Question
I've read a few of your responses and understand I need to start with a soil test.  I live in Mt. Vernon (10552) - do you know where I can get a soil test? Just a little background, just bought a house; entire lawn is crabgrass/weeds; house faces south; front lawn shaded by old growth elm trees (filtered sun); back yard gets great sun (6-8 hrs) in center - less so around the edges due to shrubs and small trees.  I was planning on putting down a "weed & feed" type product, turning the soil and re-planting.  I'd appreciate whatever advice you could offer.  Thanks in advance!

Answer
Mount Vernon is in Westchester County -- submit your sample to Cornell University's Cooperative Extension, following their instructions carefully:

cnal.cals.cornell.edu/forms/documents/CornellSoilSamplingInstructions-2008.pdf

Forget the Weed and Feed.  It sounds like a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.  You'll be breathing it in for weeks and running around on it for years.  Don't believe me?  Read '5 Reasons not to use Weed and Feed', one of the highest selling 2,4-D products, listed by The National Coalition for Pesticide Free Lawns:

www.beyondpesticides.org/pesticidefreelawns

Plus, if all you have is Crabgrass and Weeds, what's to Feed?

As for your plan to turn the Soil, this has been an accepted practice even among Organic Gardeners for decades.  Centuries, in fact.

But we DO NOT do that in the 21st century.  Scientists have found that tilling wrecks the Soil structure.  Brings Weed seeds to the surface, where they germinate (after you've got rid of the ones that were already there).  Breaks down the underground Mycorrhizae that are so good for Grass roots.  Turns on your local Japanese Beetle population to the point where you have so many Grubs, you'll think they're all on steroids.  And WORST of all, tilling upsets the Earthworms.  Cross TILLING off our list too.

So what constructive advice do I have to give you INSTEAD?

Plenty.

But we don't have THAT much room so I'll boil it down to the basics which you will find quite manageable, I think.

First, you want to open up the canopy to get as much light as possible down to your Grass.  Have a Tree Surgeon remove a few key branches to make that happen.

Next, and probably more important because it is Grass-growing season now in Westchester, get rid of the Weeds.  Don't use chemicals.  Practically speaking, this is REALLY bad for your Birds, your microbes and your insect and arthropod friends.  They are what keeps your Lawn healthy -- if you use current science and not the outdated methods of the 1930s.

How to get rid of Weeds: (1) you can blowtorch them away, which can be quite fun, or (2) you can mow them, then cover with thick black plastic to block light from reaching them for a month until they're good and dead.  THEN you can turn the Soil over.

Figure that MOST of your Weeds are Annuals.  If you can keep THOSE from setting Seed, by definition, they'll be history by year's end.

Now you can pick out your Grass.  That should be guided by how you plan to use your Lawn.  Lots of traffic, or none?  Any dogs?  Any BBQ pits or swing sets?  Got a telescope for the yard to use on Summer nights?  A pool?  If so, Bluegrass will NOT be something to invest in... better to reach for the bag of Fescue.  Look over your options at Seedland.com:

www.seedland.com

Your trees are Bird magnets.  But Birds need Winter Food and a Summer Water Feature.  Birdfeeders are nice, but they do shed, and you tend to get Weeds nearby like there's no tomorrrow.  Better instead: Berrymaking Bushes, selected to draw all your local Birds over to your house.  Come Summer, they'll be congregating on your Lawn for breakfast, lunch and maybe even dinner if they're still hungry, gobbling up every Grub and Bug before they know what hit them.

Finally, NEVER FERTILIZE.

I know.  This sounds really weird.  But consider, as I have explained umpteen times in this pages and elsewhere, that fertilizer was invented 100 years ago, by a German who wanted to keep Germans fed efficiently, and won a Nobel prize for what was then a scientific breakthrough.  Fertilizer is technically a Salt.  You know what THAT does to underground bioflora and fauna.  The only reason anyone still uses fertilizer is because Madison Avenue wizards promote it.  It's an outdated way to garden.  Use ORGANIC 'fertilizers' -- they build up your Soil and make it good for your Grass.

Test your Soil.  Wipe out your Weeds.  Amend with Organic Matter and Grow your Grass.  Keep me posted.

THE LONG ISLAND GARDENER