Question
Hi Ken,

Just a quick question.  I live in the northwest part of Illinois, not far from the Mississippi.  We just bought this home last August and found grubs in the soil because raccoons were tearing up the grass to get to them.  We put down somthing to kill the grubs at that late stage.  Also, we had a horrible drought last summer and a good part of the lawn is not going to come back this spring, but in "patchy" spots.  I know that a pre-emergent herbicide is usually put down in March, so, when do we put down grass seed?  We ususally have good luck with Kentucky Blue grass in this area, so that's probably what we will use.  The grass does get a fair amount of shade also, as there are alot of trees in the yard.  Any other advice is welcome as when to put what down.  Thanks.

Answer
If you plan on sowing grass seeds this spring, then skip the pre-emergent herbicide. The herbicide will prevent grass seeds from sprouting. Ignore crabgrass for this season.

Kentucky bluegrass is fine, but not for shade. If you want to grow this grass type, then buy a preformulated bag of shade tolorant cultivars (varities) and ideally one which is mixed with red creeping fescue. Red creeping fescue looks like kentucky bluegrass and does so much better in shade.

In late spring (May) put down a grubicide (pesticide for grubs). I recommend that you find one which contain MERIT.
Merit contain .5% of the active ingredient Imidacloprid.

Grub timing is very important and must be timed to target the youngest stage of the grubs that are close to the surface.  While at or near the surface of your lawn, the grubs are easier to kill.  Grubs that are in their early or most immature stages are more vulnerable to your pesticide application than the older grub stages.
Merit applications in may, june or july will have the best control.  

The product wont work right away, but it will be effective against grubs in next generation. It is also the best product for protecting other earth inhabitants, such as earthworms.

Other grub insecticides may contain active ingredients such as halofenozide, Bendiocarb, Carbaryl, Diazinon or Chlorpyrifos (Sevin / Dursban). These are very toxic to insects and birds and if you instead use a product which contain Merit (Imidacloprid) then you are much better off.

The only problem with Merit is that it should be applied early (May-July) and will not work effectively until later in the year. However, the truth is that none of the grub products really work in spring.

Check the back of the lable and look for Imidacloprid (Merit).


After you sow your grass seeds, make sure you provide good soil/seed contact. This can be done by walking on the seeds or using the back of a rake to stamp down the seeds. Also a landscapers roller can be used for larger areas.

You must then keep the soil damp at all times, never allowing it to dry out until the grass is 2-3" tall, but do not keep it saturated/soaked. Frequent shallow applications of water to keep the soil surface consistently damp is the goal. Eg. water once daily to keep the surface of the soil damp. During warmer periods you may need to water twice or 3 x daily for 10-15 minutes per application.

Once the grass is 2-3" tall, then gradually transition to an INFREQUENT BUT DEEP watering pattern, such as once per week for 2 hours instead of frequent/shallow applications. This is the way to water an established (aka mature) lawn. E.g. once per week for 2 hours to give it a deep soaking but then allowing the soil to dry a bit between waterings.

The transition from frequent/shallow applications (which required during seed establishment) to infrequent and deep applications should be done gradually over a period of 1-2 weeks. Gradually start to decrease frequency but increase amount of water you apply. E.g. first you go to once per day (from 2-3 times per day) and then increase the time to 20 minutes per watering. Then to to every 2 days and later to every 3-4 days while you increase the amount of water. The ultimate goal is one watering per week for 2 hours (deep).

E.g.
use kentucky bluegrass seeds which are specially formulated for shade and/or creeping red fescue

loosen top of soil with a rake and spread heavily. Then firm down to ensure good soil seed contact.

apply a starter fertilizer at time of seeding and then water frequently but shallowly until new grass is 3-4" tall. never allow the soil surface to dry out. During hot summer days or in full sun, you may need to water more often. Soil surface can not become very dry or you kill the grass seeds.

Gradually transition to an infrequent and deep watering pattern which is recommended for mature (established) lawns.

Fertilize in spring and fall in your area. Fertilize in may, september and late october. Do not fertilize during hot summer days (never).

Apply a grubicide (merit) in may-july period. You will probably have grubs again when the mature larve hatch in early spring and the adult beetles lay more eggs. However, mature beetles can also fly in from neighbors lawns.

As mentioned: do not use pre-emergent herbicide in spring. If you use same in future years, then only use it if you have had a bad problem with crabgrass. Herbicides such as this is not good for the lawn and it forces you to put fertilizer on the lawns at the wrong time. Instead keep your lawn nice and thick by watering infrequently and deeply (established lawns only), mow frequently and mow high (2.5-3.5") and fertilize in late spring, early fall and late fall. Doing above, you can avoid herbicides in early spring. I really do not recommend same.

-- Kenneth