pre-emergence next spring, wait 90 days, and apply again. Overseed again next year as directed above. A nice lawn takes time. |
Also pull out (by hand) what crabgass you see.
The weed twister with the double coils also helps to dig out crabgrass roots and prostrate stems. Have fun! _______ Talk about weeds! World of weeds www.ergonica.com |
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