So, I've been doing a lot of research about when to throw down grass seeds and which type of grass to use in my climate zone (Zone 6b or 7a). So far I've come up with bermuda turf grass. It seems to be pretty low maintenance.
The only problem is where do I begin? I feel like my entire lawn is full of weeds. Where there aren't weeds, there are bare spots. Your help is greatly appreciated!
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bullthistle
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1152
- Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 10:26 am
- Location: North Carolina
It seems at one time cars parked on what you consider lawn so of course nothing good grew. First thing in the use roundup to kill all the weeds but make sure you get the right type. Rototill preferably off of a tractor and let it sit over the winter and use Roundup again in the spring. Buy some topsoil. Go to the place and spit between your fingers and grab some soil, if it is gritty and falls away while rubbing it between your fingers that's sandy, if it sticks together in your fingers that's clay. You want it part clay and part sand. If they have compost or manure even better but still test it then figure out how much you need for 3" cover and rototill again. Rake, add bone meal and whatever seed you want, I prefer Merion Kentucky blue.
It looks like you have some work ahead of you. First, you need to get your soil tested to see what you need to add to it so grass can even grow in it. You may need to add certain nutrients and will likely need to put down compost or even add a layer of good quality top soil. I've seen neighbors with similar situations hire a company to dig out the top layer of dirt and weeds and then replace it with new soil. The amount of chemicals you'd have to put down to get rid of the weeds would be really bad for you, your family and for the ground water and animals. Cheaper solutions include renting an aerater and aerating the soil yourself (it looks very compacted), have compost delivered and spread it yourself and then overseed. Don't even think about overseeding without addressing your soil problems first since it will just be a waste of money.