Question
For a house in Arlington, Va., .25 acre plot, lots of sun, we want to renovate the landscape. We will keep the old foundation plantings. The grass is old and worn out. A lawn service was taking care of it while the property was up for sale. They stopped over the winter, now we have purchased the property and they want to start up again. This is our first home. What grass is the most beautiful grass that is being sold currently today? We want to make a good impression. This is the time of year to do that, right?

Answer
First things first: Cornmeal is not the same as Cornmeal Gluten.  Please clarify: What do you mean by that?

Since a "lawn service" was already doing its thing, we know there's toxic waste all built up in your garden soil.  Probably there are other things, too -- Bad Fungi, Bad Bugs, just Bad Karma everywhere you look.  So be prepared to wake up some time this spring and see symptoms of one or more Fungus attacks on your lawn in different places.  When you do, remember: Relax!  This is not going to last, and when it's over, there will be a new balance found in the soil.  That is what you're going to try to do this summer.  You want to restore the balance of Nature in your soil.

In your neck of the woods, for that Arlington lawn, you have your choice of 2 luxury grasses: Bluegrass or Bentgrass.  You cannot grow Bentgrass if you cannot mow down to 1 inch, because Bentgrass has to be mowed every other day in peak season and it has to be mowed very low to be thickest.

Bluegrass has a lot of newer strains that are thick, green and breathtaking.  Look up a few on the internet and pick your favorite.  Start at Seedland (www.seedland.com) and see if anything looks like something you'd like to wake up to in the morning.  Remember, that's the first thing you see in the day when you walk out of the house, before the sky!

Next time your lawn company comes by, Just Say No.  Unless they are experts in Organic lawngrowing, they can't do this.  Trust me, they will try to tell you they can.  Just Say No.

My personal opinion is that you should pick your grass this summer and sow it in fall.  Over the spring/summer, you can improve your soil and correct any problems, of which I predict there will be many.

Get a soil test.

Now, I know this sounds like a waste of time and money.  But it's the only way you have of knowing how your soil is doing.  It's like getting your soil a checkup.  You need to get an Xray, get some test results, see what's positive and what's negative, so you can fix those problems.  Get your local Virginia Cooperative Extension Service to analyze a soil sample.  It's not expensive and it will tell you a lot of things about your soil.  Great soil is the secret to great grass.

What's the pH?

How rich is your soil -- minerals and vitamins?

What is your soil made of?  Is it Clay, or is it Sand, or is it something else?

Do you have a lot of beautiful sun shining down on that quarter-acre real estate investment?  Grass needs sun.  If not, let me know, and we'll see if Shade Grass is an option.

Let me know if you need help with the soil sample analysis.  Pay attention to the directions and let me know if you have any questions.  I'll be here.