Need Help With "Young" Lawn

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7thDirection Shepherdstown, WV Sep 08, 2008

Hi,

I need advice on how to improve my first year lawn. The grass we have now was provided by the builder. I guess it was typical, contractor grade seed. We have very poor quality, clay soil... the builder (of course) did not provide top soil. So now, it 's early September and I'm afraid the lawn is mostly weeds and not grass (and what grass there is is sparse and ugly). It appears we are getting a lot of Thistle, Queen Ann's Lace, Peppergrass, Foxglove, some Clover, and some Crabgrass and a few that I haven't been able to identify.

Since it is almost fall, I'm preparing to go over the front yard with another batch of grass seed (I plan on doing the backyard in the Spring).

I was thinking maybe aerating the soil and mixing in some lawn starter soil (I was thinking about mixing regular old top soil 50/50 to save on cost) in October and then putting down some grass seed. My husband wants to use Kentucky Blue Grass, though I'm not sure if that is the best grass for our area (We live in growing zone 6b). Also, I don't know how well it will hold up to the clay soil and full sun the yard gets.

Do I have a good game plan? Does anyone have any suggestions or advice? Should we aerate, then plant seed and then apply the soil? Is Kentucky Blue Grass the best choice in grass? Should we wait until later in the season?

Thanks,

Post #5524481
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kitten0115 La Vergne, TN Sep 09, 2008

you have a great game plan. If your doing the back in the spring then you have time to kill off those weeds and put down a pre-emergen to help reduce the weeds. Look in the phone book for a lescos. They can tell you anything you want if not then get a weed and feed and look for a pre-emergent herbicide for the lawn you can use this in the front and back put you have to wait about 1 month after seed ins spread before you use it or it can screw up the germination. I would have 50% KY bluegrass and 50% tall fescue. 100% bluegrass can leave you with bare patches because it can get brown patch a fungal disease plus other ones. The best lawns are blends meaning 2-3 kinds of seeds spread at once. I'm in nashville at a 6b so I know what conditions you deal with.

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