Question
Hello,

It's getting to be springtime again, and I'm not very satisfied with my lawn.  There are significant portions which are crabgrass, and the remainder is no very attractive.  I would like to try ripping everything out, and starting over, but I'm not sure how I should do this.  Initially I want to try this on a small patch (5'x5' or so) and then maybe get serious about it next spring.

What is the procedure that I need to follow to get the best results?  What grass should I choose (Some parts are medium shade, others very sunny)?  How long do you think before I can expect results?

Thank you very much,
Jim  

Answer
Hi Jim,

If your lawn and grass-type are more than 15 years old, then you can probably benefit from a major renovation and grass-type 'up-grading' to have one of the new high-tech hybrids make things easier for you. More about this below (please forgive any repetition to get this collection of articles to you asap).

Given the basics of climate, grass-type, enough sun, good soil and water, all common turf grasses are easy to grow.  Add some extra water and an occasional nitrate fertilizing event and some TLC and all common turf grasses are VERY EASY to grow.  So, if you have been having long-term lawn appearance problems, then most likely you do not have the basics well established for an optimized greens-keeping scenario.  There are more than twenty popular grass types and they do vary in the particular needs, but most are easy to grow with basics provided.  All grasses like lots of sun-light and will need about 1-3 inches of water per week to do OK.

If you do have 'medium shade' areas, I suggest you try a shade tolerant grass-type for these areas like 'Rembrandt' or 'Plantation' Fescue.  If these turf-grass cultivars will not fare well in your lot's shady areas, you should consider alternative shade-garden landscaping scenarios where you have shade and have sun-loving grasses elsewhere.  It is getting more common these days to mix grass types where there are light variations on a lot.
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There are now more than 20 common turf-grass types in the USA and these each have many hybrid and sometimes patented 'cultivars'. In general, turf-grasses are of two main types: those for cool northern climates, and those for the south and mid-west.  In some zones you can mix types. Below here are some links for information about mail-order grass-seed.  Your local seed suppliers may also carry some of these popular cultivars to sell by the ounce or pound.


Only Use plants and grasses rated for your climate-zone.
HORT ZONES from ZIP CODES:
http://www.arborday.org/trees/whatzone.html

I recommend for a warm-climate zone (Zones 7-10) Bermuda grass (Zones 9-12: St. Augustine). And for all other cool-climate zones, Tall Fescue is hard to beat.  However, you should choose a grass-type you yourself can live with.  If you see a lawn in your neighborhood that appeals to you, stop and ask somewhat what grass-type it is.

You can 'prep' the top-soil, get things weed free, and spread some seed.  In a matter of a few weeks you can have a new and up-graded lawn. In your case, you may need a week or so to eradicate all the old vegetation before doing the up-grade procedures. More about this below:
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Use a broad-spectrum herbicide like Monsanto's ROUND-UP to spray-kill all existing vegetation. Once all the old vegetation is brown-dead, it can usually be easily raked-up and disposed-of leaving a relatively bare earth area to start work on.


SEEDING PREP
Prepare the areas to be seeded by making the top-soil more friable and less compacted so that the seedlings can send their roots into the soil more easily. Do a test-kit soil test and/or work to improve the top-soil if necessary;... having a good soil can make the greens-keeping much easier and predictable.

IMPROVE SOIL by top dressing and/or working in  SOIL AMENDMENTS: high quality top soils (from your local suppliers), compost (commercial or home made), humus-organic matter/manures/peat-moss, and sand or Kaolin/clay (if there are drainage problems). You can do this to bare lawn areas easily.  Where lawn areas continually seem to suffer from poor soil quality, partial or total renovation may be in order. Roto-tilling amendments into the existing top soil is an excellent way to prep an area for seeding grasses or laying sod. The old grass may need to be eradicated before re-seeding or "up-grading" to a more care-free hybrid.
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Broadcast the seed to obtain the desired density, keep well watered; one warm-windy day may cause heavy losses which is why seeding cool-climate grasses is most often done in the fall.  You may have to water several times a day at this time of year.  Do not over water; this may cause "damping-off" fungus disease.
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MORE ABOUT SEED:

In the USA, grass seed for commercial retail sale is usually "CERTIFIED" seed.  This means it has been quality tested by a seed lab for contaminants/noxious weeds, purity of type and germination.  Purchasing such seed is recommended, and in some areas to market non-tested agricultural products is illegal.

For best results with seeding, prep the top soil area, improve the soil if needed and broadcast seed into a loose granular easy to take root base.  Do not seed areas too large to keep well monitored and hydrated.

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Most older established lawns would benefit from an "up-grade" of grass type or hybrid-cultivar selection.
In just the past few years, the turf-grass breeders and genetic scientists have developed many new varieties that greatly out-perform the old-stock standards of a decade ago.  The new hybrids will be hardier, more disease and drought resistant, better textured and will generally be less work.
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Lawn turf grass-type preference is a very personal matter and you are essentially limited by climate, seed/sod availability and budget.  One good way to find a grass type you can live with for many years is to find a lawn in your area that you admire and ask what type of grass it is.  Web shopping for seed makes the world your market; a few links are given below.
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Again,...it is becoming more common to mix grass types.  This can be a good strategy with climates that have temperature and weather extremes. It is also a way to cover an area with a lot of sun-light availability variation.
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 ABOUT SEED SELECTION:
 Always use the best seed you can find or afford.  Quality can vary tremendously.
New, "high-tech" super hybrids are always being developed and up-graded; you have
to look for these because the usual seed suppliers and department stores will just
continue to sell the old standard best sellers (which may still be great).  Web shop for new named-certified germination tested seed varieties.  Check out your State's and Local-Academic or University, Government, Horticultural and Agricultural Extension Service Websites for genetically produced, disease and drought-resistant grasses and plants for your lawn and gardens in your particular HORTICULTURAL ZONE.

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.

Additionally,
Check out these seed shopping links:

About Grass seed/selection and a few good mail-order resources:

https://www.turf-seed.com/home/

http://www.scottscompany.com/lawncare/GrassSeed.cfm

http://www.lawngrass.com/states/

Interesting HYBRIDS:
http://www.turfmerchants.com/special.html

Bermuda Varieties:
http://grove.ufl.edu/~turf/bermvars/index.html

Shade Tolerant Southern Grasses:
http://www.shadegrass.com/info/southern.html

For Seeds, seeding products and "Straw Net" or similar) to protect seedlings:
(link to the products page)
http://www.wls.com/

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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 Tips, Facts and Links:
http://hometown.aol.com/eilatlog/lawnol.html

Your Questions and Comments are welcome at ALLEXPERTS.com
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