[zeiram]

Looking to renovate my lawn.. PH is good, fertilized a bit during the summer.. it's a third of an acre. The grass is patchy and in rough shape..

Was looking to use a sod cutter on it, till it, grade it a bit, use some starter fertlizer and then seed with kentucky bluegrass..

any suggestions/recommendations?

thanks!

[HardDaysKnight]

Rent a core-aerator, not a sod cutter. DO NOT roto-till!
Aerate the area, broadcast seed and starter fertilizer.
Water.

[zeiram]

Originally posted by HardDaysKnight
Rent a core-aerator, not a sod cutter. DO NOT roto-till!
Aerate the area, broadcast seed and starter fertilizer.
Water.

Hmm. Done some serious thinking. I live in CT and it's almost Oct. I think I might change my approach.. lemme know what you think:

1. (This weekend) Hit the lawn with a non-selective herbicide... Buy a pair of aerating shoes and walk around the yard to try and uncompact the soil.

2. Wait until early spring.. Walk around the yard with the aerating shoes and then hit the lawn again with the non-selective herbicide. Wait 10 days.

3. Rent a slit-seeder, seed, apply starter fertilizer and water like mad.

Whatcha think?

[HardDaysKnight]

Originally posted by zeiram
Hmm. Done some serious thinking. I live in CT and it's almost Oct. I think I might change my approach.. lemme know what you think:

1. (This weekend) Hit the lawn with a non-selective herbicide... Buy a pair of aerating shoes and walk around the yard to try and uncompact the soil.

2. Wait until early spring.. Walk around the yard with the aerating shoes and then hit the lawn again with the non-selective herbicide. Wait 10 days.

3. Rent a slit-seeder, seed, apply starter fertilizer and water like mad.

Whatcha think?

?

Rent a core-aerator, not a sod cutter. DO NOT roto-till!Aerate the area, broadcast seed and starter fertilizer.
Water.

I thought you did some serious thinking.

[Nebraska]

14,500 SF is a lot of walking with those shoes!

Why not look at hiring a professional lawn maintenance company?

[Hamons]

i have seen it to often homeowners wasting there money seeding every year -- just pay a pro a few hundred dollars and you'll have a perfect lawn that will last for years.

but... to do it yourself.

1) Spray with glyphosate atmaxium labeled rate

24 hours later

2) verticut
3) Mow at lowest setting and bag clippings
4) aerate to the point of destruction
5) seed at 50% rate
6) verticut again
7) seed at 50% rate
8) fertilize
9) you'll be mowing in 3 -4 weeks
10) fertilize again with 1# all mineral high notrogen fertilizer

Watering Schedule

Weeks 1 and 2 --- 3x day --- 15 minutes
Weeks 3 and 4 --- 1x day --- 30 minutes
Weeks 4 and 5 --- every other day --- 30 minutes
Weeks 6 and 7 --- 2x week -------------- 45 minutes
Week 8 and on ---- 1x week ------------- 1"

[zeiram]

To be honest, I haven't got landscaping estimates. I figure my costs would be around 50 bucks for herbicide, 150 bucks for grass seed and 50-100 bucks to rent equipment.

I could pay a landscaping crew $300 or so to do the same? I thought it was much more expensive.

[Hamons]

Impossible to say how much it would cost in your area -- probably around $900 and up. Thats what I would charge anyways

Assusming 15K of lawn.

Hiring a pro is never cheaper -- but tit will be done right and not have to be doone again in the spring and again next fall and again and again and again.

[Nebraska]

Regional differences are going to be a large factor in that cost.... You really have nothing to loose by just calling one or two local companies in your area. Just to find out.

We'd (at least I would) be interested in hearing your "take" on their service offering as well. It always provides a good tool for me to see what the public (those that are the end users of our services) perceives of "us".

[Hagar]

Jeff, I have been thinking of re-doing my back yard yet again this fall and your post has convinced me to hire it done. Thanks!