Question
I live in Painesville, OH. I understand that it is now time to plant grass, but you did not mention if I should tear up the exsisting hay/grass combo I have going and replant seed or if it would be better to do something else. Please help time is running out.
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Followup To

Question -
I live in a new construction community and I hired a lanscaper to put in my lawn. The first time he put it in, it was all weeds and he put the lanscaping in around may-june. He has since then tore it  out and replanted the grass last fall but he put down what we thought was straw. It turns out that he used hay and now it has taken over my grass along with crabgrass dandiloins and other unsightly weeds ( not bad but bad enough to be an eyesore). The crabgrass I know you can spray and get rid of with the weed and feed but how do I get rid of the hay? Do I need to tear my lawn  out yey again or is there a better way to get rid of the hay? Please help I want a plush green carpet of grass not hay!!
thank you for your help!!
Debbie

Answer -
Oh, boy, they really have done a number on your new lawn.

It's always something with new construction.  If it isn't the so-called "topsoil" or the so-called "grass" it's the so-called "straw".

Debbie, I NEVER recommend Weed N Feed.  Some guy on Madison Avenue dreamed up this name - there is NOTHING good about Weed N Feed.  This drives me crazy, when people fall for this stuff.  What you do is completely wreck the soil with it and all you can do after that is keep "weeding" and "feeding" with the same product over and over, until you get an attack of Fungus, at which point you have to buy their fungicides which sometimes work and sometimes don't.  Meanwhile all kinds of other side effects are taking place - dogs and cats are walking on the grass, picking up the weedkiller, children are rolling in the grass getting it on their skin, you mow it and you breathe it, you can run but you can't hide...

I guess we can forget about sod for your lawn.  But I hope you are getting your money back from these clowns you hired to grow grass.  Take pictures and tell them you want your money back.  They should not be allowed to do this kind of thing.

You did not mention your location.  Everybody has a Cooperative Extension Service in their area.  They have different services depending on the state.  In my state (New York) it's Cornell Cooperative Extension.  They can be your best friend when it comes to these kinds of problems.  The USDA website (www.csrees.usda.gov/qlinks/partners/state_partners.html) posts a map that you can just click on to find out where your Coop. Extension is.

The intelligent thing to do is too much trouble for most people.  That would involve getting a soil sample and sending it to your Coop Extension people for an analysis.  They'll give you a lot of information you don't want and need, but some of it will be really good - it will tell you what your soil is missing and what you need to add to grow perfect grass.

But most people don't do that.  So their lawn is less than perfect and is expensive and time consuming to maintain.

I'll bet you hired that so-called lawn service to do your lawn and they knew you did not know anything about grass.  Is that what happened, Debbie?

Because by the time we're done, you'll be telling them a thing or two about grass.  By which time I hope you will have cashed your refund check.

This is science, Debbie.  Clearly, they don't know nothin' 'bout grass.

So, find out where to get your soil analyzed - by your local Cooperative Extension.  I know, you've never heard of this, you've never done this, it is a very good thing to do and is very simple. Plus it may even give you information you will be able to give the judge when you sue your landscaper.

Meanwhile, pick our your favorite grass seed.  My fingers do that walking when I buy grass seed.  I like to go to Seedland.com (www.seedland.com).  It has LOTS of grass.  Most people in the Northeast buy a variety of Kentucky Bluegrass.  If you are South of the Mason Dixon, it would be warm season grass.

Then when you get your soil analysis back, tell me what they said.  We'll go over the results and the next step.

Must hurry!  It's time to plant grass.  You want to take care of this soon.

Keep in touch.  Let me know how it goes.  Stay away from Roundup and Weed N Feed.  Ignore the ads.

Answer
Yes, you are starting from scratch here, the best thing to do would be to till up the soil and remove the dead grass and debris, then plant yourself some beautiful new grass.  

The soil has to be amended or you will have soil that weeds enjoy and grass has trouble with.  But you need the results from the soil test first.  No sense in trying to grow great grass in ordinary topsoil with weed seeds.

The grass must be mowed carefully, fertilized on schedule, and cultivated with a view controlling weeds.  

Corn Gluten inhibits germination of all seeds so you cannot put it on while your new grass is hatching, but you can put it down in the spring as weeds are germinating and ruin their entire summer.  The Corn Gluten will break down into high Nitrogen slow release fertilizer all summer and your grass will be healthy and strong.