Question
Hi.I am also on Allexperts for perennials and bulbs.I live in Murray Kentucky(zone 6).Don't know a whole lot about grass however,except that I don't like mowing it.HA!
Anyway,I am a gardener at a small estate where I started working exclusively last year.The "grass man"is actually just the mowing man I guess so I wanted an expert opinion on the lawn.There is a large square area in the cottage garden area that used to be a bed of Peonies and very neglected roses.I took everything out of the bed and transplanted them to different areas of the garden,but what I am left with is a square area in the lawn that is just full of stubborn lawn weeds and an occasionally Peony that's root I missed and no grass that I can determine.We want this to be part of the lawn and the homeowners have already bought the seed,which I forget what it is.The rest of the lawn is OK I guess.It isn't maintained by the mower man,except mowed of course,if you know what I mean.I am the only one that has tried to control some of the lawn weeds because I am sorry to say a perfectionist and can't stand weeds of any kind.I spray every now and again with a lawn weed control liquid. But,I didn't know whether to wait til Spring to break up the area before sewing or as my husband suggests,to do it now while the ground is frozen and he says it will germinate in early Spring when the ground thaws.Which sounds good and would be much less work,but I don't know if it's a good idea to sew grass seed over weeds that are still there.Dormant weeds,of course,but still very much alive.
Will the grass smother these out when it gets up,or is this a no brainer and I should wait til Spring?Thanks!

Answer
Was this the one you were looking for ?
Kenneth

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Grass seeds germinate when soil temperatures near 70 deg F. Grass in zone6 is better grown in moderate to cool conditions after germination wherefore late summer sowing is ideal.

Sowing grass seeds in late august/early september will result in quick germination due to high soil temperatures. shortly after the young grass plants get to grow in cool temperatures of fall.

Next best time is late may/early june. grass will germinate slightly slower and uneven, but you should still get good results. just be after the grass with more frequent waterings once the grass grows during it's first summer. e.g. instead of once per week, try 2-3 times per week during first summer.

You need to eradicate weeds before sowing. I suggest using round-up in early spring after the weeds "green-up". Using round-up on dormant weeds/peonies will have no effect.

Then rake out dead weeds 7-10 days later and rake smooth. Spread grass seeds and keep the seedbed slightly moist, but not soaked until germination. grass seeds need constant even moisture to germinate. Once grass germinate, slowly increase the time between watering from frequent,shallow applications to infrequent, but deep applications (such as once weekly for 2 hours rather than daily and 15 minutes). If sowing grass in spring, water more often during first hot summer.

Weeds comes in 3 primary groups:
- annual weeds (grabgrass). use pre-emergent herbicides (grabgrass killers, like Scott's with Halts) in early spring (early April). apply to dry lawn and water in.
- broadleaf perennial weeds (dandelions,clover, etc). Apply in late spring or early fall to an ESTABLISHED LAWN. (e.g. 3 or more months old). Apply to a moist lawn and leave product on leaves for 24-48 hours (use direction on lable)
- perennial broadleaf weeds which are difficult to erdicate (wild strawberry, violets, etc). Apply round-up. It will kill weeds and grass, and reseeding may be required.

NEVER USE WEED KILLIERS WHEN TEMPERATURES ARE ABOVE 85 DEG f. avoid application on a windy day (can drift to perennials). Always wear protective clothing.

I do not recommend dormant seeding (e.g. winter sowing). results are poor. Instead, eradicate weeds with round-up (non-selective herbicide) and 7-10 days later sow seeds in late may or early september.

Good luck.