Question
I have just had a home built in Medina county (Northeastern Ohio) and want to plant a lawn in the fall.  I have a couple questions:

1.) What should I do this summer to keep the current weeds, misc. grass, and small brush from growing?  I don't want to use a product that will prevent grass from growing in the fall.

2.) I have heard differing views on what type of grass to plant (i.e. bluegrass, fine fescue, etc.)  Is there are a garden center that has different types of grass that I can walk on to see if I like it?  Also, what do you recommend for the Medina area?

Thanks,
Steve
[email protected]

Answer
Hi Steve,

The USDA and Nurserymen have established a system of HORTICULTURAL PLANT HARDINESS  ZONES based upon 10-year low temperature averages.  Medina county is, I believe, in zone-6.
Use only plants and grasses rated for your zone:

(near) Zip Code:   44301
Location:   AKRON, OH
Zone:   6

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You have two questions:

[01]:
ABOUT NEW LAWN PREPARATION:

Do not use fertilizers to feed the existing weeds while preparing an area for a better lawn; work to become weed-free and then go from there to have a stand of turf-grass.

You can use any commercial sprayable POST-EMERGENT HERBICIDE to efficiently eradicate the current weeds in an area being prepared for a new lawn. Chemicals containing GLYPHOSATE ('Round-up') will totally eradicate all  non-woody vegetation in areas. Chemicals like Round-up will leave bare-earth areas to seed or sod.

Woody weeds and brush will require special chemicals that target these types of plants.  Usually, chemicals that target poison-ivy work on these types of weeds.

With bare-earth prepared areas, it is an opportune time to improve the top-soil by adding anything that will do this.  It is also good time to consider installing an irrigation watering system.

The lawn and garden center should have several standard choices of weed-killing chemicals to use. For best results. Work to get things weed and vegetation free before establishing a  Named patented certified seed turf-grass hybrid.

Becoming weed-free and preping the top-soil, etc. should be a good summer project to work on until time to seed or sod.

[02]
ABOUT SELECTING A TURF-GRASS TYPE:


Zone 6 is suitable for TALL FESCUE lawns. These are frequently seeded in the months of Sept-Oct., but you can often get seed started anytime you can keep the areas well watered.  The seedlings can dry-out and die very fast with warm weather and winds, so the spring is a better time for starting cool-climate type grass seed.

Several other 'cool-climate tufted' grass-types might be also considered, but none will be as hardy and easy to grow as a Tall Fescue, IMO.

Named-patented high-performing Varieties or cultivars of Tall Fescue are "SR-8600", "Rembrandt", "Plantation", and several others with you may find locally  available at lawn and garden centers. Web-search using these names to learn more about these grass cultivars.

All the cool-climate grasses will be heat-stressed when temperatures hover above 85 F.  Where summers can be hot,..these grasses will often need to be re-seeded every fall to keep-up a dense stand. Success will depend upon the chemistry and physics of the top-soil and water availability as well as fertilizing efficiency.  If there is poor soil and moisture-holding or drainage problems, you may also use cultivars of Bermuda grass in the sunniest areas or problem areas.  It is common to use both Bermuda and Tall Fescue in zones 6-8 in this manner, since the Fescue is heat sensitive. Fescues are also somewhat shade tolerant while Bermuda is not.

Often, if you can find a fine lawn in your neighborhood or associated with a commercial business, there will be someone around you can ask about it to learn what the grass-type is.
Unfortunately, images of long-view landscaping and lawn scenes on the web and in books or magazines do not represent lawns very well, so its good to get a close-up perspective when shopping for fine turf-grasses.

These web-sites seem to have some interesting hybrids offered:

1.  http://www.turfmerchants.com/special.html

2.  Visit Turf-Seed Inc. for the Seed Selection Wizard's help:
   https://www.turf-seed.com/Home/Wizard/

Go to GOOGLE.COM and enter the
Keywords: "YOUR/LOCALE/NAME Horticulture;"  this search engine may direct you to many good lawn/garden websites for your precise geographical area.  Also, log-on to your state's Agricultural University Horticultural web-site for lawn and garden information that applies tot your locale.
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With a good fertile-loamy well draining top-soil, best quality hybrid grass type(s), 1-3 inches of water per week, plenty of sun-light, ...almost anyone can have an excellent lawn with a minimum maintenance effort.
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I Hope this has answered your question(s)!

Visit my Lawn & Gardens webpage for more Lawn and Garden Tips, Facts and Links:
http://hometown.aol.com/eilatlog/lawnol.html

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___ Jim Gibbs,
    Microbiologist/Botanist