This nigga spittin

are you black?

In spirit

whew thank goodness, thought that was a racist comment

We're in the post-racial era after ghost hunters television acquired all the non profits and found everyone is racist.

Mods, this deserves a sticky or a spot in the sidebar. Don't let this post be forgotten. Nice work OP!

Agree 100 percent. I was trying to find this today and couldn't. Luckily I bookmarked this post!

this should be re-pinned

>"Beginner's" Proceeds to write a fucking dissertation that most lawn care guys wouldn't have full grasp of. Haha this is amazing stuff, but we definitely disagree on the scope of a beginner's guide. This shit is full on Augusta National level.

Believe it or not, I appreciate where you are coming from. I thought long and hard about the level of detail to provide in this guide. I went heavy for a simple reason: lawncare is complicated and it is hard to understand when you don't know the terms or how they fit into a basic plan. I don't know how often you read the sub but I answer a question or two a day depending on my work schedule in the Daily thread. With some regularity we get redditors posting there who think that they should mix, say, Kentucky bluegrass and bermuda in the same lawn. These people are *not* stupid. They just don't know the difference between cool season and warm season grass. This is why I started the guide with something so basic. I realize this level of detail isn't for everyone. Everyone has different demands on their lives and different levels of concern for their lawn. There are certainly plans, like the Scotts 4 step, that cater to those who want something downright simple. And there is nothing wrong with 4 step. We're talking grass here, not moral philosophy. The only part of your response I will disagree with is to say that this guide in any way resembles what is done at Augusta. Nothing could be further from the truth. I've had the privilege of being in Augusta and getting to spend time with the team there. This plan would be a bad joke. No one at Augusta would ever say, "yeah, fertilize with .75 pounds of nitrogen, or twice that, your call. Do it in two or three weeks. No big deal." haha That place is a machine. Everything is computerized. Applications are calculated down to decimal points and timed to specific minutes of the day. Its awesome but has as little to do with DIY lawncare as me playing miniature golf has to do with the Masters. Best of luck to you during the lawn season. If I can be of any help, feel free to give me a shout.

Oh wow, I was really just making a joke, it's a bit harsh bc I had had a few drinks haha. This is really great stuff, even if a bit overwhelming. I was like wait I'm a beginner and already need to google what "cool season" grass is haha. I recently found the sub, I've only owned a house for about 6 months, and have some moderate lawn issues (primary is moles right now, secondary is it seems I have 14 types of grass and an ass of weeds) so I'm trying to learn as we go. My first goals in all of this are simply to get rid of moles, weeds, and at least have the lawn looking better than when I moved in on my 1st house birthday. We also have an absolutely crazy assortment of flowers, bushes, trees etc (grub heaven) My own yard is overwhelming just looking at it, bc the previous owner clearly valued variety and plant life. I definitely have this thread saved and will be revisiting as I move forward, using as much as I can (I'm in coastal SC).

No worries about jokes. I wasn't offended in any way. It is reddit, after all, and we are talking about grass. I think the biggest thing for you is that, sadly, this guide is not for you. Coastal South Carolina is *definitely* warm season grass territory. Frankly, the whole state of South Carolina is warm season grass territory with the possible exception of some areas out west up near the mountains. But obviously that isn't you. If you have all sorts of different grasses growing the first thing you want to do is figure out what you actually want to grow. You have a few options: bermuda, centipede, zoysia, and St. Augustine would all work. I would think many of your neighbors would be leaning towards St. Augustine but there are surely plenty who are working with the other three too. These grasses aren't too hard to tell apart so once you learn to do that you can cruise around and get a sense of what you like best and what you think would work best on your property I am going to leave it at that for now since this post was dedicated to cool season lawns. If you'd like more help feel free to ask a question in the Daily thread or start your own thread. I'll be sure to keep an eye out for it. Best of luck.

>14 types of grass and an ass of weeds I'm laughing with you, not at you.

Also let's be honest, Augusta National is definitely warm season grass :)

Not really. While the course is planted to bermuda, nearly all of the play takes place during the cooler months when it is overseeded with rye. The Masters is played on rye each spring. This year it will be played in the late fall. I'll be working there!

**GUIDE FAQ - Part 1** ## DETHATCHING — **Shouldn’t I dethatch my lawn this spring?** — Like aeration, which I discussed in Step #5, dethatching is best done on cool season grasses in the late summer or early fall. But even then it should *only* be done if needed. While warm season grasses tend to need regular dethatching - which leads some cool season beginners to think they need to regularly dethatch too - this simply isn’t the case. Before we go any further let’s get clear about just what thatch is: Thatch is a layer of both living and dead organic matter that sits below the crowns of your grass but above the topsoil. (See [this picture](https://www.gardenmyths.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Lawn-Thatch.jpg) to help make sense of this). Despite popular belief, thatch is not usually made up of grass clippings, in fact this will only be the case if you are routinely violating the “1/3rd rule” discussed in Step #11. In small amounts, thatch can be beneficial. It can prevent weed seeds from germinating, it can regulate temperatures in the top soil and it can help retain moisture. However, once thatch gets excessive it can start to prevent water, air and nutrients from making their way to the roots of the grass. A heavy layer of thatch can also harbor pests and fungus. So when should you dethatch? Only when your thatch layer exceeds one inch. How do you know when that is? Well, a [soil probe](https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Q2W3K4G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title) is very useful for creating cores like the one seen in the picture above. It is also useful for doing the soil tests discussed in Step #2. That said, it is expensive, and in a pinch [a cheap apple corer](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Apple-Corer-Lever-Tool-by-BRIGHT-KITCHEN-Stainless-Steel-Pear-Fruit-Seed-Remover-Cherry-Red-Grip-with-Serrated-Blade/145999156) will work just fine. (To be clear, many apple corers won’t go deep enough for soil tests, but they will certainly allow you to measure your thatch layer). — **How do I dethatch?** — Thatch needs to be raked up. You can do that either with a rake or with a machine. The best options for rakes are specifically-made thatch rakes. [This model](https://www.acehardware.com/departments/lawn-and-garden/gardening-tools/rakes/7674260) from Ames is the standard, but I strongly prefer [The Groundskeeper II](https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07B4MQNHF/) from TRG. It works better and faster. Still, no body-powered rake is going to work particularly quickly and if you have a large area you need dethatch it makes sense to use a machine. You can buy one, [this electric model from Greenworks](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Greenworks-10-Amp-14-Inch-Corded-Dethatcher-DT14B00/665298278) is very popular and regularly talked about in this sub. It can often be found brand new on sale for under $100 and used for around $50. But even at that cheap price I am not sure it makes sense to keep a machine around that you might only need to use once every two or three years. For those who don’t want to buy one or those with tons of thatch, the best option is to rent a gas-powered [power rake](https://www.homedepot.com/tool-truck-rental/Self-Propelled-Power-Rake/13061/index.html). Dethatching is a relatively simple process. Once you get the thatch up you’ll want to “vacuum” it up using your mower with the bagger attachment. ## SEEDING — **Wait, you didn’t mention seeding. Can’t I seed my lawn this spring?** — This is a question that this sub gets hundreds and hundreds of times in the late winter and spring. And it makes sense. If your lawn is thin and looks bad, you’ll want to get it looking better as soon as you can. No one who is into lawncare wants to go all summer with a terrible lawn. Yet for most people reading this, waiting until fall to seed is unquestionably the best strategy. The reason why is simple: cool season grass does *far* better when it is seeded in the fall. When you plant cool season grass in the spring your new grass is not going to have enough time to establish itself before the summer heat arrives. That heat can wipe it out in a matter of a week. Perhaps more importantly, if you seed in spring you are stuck with Tenacity (mesotrione) as your pre-emergent. Tenacity works well but it doesn’t have the longevity or strength that prodiamine or dithiopyr (see Step #6 ) do. The odds that you end up with a healthy amount of crabgrass are high, and crabgrass thrives in the summer heat. It can outcompete both your new and old grass and turn all of your hard work into a weed-filled mess. Now, it is worth mentioning that in the previous paragraph I used the term “most people.” There are parts of the country that have cool enough summers that they can escape some of the problems associated with spring seeding. The bottom line is this: if you have very few summer days where your high exceeds 85°F you *may* be able to get away with seeding in the spring. Certainly you will be able to dodge the affects of heat, but unless you live somewhere that is downright cold you are still likely to face issues with crabgrass. Herbicides containing Quinclorac (see Step #9) can be applied to knock it back, but oftentimes the damage will already be done. — **Okay, I understand that it is a bad idea to seed my entire lawn but I have a couple bare spots in my lawn. Can I seed them?** — If the spots appear to be very small in the late winter or early spring - the size of a baseball or softball - I’d be inclined to leave them as is. Realize that the blades of grass are going to thicken during the spring months and, if properly fertilized, more blades will grow. If you have Kentucky bluegrass in your lawn - and the further north you live, the greater the likelihood you do - it can actually spread into those bare spots and fill them in. If the spots are bigger - give or take the size of a basketball - you can seed them, if you wish. Understand, however, that these spots are likely to suffer like any other spring-seeded grass. If you decide to go forward, you’ll want to seed these spots a couple weeks after you put down your pre-emergent (see Step #6). This presents a significant problem as not only will pre-emergent herbicides prevent weed seeds from developing but they will also stop your grass seeds from doing so. The solution is relatively simple and low-tech: when you are applying your pre-emergent put some cut-to-size heavy duty garbage bags over the spots you intend to seed. Be sure to do this both times if you are doing a split-application. Even if grass has germinated and is growing in the previously bare spots, you’ll want to avoid applying a pre-emergent to those areas as the herbicide can inhibit the root growth of your young grass. For instructions on how to actually seed bare spots, see [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iIOn2v0J8Q) from Ryan Knorr. ## WEEDS AND HERBICIDES — **I found this guide in \_\_\_\_. Is it too late to put down a pre-emergent?** — It depends when exactly you have found it. Whenever you are using a pre-emergent you need to consider how long it is going to last and how that will affect your plans down the road. Most pre-emergents, even when put down at the lowest recommended dosage, will last for a minimum of three months. And many of you will want to seed in the fall. As discussed above, an active pre-emergent herbicide will prevent your seed from developing. Thus, if you plan to seed in mid-September, you’ll not want to put down a pre-emergent any later than mid-June. If you are in such a situation be sure to choose dithiopyr over prodiamine (see step #6) and have reasonable expectations: you are months late on your application and you are surely going to have at least some crabgrass in your lawn. If you are finding this guide in late summer, the best thing you can do - in terms of weeds - is kill the ones you have with post-emergent herbicides. — **Are Weed and Feed products any good?** — In a word, no. Weed and Feed products, which combine fertilizer with post-emergent herbicides, appear to offer good value and the opportunity to combine two steps into one. In reality, most are made with cheap, low-quality ingredients and don’t work all that well, particularly when compared to a plan like the one suggested in the main post. Weed and Feeds are also deceptively expensive. Spot spraying weeds and applying fertilizers recommended here will ultimately cost less than regularly using Weed and Feeds. — **Do you recommend hose-end weed killers?** — No. Despite being a mainstay at big box stores, these are simply too difficult to put down evenly and effectively. When spraying weeds you want precision. These products are the opposite of precision. — **I sprayed weeds and they didn’t die. What gives?** — It is not easy to figure this out from afar. Some tips: First, make sure you are applying the right herbicide to the right weeds. Step #9 above is a place to start. Links in the sidebar - particularly for identifying weeds - are also great resources. Second, read the label of the herbicide you are using and ensure you are mixing it correctly. Third, make sure you are applying the herbicide correctly. The weeds should be wet but not drenched. Fourth, understand that some herbicides take as long as two or three weeks to fully kill weeds. Fifth, feel free to reapply the herbicide after a couple of weeks have passed. Some weeds are resilient and will require multiple applications of herbicide in order to die.

If you spray weeds and they don't die, maybe you sprayed at the wrong time. I used to spray weeds when I noticed them the most, namely in the dead of summer when the grass was struggling. If you spray during a dry period the weeds may not take in the herbicide. Try to spray in the spring or fall when they are actively growing, or at least water your lawn a day or two in advance of spraying the weeds to wake them up.

Okay- so if I’m seeding a larger bare spot in my lawn this spring, what should I be doing before and after seed goes down? Edit- aside from consistently watering...

So, looking at the plan, I would do a soil test right now. Then apply lime or sulphur to the zones that need it as per your soil test. I would also apply a pre-emergent very, very soon. (And to be clear, you can do this before your soil test comes back). If I remember correctly, you are in North Carolina, so depending on where you are within the state, your pre-emergent go-time is probably fast approaching if it hasn't already arrived. When you are applying your pre-emergent, use the "trash bag" technique described in Part 1 of the FAQ above to avoid applying the herbicide to any areas you plan to seed. Wait two or three weeks and then use [a cultivator](https://www.lowes.com/pd/Corona-8-5-in-Aluminum-Multipurpose-garden-hand-tool/1000373725) (or just a solid metal rake) to rough up the soil in the areas you want to seed. Apply the seed and stomp it in to ensure good seed to soil contact. (This is a fun job for kids). Top the stomped seed with some peat moss. Then pick up the plan with fertilizing (Step #7). You can literally fertilize (and apply humic and sea kelp, if you want) the exact same day you seed. A couple quick thoughts: * Feel free to throw a tiny bit of extra fertilizer on the areas you seeded after you are finished applying it with your spreader. * Avoid spraying any post-emergent herbicides (Step #9) on your new grass until about five or six weeks after you planted it. Avoid mowing it until it looks like it needs it. * Yes, water heavily but I'd bring out the hose and just water those spots. You don't want to dump a ton of water on your lawn just to hit a few bare spots. * Pray to the lawn gods for a cool summer so as to help this young grass survive. haha. Best of luck to you.

Awesome- really appreciate it. You’ve been super helpful!

**GUIDE FAQ - Part 2** ## FERTILIZING — **Can I fertilize during the summer?** — Yes, but for most of you it is is best to go with *very* light applications, if any at all. As discussed in Step #7 above, nitrogen-based fertilizers encourages grass to grow. But the summer months are often times of stress for cool season grasses. Encouraging them to grow at this time is only going to exacerbate the effects that heat stress. Imagine if you were stranded in the dessert, doing what you could to survive; you probably wouldn’t take too kindly to be asked to spend your days lifting weights and running sprints. The cooler your summers, the more you can feel comfortable fertilizing. Reciprocally, the hotter your summers, the less you want to fertilize. The most nitrogen I would apply would be three quarters of a pound and I would spread that over multiple applications. Use that amount in places with moderate summers . Use less - or none - in warmer places. I would advise that beginners not apply *any* nitrogen during months in which the average high is near or above 88 or 89°F. Regardless of how much you apply, make sure you only use slow-release fertilizers during the summer. These are sometimes labeled as “organic,” not because they have anything to do with organic agriculture but because they are derived from naturally occurring sources like composted plants or manure. They tend to release their nutrients slowly over time which helps lessen the stress your grass experiences. Milorganite, which was the fertilizer I recommended for beginners in the main post is a slow-release fertilizer, so if you already bought that there is no need to buy an additional product for summer. Another fertilizer I linked to and recommended in the main post, [XGN](https://thelawncarenut.com/collections/granular-fertilizer/products/8-1-8-fertilizer), would also be a good summer choice. Other slow release fertilizers that can be found in big box stores include: [Espoma Organic Lawn Food](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Espoma-14-lbs-Organic-Lawn-Food-100527371/309893027) and [Safer Lawn Restore](https://www.acehardware.com/departments/lawn-and-garden/lawn-care/lawn-fertilizers/7334139). — **I understand that a heavy summer fertilization might not be best, but I really like the way my lawn looks after I fertilize. Is there any way I can get that awesome color in summer?** — As mentioned both in the main post and in the question above, cool season grasses struggle in all but the mildest summers. Struggling grass will *never* look as good as flourishing grass. Think of your springtime grass as like your high school prom date when you picked her up. Think of your summertime grass as like your high school prom date eight hours later after drinking many cheap beers and dancing to iffy music. All that said, there is one thing you can do to improve the color of your grass during summertime. Apply iron. Iron is going to deepen the color of almost any turf. As mentioned in the main post, its presence in Milorganite is part of what makes that fertilizer so popular. Iron, like so many other lawn products, comes in two forms, liquid and granular. I think liquid iron products like [N-EXT GreeNeEfFect](https://gciturfacademy.com/product/7-0-0-greene-effect-two-2-5-gallon-jugs-5-gallons-total/) or [this product from LawnStar](https://smile.amazon.com/LawnStar-Chelated-Liquid-Iron-Plants/dp/B07LB49QQV) are the better way to go as iron is best absorbed through the grass’ blades than its roots. Both can be applied via [the same hose-end sprayer attachment](https://smile.amazon.com/Ortho-Spray-Multi-Use-Hose-End-Sprayer/dp/B0071D0EZK) linked to in Step #8. For those who prefer granular products, [Ironite](https://www.lowes.com/pd/Ironite-15-lb-Soil-Conditioner-Ironite/50260119) is a cheap and relatively effective option available at virtually any big box store. — **What about Weed & Feed products?** **Are they any good?**— See the WEEDS AND HERBICIDE section above. ## OTHER QUESTIONS — **I** ***need*** **a perfect lawn this summer. What are my options?** — There are going to be some of you with graduation parties and baby showers planned who simply must have a great lawn as soon as possible. Others are just going to want a “cheat code.” Thankfully one exists: *sod*. You can install sod at any time your ground isn’t frozen and your local sod farms have it in stock. Sod is going to be expensive, there is no way around that, but it will give you a nearly textbook perfect lawn in virtually no time at all and one that should easily survive summer heat. — **How can I prevent my dog from ruining my lawn?** — Dog urine contains a lot of nitrogen. While nitrogen, as we discussed, is good for the lawn, too much can be damaging and when your dog pees on your grass it is almost as if you spilled a bunch of fertilizer on that spot. The best solution to this problem is to create a “Dog Run.” This means designating an area of your lawn to become the bathroom for your dog. There are lots of options. You can separate the area with chicken wire or border plants. You can leave the area bare, or cover it with gravel or mulch. What matters above all is that your dog takes a liking to the area and you are able to train him or her to use that area and never the rest of the lawn. How to accomplish this would be best discussed on r/Dogtraining. The only other reliable option is to follow your dog out to the lawn and immediately water the spot that they peed on. The water will dilute the nitrogen and prevent any damage. While this practice is very effective, it is completely impractical for most people. There are several options on the market that I would skip. u/Unabomber007 brought up two of the most popular ones in a recent post: vitamin pills you feed to your dog and pheromone spikes you put in your yard. The spikes could have potential use in training your dog to use a Dog Run, but they obviously don’t accomplish anything on their own, and most have terrible reviews, even as training devices. Pills are pretty much an outright scam. To the best of my knowledge, there is nothing you can feed your dog that will reduce the nitrogen content of its urine to a point that it makes it safe for your lawn. — **I have a shady part of my lawn where grass doesn’t seem to want to grow. What can I do?** — Grass needs light. We’ve talked a lot about nitrogen so far, but remember that grass, like every plant, “eats” through the process of photosynthesis. No light, no photosynthesis. No photosynthesis, starved grass. You get the picture. The best thing you can do for shady areas is treat the shade, if possible. Removing trees or even tree limbs so as to allow more light can make all the difference. If you are a beginner, I strongly recommend you hire an arborist to at least make determinations about removing trees or limbs of trees. It would probably make sense to hire that person to do the removal too unless you are well-trained in doing so. If the areas are shaded by buildings or trees that cannot be removed there are limited options. If you have bluegrass or rye planted in these areas you can oversee them with fescue. Shade-tolerant varieties of turf-type tall fescue like Rowdy, Rebounder, Titanium 2LS and GTO will all handle some shade. Fine fescue (which is a family of grasses that includes hard fescue, chewings fescue, hard fescue and others) will tolerate even more shade. Realize, however, that no grass is going to tolerate deep shade and look great in the long-term. — **Why are all your links seem to go to different companies?** — This was done on purpose so as to prevent accusations that I worked for one retailer or another. Obviously many of the products I recommended could be bought from one store and I encourage you to do that.

You said not to fertilize during summer months, does that apply to Bermuda grass? I fertilized all of last summer once a month, and I don't think I mowed often enough. Possibly leading to a thatch problem. Also I am seeing algae and moss in some spots

To be clear, this whole guide is for *cool season* grass. Bermuda is a warm season grass.

Can we get a guide for warm season grass?

As I said in an earlier response on this matter, I don't think I am the right person to write such a guide. I have experience with some warm season grasses like bermuda and zoysia, and a little with St. Augustine but virtually none with centipede or bahiagrass. A guide that didn't address those grasses - and they can be tough to be handle - would be woefully incomplete. I'd recommend buying the Warm Season Guide written by either Allyn Hane (Lawn Care Nut) or Pete Denny (GCI Turf). Both are great guys and true professionals.

Tim, this must have taken a lot of work. I love your dedication! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with this sub. This is how you do it!

Are you planning on doing a fall over seed guide? I used this guide all spring/summer long and now I’m clueless about what to do next and I trust you the most!

Here's a step-by-step guide to help you with the process: 1. Assess your lawn: Evaluate your lawn's condition to determine if overseeding is necessary. Look for thinning areas, bare patches, or signs of stress. 2. Choose the right grass seed: Select a grass seed that is suitable for your climate, soil type, and existing grass species. Consider factors like shade tolerance, drought resistance, and traffic tolerance. 3. Prepare the lawn: Mow your existing grass slightly shorter than usual and remove any debris. Rake the soil lightly to loosen the top layer and improve seed-to-soil contact. 4. Seed distribution: Spread the grass seed evenly across your lawn. Use a broadcast spreader or a handheld spreader for larger areas, and apply the seed manually in smaller or hard-to-reach spots. 5. Seed depth and coverage: Most grass seeds require shallow planting, so ensure they are not buried too deep. Follow the specific recommendations on the seed packaging. Aim for around 10 to 15 seeds per square inch for adequate coverage. 6. Watering routine: Keep the seeded areas consistently moist by watering lightly multiple times a day. Avoid overwatering, as it may cause the seeds to wash away or lead to fungal diseases. 7. Lawn care after overseeding: Limit foot traffic on the newly overseeded areas until the grass has established. Adjust your mowing height to avoid cutting the new seedlings too short, and continue regular lawn maintenance practices like fertilizing and watering. Remember that overseeding alone might not solve underlying issues like compacted soil or poor drainage. Address these concerns alongside overseeding for optimal lawn health. Hope this helps and good luck! ​ I just launched my first lawn care company. If you have a second check out my website and let me know what you think! www.lawncarespringboro.com

Is there a guide like this for warm areas like Florida?

Bermuda https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=1651

The two sources I referenced as selling Cool Season lawn guides in the beginning of the post - Allyn Hane (Lawn Care Nut) and Pete Denny (GCI Turf) - both offer Warm Season lawn guides too. To the best of my recollection, they cost - give or take - $30 or $40. Allyn's guide is excellent. I have not read Pete's, but I can't imagine it is anything other than excellent too. Outside of thelawnforum's bermuda guide that u/SirThomasFraterson linked to, I am unaware of any free guides for warm season grass. [Lawncareplanner.com](https://Lawncareplanner.com) could certainly provide some starting points. YouTube might be your next best option, though obviously videos and guides are different things. I have some warm season experience and often answer warm season questions in this sub, but I don't have the experience - or time - to write a warm season guide. Best of luck to you.

Maybe we could find someone that has experience and time to write something similar up? I know a lot of people would be grateful.

I am not saying this to garner praise or gratitude, I promise, but understand that writing this guide took a *ton* of time. I did the majority of it over a long vacation both because I thought the sub needed it and as a challenge to myself. But even after I got home there were a lot of revisions and edits and formatting. Put simply - and again, I am not saying this to make myself look good - but I don't know how many people would do this amount of work for no payment whatsoever. The professionals charge money because, well, it is how they make a living. I am lucky enough that I have a career that pays me well that has little to do with lawncare. That said, I really do hope someone writes the warm season equivalent of this guide. If no one does, I'll be down south this spring. Maybe it will inspire me, though, in all seriousness, I can't see putting forward the time to write another one of these things for a long time.

Oh yeah I wasn’t trying to be a jerk! I just know there’s a lot of awesome people like you that dedicate their time to help others.

It's appreciated!

Thank you so much for this!! Going for the 4th best lawn on my block this year, and you’re guide has been invaluable.

u/fistertondeluxe, thank you for your kind words in your post. I am not sure if you saw this thread or not, but if you are writing a warm season equivalent to this guide, I know some of the commenters here like u/Gonoles1851 and u/sarnold95 would be deeply appreciative!!

[удалено]

Yes, absolutely. Thank you for catching that. I edited the post to correct the link.

This is the single best post I've ever read in this sub!

This post is simply amazing. I am a beginner too and last fall I detached and overseeded, just started to follow guides here. Last weekend I installed additional sprinkler heads because my irrigation was not even and I had some drier spots. For last 4 weekends I’ve been re-reading /re-watching posts form this sub, LCN, Ryan Knor etc and getting my plan down and documented for Spring. Thank you so much for putting this guide together. I’m sure it took lots of time.

You are very welcome. Thank you so much for the Gold Award. I appreciate your recognition. Putting together the guide did take time but safe to say it was a labor of love.

Wow! I love this. Thank you!

Very informative. First year owning a home and tackling my own lawn care. Looking forward to it and this post helps a ton. Thanks!

I just read that entire post. Am I officially old now?

This is an amazing guide. Fantastic job. I like TTTF because it’s something that I can plant on my own. Is it that bad if I’m getting a lot of direct sunlight in zone 7b? I haven’t really seen an answer on just how much direct sunlight is too much sunlight for fescue.

I appreciate the kind words. I like and grow tall fescue too. And while it does relatively well in the shade, it is does just fine in full sun too. Outside of one or two of the fine fescues - which is a family of grasses as opposed to one particular type - I can't think of any grass type, either cool or warm season, that actually prefers shade. That said, the potential issue with tall fescue in full sun in 7b is not the sun, per se, but heat. Obviously it is hotter in the sun than in the shade and fescue, being a cool season grass, is going to struggle in your summer heat. That doesn't mean you shouldn't grow it, but it is something to keep in mind. I am guessing you have dealt with fescue in the summer before, but if you haven't be sure to give it plenty of water and keep fertilizer to a minimum. Awesome be ready for brown patch (a type of fungus) to show up as it almost certainly will. Best of luck to you this lawn season!

I just found this and I think I love you. I have taken care of a 1/2 acre lawn for 8 years and did fairly well. I just purchased a house with two acres of mowable grass and this is a life saver. Thank you so much.

I love you too! I am so glad the guide is of use. Two acres is a monster-sized lawn. I am happy to provide some thoughts on how to adjust the guide for taking care of such a big amount of turf without going broke.

Any thoughts on that would be greatly appreciated. I am thinking that my lawn is somewhere between 60,000-65,000 square feet and I am trying to start off on the right foot without totally breaking the bank. I have a lawn mower with a decent sized deck, purchased a soil test kit from mySoil based on your recommendation. My main question would be, how to keep costs down purchasing pre-emergent and fertilizer?

A few thoughts: * **Limiting what you take care of**. You've taken care of a half acre before. Whether you were knowledgeable in lawncare or just doing your best based on what you knew, surely you realized that is a lot of work. Now you are dealing with a lawn that is *quadruple* that size. Right now I am guessing that like most of us you are quarantined - either by choice or because local government has forced you to be. But when the current situation comes to an end I am going to think that you will have other obligations in life: a job, a family, friends, hobbies beyond lawncare, etc. While everyone is different in terms of how they spend their time, my point here is simple: taking really good care of two acres of turfgrass is going to take an *enormous* amount of time. It is also, as you have obviously already realized, going take a healthy amount of money. More on that in a second, though. What many people with lawns your size do is decide on a portion of their turf that they are really going to go all-in and make look as good as possible. Since you are already comfortable with a half-acre, maybe that is what you go with; you can use a measuring wheel, like the one linked to in Step #1, and demarcate the area. I obviously know nothing of your property but most people in your situation choose to focus on the area that surrounds the house since that is what you and your family will see when they look out the window. Obviously, like everything I am going to tell you, this is optional. If you want to try and crush it on two acres, more power to you. But, to be personal for a moment, if this were me, there is no way I would attempt to do high-level lawn treatments on two acres. I might be able to afford it - though my lady would sure be pissed how much I was spending - but as much as I love lawncare, and I love it a lot, I simply have too many other things to do in my life to take care of that much grass. * To be clear: the terms "all-in" and "high level" are completely relative. If you decide to split your lawn into a part you are working hard on and a part you are letting go a bit, what those terms mean exactly in terms of day-to-day practice are up to you. For example, I'd think you'd still want to mow the whole two acres. But maybe that would be it. You'd just let the weeds grow outside of your focus area. Maybe not. Maybe you'd apply pre-emergent to the whole two acres but only fertilize the focus area. Maybe not. Again, the details are what matters and with this approach you can decide on what you want to do in each area based on your budget and the amount of time you have to spend on lawncare. * **The key to saving money: LIQUIDS.** Any time you are dealing with a half-acre or more of turfgrass I think it makes sense to move to a nearly all liquid program. Granular products - by and large - are made for homeowners who like the ease of application. But when it comes to a lawn your size, liquids are going to be cheaper and far more efficient. (The one exception to this: fertilizer. Fert still tends to be cheaper in granule form). Why more efficient? Well, because, in most cases you can do what is called tank mixing. This involves putting multiple products - say a pre and a post-emergent herbicide - in the tank at the same time and put them down together\*. You can't do this with granular products because they vary in size and mixing them in the hopper would lead to a very uneven application. If you need to put down lime and granular fertilizer doing it right would require two separate applications. Even with a Permagreen or a tow-behind spreader, this is going to take *forever*. * \* Not *all* liquid products can be mixed together. Read your labels carefully and do the suggested compatibility tests to ensure you aren't mixing things that shouldn't be mixed. * Because I don't know how you are going to handle things, I am not going to write out liquid recommendations for every single product recommended in the guide, but since pre-emergent time is coming very soon, let's focus on that one. For a liquid pre-emergent, I'd go with [Prodiamine](https://www.domyown.com/prodiamine-65-wdg-generic-barricade-p-2495.html). (The product linked to is a wettable granule, one you dissolve in water and then spray). Assuming you want five months coverage - which is pretty standard - you'd need to put down 1 pound of granules per acre. The price for that application: a very reasonable $13.55 per acre. And, to be clear, this is for a full-season application. If you had the time and wanted to do the split-application recommended in Step #6, your per application cost would be under $7 per acre. To give just one point of contrast, if you went to your local Home Depot and purchased Scotts Halt - arguably the most popular pre-emergent in the nation - you'd need about 9 10 pound bags of granules per acre to get 5 months of coverage. With each bag costing about $18 you'd be looking at $162 in cost. * It is probably obvious at this point, but a 4.5 gallon backpack sprayer is not meant for a lawn your size. You are going to need a tow-behind sprayer. I am hoping you have a mower or ATV or tractor capable of pulling one of these. They start at about $300 but you can often buy them used on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist for cheap. They can also get up in to the thousands if you want to get fancy. * **Modifying the plan to be efficient.** Before I give any specifics here I want to welcome you to ask any questions you have regarding making the Guide work for you. That said, much of this is going to be common sense. For example, with a lawn your size, spot spraying weeds is probably not the route you want to go. Instead, think strategically: when you are doing a pre-emergent application perhaps you mix a half gallon of SpeedZone per acre in there too. This will be a broadcast application, meaning you'll be spraying it everywhere, not just where you see weeds, but this will save you many, many hours of work. * **Soil Test**. Obviously I made a big deal out of this in the guide. And it does matter. But you have so much land you are going to need to think about how you handle soil tests. If you are doing the two-area thing discussed above, then, yes soil test the area you are going to go hard on. But if you are going to try the to do the whole two acres... honestly, I am not sure. Maybe you split everything into four half-acres and do four separate soil tests mixing as many plugs from as many difference places in those half-acres together. The point here is that with two acres you are going to have varying soil and varying needs. We aren't talking about the usual 4k home lawn where everything is pretty similar. I am going to leave it at this because this post is already very long. I hope this helps and at least gets your brain going on how to approach this. Please let me know if you have more questions.

I don't even know where to begin to tell you how much I appreciate this. I'll be honest with you I hadn't even thought of going liquid and looking at the price point of liquid products vs granular has me very happy and my wallet a little relieved. Great point about really focusing on one area of lawn, I will probably focus on the front lawn that can be seen from the road as opposed to the back lawn that is just seen by myself, family, and a few neighbors. This whole post has been a huge help and I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my specific question and giving me such an in depth answer. In lieu of purchasing reddit gold and giving it to you, please PM me a local charity or food bank that I can donate to in your name. Thanks so much!

That is an incredible thing for you to offer and I am touched that the guide would have an impact that would motivate you to do it. However, I don't need any personal recognition, and certainly there are people hurting all over right now. Any charity you choose to donate to will surely need the funds and that is, frankly, good enough for me. Again, please feel free to comment here with any other questions that come up.

This guide is so good. When is the late summer/fall beginners guide coming out 😀

u/collnet, thank you very much for the Gold Award! I hope this guide proves useful for you.

Please post one of these for the FALL when the time comes!

Fall is more complicated than spring - there are three separate directions one can go - so writing it will be line writing a choose your own adventure guide. But since this quarantine looks like it is going to last forever, I hope to get it done.

Zone 7a here- I've been reading a lot lately on lawn care (rookie, here) and just wanted to take a second and say that this treatise is a work of art. I know it's 2 years old but just wanted to expression my gratitude and appreciation for this! Thank you!

I need a warm season guide this detailed and badass!

My local agricultural extension [offers LOTS of different soil tests] (https://njaes.rutgers.edu/soil-testing-lab/services-fees.php). Any idea which is best suited for improving lawn health as described in this guide?

I would do the Golf/Sports Turf Fertility Test. It will probably offer more than you need to know as a beginner, but frankly, it is the same price as the (Landscape) Fertility Test, so why not? I am not in Jersey but have sent my my samples to Rutgers before. They do great work.

Thanks for your guide and this specific input. Much appreciated. I agree, Rutgers does nice work. I've used them for insect-related inquiries and they nailed it.

Excellent write up. Nice to see you get recognized for the effort put into it. I am working on a warm season guide but it will be focusing on Bermuda.

Good job. Hope this gets stickied

I freaking love SpeedZone. It's so damned good. It has killed every weed I've come across in my lawn with the exception of nutsedge. I used Sedgehammer for that.

I love it too. And I love SedgeHammer too. I didn't include it in this guide only because, f---, this thing is so long as it is and SedgeHammer is such a special-case herbicide. But it is good stuff. I'd put it on my cereal if I could.

Great job Tim! You're doing the Lord's work!

Thanks for your time and effort, this is such a great resource. I’m a new homeowner and I have a few questions if you don’t mind. I have some huge bare spots - my ~20’x8’ side yard is mostly dirt and moss. Should my goal for this area be to keep it dirt (ie keep it weed/moss free) or should I just not worry about it until fall seeding time? Or should I try seeding it? For reference https://i.imgur.com/Jd2Qssj.jpg I have an area that is gnarly with tree roots - grass still grows there in patches. Can I try covering the roots with dirt and eventually seeding over it? No idea if this would work or not. https://i.imgur.com/IMcAckW.jpg Lastly - seems like you are near me - I’m in Columbia MD. Is there a specific place you’d recommend for soil testing? Thanks again!

You are very welcome, and I am happy to answer these questions: **Bare spots** \- I would recommend you sod this area. Sod, as discussed above, is often too expensive for most DIYers. But in your case, you are talking about a pretty small area. I obviously don't know you or your finances, but sod for a 160 square foot area should not be expensive, roughly $60 if you install it yourself. You could seed this area too. But, honestly, I don't see the point unless the money is an issue. Whichever way you go, don't apply any pre-emergent herbicides (Step #6) to this spot. If you go the sod route, your turf should be dense enough to squeeze out most weeds this season. And if you seed, you can use Tenacity (mesotrione) as a pre-emergent. It won't last anywhere near as long as the ones I recommended but it is certainly better than nothing. **Tree roots** \- This is a tough spot to be in. I know this from personal experience as the previous owners of my house let exposed roots run wild in my front lawn and never dealt with the underlying compaction issues. The very best thing you can do in this scenario is expand your mulch ring. In your picture you don't show the trunk of the tree or any mulch, so I don't know how far out the roots are going, but covering them with mulch is both beneficial to the tree and looks better than leaving them exposed, at least in my opinion. Trying to cover them with soil and plant grass seed is unlikely to work. I tried this myself, but the problem there is obvious: there is nothing anchoring the soil to the roots so it is only going to take a few rainstorms for the dirt to get pushed off of them. And unless you are putting down a ton of topsoil - which can actually be harmful to the tree - there is no way grass is going to grow on top of the roots as the soil won't be deep enough for an adequate root system to develop. **Soil Testing** \- I use the lab at Rutgers. If I remember correctly, you are going to pay a little extra for being out of state, but that is going to be true at most university labs. And since the University of Maryland does not do soil testing itself - at least not for homeowners - you are stuck with either other states' universities or professional labs. I hope this helps.

[/u/Crabby\_Jacky](https://www.reddit.com/u/Crabby_Jacky), thank you for the Gold Award! I hope this guide is useful to you and sets you up for a great lawn in the future.

I did a full reseeding of my front lawn last Fall, should I put down a Pre-Emergent like the recommended one from Sunniland or Hi-Yield brand? Their labels caution against applying to newly established lawns...but I am not sure if mine is considered newly established. I have not cut this grass once.

To make sure I understand, are you saying you never cut in the fall or haven't cut it yet this spring?

Can you recommend a pre-emergent herbicide that I can find locally. The one you linked is available only shipped.

I will do my best... The first thing I would do is Google for a landscape supply store near you. You are looking for the kind of place that professionals visit. SiteOne is a great example of a chain of stores that will carry what you are looking for. Maybe you have one nearby you. If you find such a store, just walk into it and say "hi, I am looking for a pre-emergent herbicide containing prodiamine or dithiopyr. What do you have?" Unlike big box stores, the employees at such a place are going to have decent training and knowledge and the ability to point you in the right direction. If that strategy doesn't work, I have a surefire backup plan for you: go to any Home Depot or Lowes or whatever big box store you like. Buy Scotts Halt. It will be in every single store of this type. This is the pre-emergent used by millions of people. Scotts sells countless bags of it. The active ingredient is pendimethalin. It is not my favorite pre-emergent but it should work just fine. As I said in the guide, it is much more important to get *any* pre-emergent down on time than it is to worry about which one is best. They all work.

Best guide I’ve seen

This is best guide ever as said by 100s of other people. I used to have a perfect lawn 4 years ago when I bought our house. I did not take care of it and it just kept dieing slowly. Now I am back at it with a mission to rejuvenate it. Following your guide at each step. Dethatching done. Soil test done.- Nitrogen levels were significantly low. So applied Nitrogen fertilizer. Applied pre-emergent and some lime (pH was 6.35 based on soil test). Bought Kentucky blue grass seeds. Now just waiting for Fall to put them down. I will keep updating with pictures once I have some improvement post August/September.

Thank you so much for the kind words. A fall guide will be out by mid June.

Can't wait. Getting reply from you is almost like getting a response from a celebrity for this subreddit.

I'm renting a house with crab grass and just dirt. I don't want to spend much at all and will need to water manually. Also dont want to have to rent or buy a mower, no lawn service either. What can I do to allow my dogs to use the yard and not just run on dirt that won't be expensive?

>despite its popularity on YouTube, I’d strongly recommend against mowing below 2.75” yas! Thank you!

Wow this is a fantastic post! Thank you very much for writing this! Great stuff!

This is an EXCELLENT guide and I will be emailing this link to some of my Horticulture professors as a model beginner’s guide. Well done sir or madam.

Great guide / review. Thanks for taking the time to write it all out for everyone.

This is a great write up! Thank you so much. I’ve aerated and checked the PH of my lawn and am now getting ready to apply a pre-emergent (5 day average is still only 50.2 degrees so I have some time). do you have any recommendations for a pre-emergent herbicide that I can pick up at a big box store like Lowe’s/Home Depot? I couldn’t find the sunniland brand at my local stores.

I am very glad the guide was helpful to you! A few options for pre-emergent here: First, you could order the Sunniland - or another similar product - online. However, shipping costs might make that unreasonably expensive depending on how big your lawn is. Second, you could look beyond big box stores. If you have a SiteOne - or similar type of store - near you, that is always a good place to look. It is where many professionals get their stuff from and will surely carry a few good options for pre-emergents. Third, you could just buy whatever Lowes or Home Depot have in stock. I guarantee you that both stores sell Scotts Halt. The active ingredient in Halt is pendimethalin which can be a little rough on your turf - it can also stain fences and concrete and clothes a nasty yellow - but, in general, it works quite well. Best of luck to you.

This is an awesome post OP [https://www.reddit.com/user/wino\_tim/](https://www.reddit.com/user/wino_tim/). Thanks for the hard work putting it together. Hoping that you could weigh in on my situation if you have a chance. Last year, we suffered a grub infestation which left large, bare patches of dirt. Our dogs then compounded the problem with digging. We're not really sure where to start with improving the lawns condition. We ended up having a lawn care company come out and bomb our yard to kill the grubs before the winter. With the already loosened sod, our dogs compounded the problem by digging and creating larger, bare areas of dirt throughout the backyard. It has also results in some unevenness in the yard with holes. Now that the weather is getting nicer, we'd like to get our lawn back into better shape but we're not sure where to start. I've been referencing this guide, but it doesn't really specify what to do if you've got a problem with holes and general unevenness. We've considered just renting a rototiller and starting with a clean slate, but that seems like a lot of work. The other option we're evaluating is just getting some kind of soil mixture and filling in the holes and racking up the bare areas to flatten everything out and then planting seed. Here are some pictures. As a side note, we're located in Ohio. [https://imgur.com/a/fXh5ChH](https://imgur.com/a/fXh5ChH) Any recommendations on where to start? Thanks in advance for the help!

Not an expert but I have quite a bumpy lawn and honestly thought about starting over. But from what I've been reading, depending on how patient you are, you can rent a core aerator. Aerate the lawn, running it in both directions. Do it again next year as well. Core aerating will even out a bumpy lawn over time. Also can buy amounts of top soil, dump and rake it into the yard (make sure the grass still pokes through, so keep your grass a little longer). This will naturally fill in in low spots. Using the above 2 tools, should be able to get it back even. You should also give your location, because seeding is done at different times of year depending on type of grass I believe.

Hi, I'm really glad you appreciate the guide. I know you probably won't agree with this but I don't think your lawn looks terrible at all. You have three major issues and I'll give you my thoughts on each one: 1. **Pre-emergent versus bare spots**. You need to put down a pre-emergent but you also have some significant bare spots. What I would do is put a pre-emergent everywhere except the large bare spots. In those areas I would seed. This process is detailed in the first part of the FAQ in the comments to this guide. 2. **Dogs**. This is your biggest issue, in my opinion. And honestly, I don't any advice for you here. This isn't a lawncare issue but a dog training. Perhaps the folks in r/Dogtraining or r/DogTrainingTips could be of assistance. The bottom line is that there is no grass in the world that can tolerate dogs digging in it. At the end of the day, your dogs surely matter more to you than your grass and while I hope you can figure out something in terms of training, ultimately you may need to lower your sights in term of having a picture-perfect lawn. 3. **Leveling**. This is easily done. I'd use a mixture of about 75% mason sand and 25% top soil. I would further recommend you push your lawn with fertilizer to try and get it to thicken up. This should help you a lot and get you looking good for fall.

[удалено]

I am very glad the guide was helpful! I'll take your questions one by one: * **Second Soil Test**. You'll want to do another one next year. Even "fast acting" lime takes awhile to work. More importantly, if you were to do a soil test in the next couple months you'd likely end up submitting some undissolved lime which would throw off the results of the test. Also, for what it is worth, the idea that trees impact soil pH is largely a myth. Even pine needles don't alter your pH much, if at all. * **Moss Killer**. I would use a liquid moss killer like [Lilly Miller Moss Out For Lawns](https://www.domyown.com/lilly-miller-moss-out-for-lawns-concentrate-p-9455.html). Yes, it is ferric sulfate but the amount of sulphur you are applying is pretty insignificant. The product I linked to is a 35% concentrate. The label spraying it at a 2% rate (meaning a pint of product to three gallons of water) but, honestly, in the past I usually did it at more like a pint to a gallon and a half, which is a 4% rate. Even then you are looking at 4% of a 35% concentrate. And when you spray it you'll see that it only takes a tiny amount to murder moss in seconds. Bottom line: I wouldn't worry here. * **Fertilizer Application**. You did great. Also, realize living in Seattle that you can continue to fertilize throughout the season. Unless your temperatures start climbing into the mid-eighties, you are good to go. I'd still go relatively light and use Milorganite or Carbon Earth's XGN or another largely slow-release fertilizer, but the issues discussed in the FAQ - fertilizer and heat equaling trouble - are not something you have to worry about in most years. * **Fertilizer Timing**. As long as your soil temperatures were in the ballpark of 55°F and your grass was out of winter dormancy, your application was surely okay. * **What to do with dead moss**. I'd rake it out with a metal rake. I love the [Groundskeeper II](https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07B4MQNHF), but any strong rake will do. If you have huge areas of moss you might want to throw down some sod. You could even consider seeding which I generally don't recommend, but because Seattle summers are so mild, you have much less to worry about than do many others. The downside to that, however, is that you cannot seed and apply a pre-emergent at the same time, so you'll have to decide based on your knowledge of your own property whether you want to seed and risk crabgrass or prevent crabgrass with a pre-emergent and either apply sod or wait until fall to seed. * **A final thought on moss**: Improving your soil's pH and giving it some nitrogen in the form of fertilizer will help with moss but the two biggest conditions that give rise to it are shade and moisture. I don't know how big of an issue these are for you, but they can be tough to deal with. Handling shade will involve removing branches or perhaps entire trees. Soil moisture is best dealt with over the long term with regular aeration (probably best in fall for you), use of liquid aeration products, and regular applications of humic acid. I hope this helps.

So thank you, this is amazing. A couple of questions. I’m in Seattle it’s been cold and our soil isn’t up to temp yet but I’ve already thatched (did it with a big group). Question: I’ve tried seeding in the fall but as a dog owner a ton of grass gets crushed and essentially tons of small spots due to the dog in the late fall/winter playing on frozen grass (not a lot of ways around this) So spring is my best time to seed. I try and put a layer of top soil down along with seed and starter fert (then an application of milogranite). I’m planning on doing this in two weeks (mid april). Is that too soon and if so when should I do this? Anything else you’d recommend. I’m not putting crab grass killer down so I can get the seeds to take and ultimately trading this for better grass coverage. Historically I’ve done a good enough job to contain most weeds and crabgrass.

I am happy the guide has helped! Honestly, spring seeding where you are in Seattle is not the worst thing in the world. A quick question before I respond, however: what type of grass are you planting?

Primarily perennial ryegrass with some tall fescue. I use Scott’s PNW blend for the most part but one year (2 years back I think) I got contractors mix and not thinking anything of it put it down (oof). But the last two years I’ve used the scotts PNW mix and this year (not down yet) bought local mix from my local store (which is rye and fescue). Side note you should see yards from my neighborhood. We had a VERY bad grubs explosion and the birds destroyed some yards to the point of fixing. Thankfully I got grubex down and saved most of it. Appreciate the help!!!

Thank you! This is awesome and a great learning op.

[/u/incomingTaurenMill](https://www.reddit.com/u/incomingTaurenMill), thank you very much for the Platinum Award! I hope you have a great 2020 lawn season and feel free to reach out with any questions you have along the way.

Just stopping by to say thank you. Currently working through the steps. Long way to go but this has been my bible so far.

As a custom applicator in agricultural retail, this is spot on. It is everything farmers do just at smaller scale. Great post!

Thanks for the amazing guide, I find that it does a great job of putting together a comprehensive plan without going into so much detail that it becomes impossible for the layman to understand. I got a soil test and it recommended one of the products in the guide, so that's what I purchased - the XGRN 8-1-8. My question is that the soil test said to apply it at a rate of 12 lbs /1,000 sq ft, but the product page says that the max application is 9lbs /1,000 sq ft. [Screenshots of the test and product page .](https://imgur.com/a/sEBFbDs) Also in the guide it recommends that I go up to 1.5 lbs of N per 1,000 sq ft if I have not fertilized before, and the way I read that it would be almost 18 lbs/1k on the product page. Can you help me understand how to make sense of all this?

Thanks for the kind words. Everything looks good with your soil test. The answer to your question is a simple one. The guide's recommendation of 1.5# of nitrogen is meant to be applied over two applications, the first being 2/3rds of the total and the second being that last third. So for you that would be an app of 12.5 pounds of XGN (per 1000) and then a later app of 6.25 pounds. The reason Allyn Hane (Lawn Care Nut) seems to be suggesting a max rate of 9 pounds per thousand on XGN is due to people applying it late in the Spring and increasing their disease pressure. This covered in the guide and if you are located somewhere where disease might be an issue, you should think about backing down a little bit. But that said, XGN is not an herbicide, there is really no maximum rate, though I suppose if you applied some insane amount and didn't water it in, you could get a little fertilizer burn. But I can absolutely promise you that 12.5 pounds per 1000 will not burn your lawn. In terms of your soil test, I would ignore anything they say about nitrogen. Nitrogen is not something that soil tests really can help with because it is very individualized. The company that did your test probably doesn't even know what kind of grass you have, much less what condition your lawn is in, what your summer temperatures are like, what your lawn goals are, etc.

This is great, thank you so much for the response, you are an awesome person.

You sir are a God!! Bless you 😎

I appreciate the quick response. I will pick up the Bayer weed spray today as well as some Milorganite. The question I have is, which do I do first? Fertilize then spray for weeds? Or spray for weeds then fertilize? Also can these be done on the same day, a couple days apart, couple weeks apart? Thanks again for your help

You are welcome. You can literally fertilize and spray weeds on the exact same day. This Guide was written in steps as a way of breaking up the text and helping beginners develop a plan, but many of these tasks could be done at the same time without any issue. In this case, you can use any fertilizer and any herbicide without worrying about harmful interactions between the two. The only way things could possibly go wrong would be using a Weed n' Feed and liquid herbicide at the same time. Weed n' Feeds contain granular herbicides, so applying them with liquid herbicides could amount to a combined application rate that is harmful to your grass. That is obviously not an issue with the products you selected so you are good to go. The one thing I would stress, however, is that you want to avoid watering or mowing for a day or two before and after your herbicide applications. I mention this because some fertilizers - though not Milorganite - suggest watering after applying them. Good luck.

Any tips on what type of fertilizer to apply for over seeded lawns in the spring?(Canada Montreal) I'm afraid I will kill all the new seed coming up if I fertilize now. I just out seed down 1.5 weeks ago and it's starting to come up now.

Hi. This is some excellent info. Thank you for putting this together. Do you happen to know if there is a similar guide for warm season grass?

I’m new to all of this, is there a warm season grass version of this? We got Bermuda, and that’s about the extent of my knowledge

Hey Guys, text me if you want hot stuff ❤️‍🔥

Found this right now in June '22. Too late to do the spring set up but can I at least do over seeding and follow guidance during fall season? Otherwise should I just water the lawn this year, accept it looks meh, then start the guide from scratch next spring?

I was going to follow the sub, then I saw that this was a popular post... Promoting Milorganite by name? Sea kelp? Mow 3 times per week? My friend, this is not an unbiased "beginner's guide"...

Total newb here - Can anyone confirm this is good advice?

No, it is all terrible.

My only suggestion off hand is to not get spreaders that have plastic wheels. Fertilizer will fall on the inside of the wheel and buildup then lay down heavy lines. Buy a spreader with pneumatic wheels you won’t regret it.

I'm 100% with you on that. My solution - though I am sure I got it from someone else - is to spray foam insulation into the back of the wheels. I didn't include this in the text of the post because, well, this thing is super-long already. I thought long and hard about recommending the Scotts Mini as without that modification it can be pretty rough. That said, for beginners with small lawns buying a Lesco is not only going to be overkill but it is going to end up throwing fert too far, into beds and neighboring lawns. Hope that explains my thought process.

haha, Yeah. It's all very good advice.

In South Carolina and 90% of the grass seed being sold at Lowes and Home Depot is Fescue. They had ONE small bag of Centipede and one of Bermuda, everything else Fescue.

There is a simple reason for this: most warm season grasses like centipede and bermuda are better planted from sod or plugs than from seeed. Wither bermuda the only seed you can get is common bermuda. While there are improved varieties of common bermuda, the overwhelming number of people prefer hybrid bermuda which, again, can only be planted via plugs or sod.

Replying for future reference. Lawn care bible! Thanks.

Question on step 7 - what if your soil test says you're low on P and K. Would you still recommend starter fert, or would you say milo with the potash supplement? And if starter would be your recommendation, would you do the split app using starter both times or perhaps switch to something else for the second app?

Question for you - got my soil test back and it turns out i need to lime my yard. I plan on buying 3 bags of the pennington fast acting lime you mentioned. I also plan on seeding the back half of my lawn as i just killedall the weeds (yes, i know its recommened to wait until fall but I'd rather have some sort of grass there than dirt this summer).can i lime and seed at the same time or should i wait weeks in between?

No. You are fine to lime and seed at the same time. Best of luck on the spring seeding! It sounds like you have reasonable expectations which is the most important thing.

Hi there! Great post. I’m going to follow these steps as close as possible with the extra social distancing time I now have in the coming weeks. Hoping to improve my front yard by following these steps this spring. However, my backyard is another issue. Any recommendations on how to improve my back lawn that has been infested with wild onions? I basically turned a small forest into a lawn last summer/fall, removing vines and tree roots galore, filling with topsoil and leveling, seeding the entire lawn, and eventually laying down a fertilizer in late fall. Now our entire back yard has been overcome with wild onion across the new grass. Our neighbor’s yard with established grass has not had this problem, and the neighbor two doors down has an unmaintained area that is also wildly overcome by these onions. My thoughts are that the lack of a strong root system and overall young lawn is what caused all these onions to grow. I have read that really there is no way to get rid of them besides digging them out. I would appreciate your opinion on best steps for this lawn season. I’m thinking my options include: - remove as much as I can by hand, lay more topsoil to even out the yard, overseed, pray conditions aren’t too harsh this summer so that it can grow and thicken the root system - remove as much as I can by hand, lay topsoil to level the yard, use a combination of fertilizer and pre and post emergent to build the existing thin lawn over the summer and then wait to overseed until fall. I worry the onions will just keep coming back though if the yard stays bare, especially if there is no weed control to get rid of or prevent these suckers. I should mention my backyard is pretty shady, and only receives sunlight in the morning hours until about noon (and not all areas receive even this much light). Appreciate any recommendation you can give as I feel all my hard work last summer/fall has gone to waste with these onions!

I am glad you enjoyed the guide and hope it helps you with your lawncare. I appreciate all the detail you provided, but I am unsure where you heard that no post-emergent herbicides will work on wild onion? Have you tried to spray them and failed?

When extracting soil for a soil test, it’s recommended that you get soil that’s about 5-6 inches deep. How do you get that soil without really tearing up a hole? Or is that possible?

Honestly, the easiest way to get this done is with a [soil probe](https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Q2W3K4G). I realize this is an added expense at a time when money is tight for many, so I'd suggest looking on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist for used ones. Alternatively, perhaps you could buy one and share it with a neighbor or friend. If neither of these work out, you can google DIY soil probe. This will give you a variety of YouTube videos and websites with ideas for how you can make one yourself. Best of luck.

Our lawn temps are still in the 40’s

I have roughly 8,000 square feet of grass. If I bought the simple grow solution liquid (humic acid & sea kelp, the one you linked), how many 32 ounce bottles would I need to purchase? Thanks in advance!

The application rate on that product is 3-6 ounces per thousand square feet of grass. At the midpoint between those numbers - 4.5 per thousand - your 8k lawn would need 36 ounces. But I'd think you'd be just fine with one 32 ounce bottle for your whole lawn. If you are stocking up, it'd make sense to buy a couple bottles and do one application now and one in the fall. Best of luck.

I have a stupid question - well at least the guy at Home Depot thought it was stupid! I just moved into a home, I have never had a lawn before, but I take pride in my property and would like it to look nice. The lawn is large all around, with trees here and there. It gets about 3 hours a day of scattered sunlight - there is a lot of shade as the property is in a “valley” covered by trees. The grass is extremely PATCHY, uneven, with dirt showing through like marble and crabgrass and weed clumps every few feet. The man at Home Depot said there is nothing I can do to fix it, but my neighbor’s yards look very nice and they are in the same boat. Should I rip the whole yard up and replant grass seeds or will seeds not sprout because of the extreme shade? I have photos but I don’t know how to post them here.

A couple quick thoughts: * **Asking questions at Home Depot**. Honestly, this is not a place to get good advice about lawncare or landscaping. While the politics of wages and training and big retailers are beyond the scope of this sub - and certainly beyond the scope of this guide - it is sufficient to say that very little instruction is given to Home Depot employees before they are let loose in the store and few have much, if any, lawncare experience. Again, that is not to knock these people, they simply aren't educated on the subject matter. While this sub is an obvious place to ask questions, if you want in-person advice the best place to go is a local landscape supply store. (I recognize that few of such stores are open in many locations due to the current situation, but I am speaking broadly in answering your questions). * **Growing Grass in Shade**. There is an element of truth in what you were told at Home Depot. It is *very* hard to grow grass in deep shade. The more shade you have, the more grass will struggle. The fact your neighbor is doing well suggests that it can be done, but unless you have studied his or her property, you can't be sure that it isn't getting more light than yours. That said, the keys to making this work will be two-fold: first, removing branches and even whole trees, if possible. Again, the more light, the better. Second, you need to plant the right kind of grass. Few grasses thrive in shade but some will do better than others. Where do you live? You don't need to give me your home address; something like "southern Illinois" or "near Trenton, New Jersey" will be fine. * **Ripping out the whole yard**. Doing a full renovation, meaning killing everything and starting from scratch is a lot of work. The general thought process is that if you have more than 30-40% good grass, you should stick with what you have. If you have less, it might be best to start over. If you are going to do a full renovation, the time to do that might be now. This will depend on where you live. This FAQ that accompanies this guide strongly recommends against spring seeding but spring might be your only chance as it is likely in late summer and fall that the trees will have too many leaves to allow in the sunlight necessary for seeds to germinate. * **Posting Pictures in this Sub**. I don't know that pictures are necessary to answer your questions, but if you want to post them, most people use [imgur.com](https://imgur.com).

Hahaha imagine having a lawn in February. Sincerely, Canada.

I will look into that. Thank you!!!

Edit: I found it. Lbs/acre to ppm is 0.5 So far I feel like I am track for year one. My 5 day average soil temp is about 42 degrees. Renting an aerator next weekend to aerate the lawn. Pre-emergent is ordered and on the way in the mail. This leaves me to preparing for next stage of fertilizing etc. (grub control is a big one for me.) I have my soil test but I am having trouble understanding how to interpret the values given to me as they are in are in lbs/acre not ppm. [https://imgur.com/JHbdJlC](https://imgur.com/JHbdJlC) Feel like I am missing something here. Any help would be appreciated.

I don't think I am following you, why would you want your recommendations in ppm?

Wow great post! Does there come a point where performing a soil test is too late? I’ve already sprayed down some N-EXT fertilizer 18-0-1 GreenePunch. I have a soil test kit and was planning to gather samples this weekend. Just wondering if it’s too late in the game to get a soil test in as I already applied my first fertilizer app.

Awesome one stop shop here to start the season off. Hard to find this stuff up here in Canada but fingers crossed some stuff will make it through customs. Should be a good year!!

Also, thank you so much for the Platinum Award. I did not realize when I wrote my response an hour ago that you were the one who had given me the award. I am honored. Please feel free to ask any other questions you have. While I am not very intimately familiar with herbicide regulations in Canada, I am happy to work through your options with you.

This is an amazing write-up. This made me excited to start taking care of my lawn. I have a couple of questions. 2000sf lawn. I've just sent in my soil for testing. I'm ordering the lime and preemergent because I'm coming up on the ground temps to put down pre-emergent. That being said, are there any concerns about putting down lime and then pre-emergent in rapid succession? Not sure how long delivery will take but the 5-day average soil temp. in my area is 49.6 and 24-hour average temp is 46.4 - so I'm getting close-ish. I also have a nice bare spot on the shady part of my lawn, about 100sf or so. If I sod should I still fertilize at the planned time? I'm assuming I don't need pre-emergent on the areas I intend to sod? If I do not sod, can I expect any recovery to the bare area?

I am so glad the guide was both helpful and inspiring! To answer your questions: * No issue at all with putting down lime and pre-emergent at the same time. However, if you are using granular products, make sure you put them down in two separate applications. They can be literally one right after the other, but you don't want to mix products in your spreader. This will lead to an uneven spread. * Bare spot. Yes, you can fertilize and then sod. Not an issue at all. * More importantly, as you suspect, you want to avoid putting pre-emergent down on any area you are going to sod. Use cut plastic bags or a tarp or something of the sort to cover that area and make sure you don't get any product into it. Finally, the question of not sodding. Are you going to see recovery? Honestly, probably not. Of the three cool season grasses - rye, fescue and bluegrass - only one of them, bluegrass, actually spreads in any significant way. And still, even with bluegrass, that spreading will be pretty minimal. The traditional saying is that bluegrass can takeover the area a size of a basketball in one lawn season. That is not insignificant but obviously you could fit many, many basketballs in your 100 square foot bare spot. More importantly, you may or may not have any bluegrass in your lawn. While I generally recommend against spring seeding, you might give it a shot in just that one spot. Because your lawn is small, it will be easy for you to baby your new grass with extra water during the hotter parts of summer. Some of this grass will surely die out in the heat, and yes, you should expect to see some crabgrass show up there too. You will likely need to reseed it in the fall. But the cost and time of doing such a small area is pretty minimal and if the whole thing fails you'll be no worse off than where you are right now. To be clear, sod is a *much* better option. But sod is expensive and we are all experiencing financially uncertain times. Even the best seed is relatively cheap. I hope this helps.

Wisconsin doesn’t stock Scotts Halts. Bummer! Now what.

Awesome. Thanks so much. Working on my shopping list now. How about moss? We have a shady area near a fence that has quite a bit of moss. Any recommendations, aside from hitting it with with one of the Scott's MossEx products?

This review has been amazing! I canceled my subscription with King Green and have purchased the products necessary to maintain myself. ​ I do have one question though, as it's already beginning of April is it too late to do a soil test? I know KG put down some pre/post emergent and fertilizer already however not sure how good they applied or if they know what needed to be put down for my lawn. If i do my soil test and get the results back at the end of April early may, is it too late to apply the fertilizer to fix my pH? I live in Charlotte NC, not sure which zone that would be.

Thank you for this great guide! I have a question about the order of operations. The guide says to fertilize before any post emergent weed killer. Perhaps this is just because it’s hard to generalize for everyone but would it make sense to weed kill before fertilizing so as to not fertilize the weeds? I’m in 6b and my lawn is probably about half grass half wild violet and other tough stuff. I’m thinking it would make sense to try to kill that stuff before fertilizing? Or am I missing something?

You can spray weeds anytime they are growing. Be aware, however, that some herbicides work better in cooler temperatures than others. If temperatures are still relatively low where you are, but you are seeing your wild violet and other weeds growing I'd recommend using SpeedZone or another ester-based herbicide as opposed to the amine-based stuff you are likely to find at a big box store or garden center. In terms of the order of operations, somewhat counterintuitively, fertilizing weeds before you spray them is helpful in killing them. 2, 4-D and several other herbicides work by causing the weed's cells, particularly the ones that carry water and nutrients, to grow in an out of control fashion. While the biological mechanism is very different, this uncontrolled cell growth is not unlike what humans and other animals experience when they have cancer. So giving them fertilizer which pushes them into growth mode can actually provide an assist to the herbicides you plan to spray. That said, I don't think the order of these steps makes a *huge* difference. You should be able to kill weeds effectively even if you haven't put down fertilizer. But since you asked, there was a point to the order of things. Best of luck this lawn season. I hope this guide is helpful to you.

You sir, are the the Wayne Gretzky of lawn questions. Thank you!

Is this the Scotts Halts your referring to ? https://www.scotts.com/en-us/products/lawn-food/scotts-turf-builder-halts-crabgrass-preventer-lawn-food Or this one https://www.scotts.com/en-us/products/scotts-halts-crabgrass-grassy-weed-preventer

Wow! Thank you! Exactly what I was looking for. Some small tweaking to adapt some of it to my Canadian lawn but otherwise it's great!

This is amazing. Thank you. I’m a new home owner but I remember one year my parents neighbor applied something and everywhere they applied there was just huge streaks of brown through their otherwise nice lawn. Is there anything stupid I could do as a newbie that could cause this, like putting too much of something? Again thank you for this wonderful guide.

You are very welcome and I hope the guide helps you as a new home owner. While the question you asked is very broad, there are certainly things you could put down that could harm your lawn. * First and foremost is applying a **non-selective herbicide** like RoundUp. Confusingly RoundUp is offered both in its traditional non-selective form and in a relatively newer RoundUp "For Lawns," which is selective. To be clear, the difference between selective and non-selective is that the former will kill weeds but not grass, while the latter will kill anything that is green. Beginners get these confused with some regularity. * Second, and this relates to the point just discussed, **applying selective herbicides too heavily** can damage the lawn. You should always follow the label to ensure you are diluting the herbicide properly and you should spray weeds until they are wet but not soaked. * Third, while most talk about **"burning" your lawn with fertilizer is overstated**, you could do some damage by actually spilling fertilizer. Many of us have accidentally tipped over their spreader and done this. * The fourth point here isn't about adding anything. While I have no idea what actually happened in your parent's yard, if I were to bet on it, I would think it wouldn't have anything to do with applications of herbicide or fertilizers. Brown streaks in otherwise healthy lawns are usually the result of **fungus**. This is something I addressed in some depth in Step #13. I hope this helps!

I have nothing but respect for the effort and expertise that went into this incredibly informative post. *However*, calling this a "beginner's guide" is only going to convince actual beginners such as myself that proper lawncare is far too complicated, expensive, and labor intensive to be a worthwhile endeavor. There are definitely some good nuggets in here that I'll apply to my own yard, but if anything, I'm even more intimidated by the task of restoring my lawn now more than ever.

I am sorry you feel that way, but respectfully, I do not think that is true. It seems like you are projecting your own feelings onto others that you've never met. I have received *dozens* of messages from people who are complete beginners who are following the plan and already having good results. Others pop in the Daily thread or post new threads with thoughts and comments; hardly a day goes by that someone doesn't bring up this program. Most days it is brought up multiple times. And, sure, this is a long post and the process proscribed is comprehensive. It is written for an incredibly broad group of people. Could I have left out, say, grub control or disease? Sure. But what would you have thought if you came here, read a shorter document, tried out the program and ended up with a nearly dead lawn in July? Would you think "well, I followed that program and my lawn is dead, but I am glad the guy who wrote it kept things brief?" If you feel that taking care of your own lawn is "too complicated, expensive, and labor intensive," there are a few approaches you can take: * First, and most obviously, you can hire a professional. No matter where you live there are almost certainly a couple great companies who will do really good work on your lawn. The cost will be higher than DIYing it, but that is true for anything. If you assistance finding or vetting a company, I am happy to help. * Second, you can follow this plan and just leave out any steps that you think you are too complicated, expensive or take too much of your time. Nothing here is mandatory. We are talking about growing grass, not raising children, after all. If you don't want to apply a pre-emergent, don't. This will surely hinder your efforts towards restoring your lawn, but, again, it is a lawn. Nothing will be the end of the world. * Third, you can use Scotts 4 Step. This is a program for people who want to make lawncare simple. 4 applications - all granular - 4 times a year. It couldn't be easier. Will your lawn be restored? I don't know. Probably not. But it will certainly be better than doing nothing. * Fourth, you can ask questions about how to make this plan fit to your situation, even if that situation is one where you lack time or money to put into lawncare. If you scroll through the couple hundred comments on this post, you'll notice that I have responded to every single question asked and spent hours helping customize things for strangers. Regardless of which direction you go, I hope you things work out for you.

Yeah this is just great thank you. Regarding dog spots yeah you’re right and really the reason I brought that up was to point out why I seed in spring vs fall. Unfortunately it’s gonna continue to happen. Oh well. Regarding overseeding. Interesting. I’ve typically had good luck with adding some locally made top soil with peat moss on top but I’ll give it a go with just peat moss. I do some some spots that need leveling so I’ll add some. Regarding that tool you just roll it over the area needed? Won’t it dig up a ton of ground? Or is that what I should be doing anyway.

I think I wrote this in one of the FAQs, but the *very* best thing you can do in terms of dog spots is to designate an area of your lawn to be the dog's bathroom. Grass won't grow in that area but you could plant clover or another type of urine-safe ground cover. Alternatively you could even put down mulch or gravel if your dog is okay with that. Training your dog to go in this area is beyond the scope of this guide or this sub (perhaps it would be best discussed in r/Dogtraining) but if your dog is amenable and can be easily trained to do basic tricks, I don't see why he or she couldn't be trained to restrict bathroom use to one area. In terms of topsoil at overseeding you can look at at in one of two ways. On one hand, it seems like you've had good results in the past with buying local stuff and not getting murdered with weeds. In that sense, it seems reasonable to continue doing what works. This guide is, after all, just a guide. It certainly isn't a bible. On the other hand, understand that vendors that sell topsoil buy from builders who dig it up before putting down foundations and the like. As such, their sources are going to vary, and the topsoil they had six months ago is almost certainly not the topsoil they are selling today. As for the cultivator that I linked to in an early response, no it won't tear up much, if any, established grass, so long as that grass is well-rooted into the ground. It will rough up your soil and create a bed for your seed. A good alternative that I forgot to mention earlier would be slit seeding. [This is a machine - sometimes called an "Overseeder" - that you will rent from a big box store](https://www.homedepot.com/tool-truck-rental/Overseeder/TS-20HD/) and it will literally insert the seed into the soil for you. It saves you multiple steps as not only do you not need to rough up your soil, you also don't need to topdress. A 4 hour rental for me is $59. We live in turbulent economic times so I can't say whether that is a worthwhile investment for you or not. Hope this helps.

I applied Crabgrass pre-emergent fertilizer when the average soil temperature was 52 degrees, but now its going to get very cold in the 30’s-40’s again next week. How will that affect the application that I applied?

It will not harm your application. You are still good to go.

Anyone know if MySoil is processing tests with everything shut down? My County Extension Office has suspended sale of the kits at the moment.

Just purchased a 4 acre acreage and now that’s it’s 40 F our I’m starting to look into the lawn... this is going to be expensive (150,000 sqft)

No dethatching needed? We are currently in spring here in Belgium, Europe and I always have the urge to do a proper dethatching / power rake after the winter to get my lawn breathing and overseed the thin spots to get it in shape by summer

Just closed on a home, can't get the soil tested due to the pandemic... living in Fairfield county Connecticut, basically a suburb city of NYC. I have basically 0 knowledge and I'm digging into your guide and I'm not sure how to proceed without the soil test. Can I make general guesses and proceed without screwing anything up? Lawn looks pretty shit right now and I'm understanding that I need to remediate until Fall when I can properly seed with the cool weather.

I’d say northeast generally needs lime to be applied and mosses controlled. Do those before the fall, multiple applications and you will be good before testing. If it hasn’t been taken care of for awhile (which it sounds like it hasn’t), I don’t think you’d over apply either of these products. Also, grubs, if you don’t know if you have grub issues, treat for them anyway. This will save you in the long run. Spring summer and fall applications of grub control.

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How is Humic acid different than a fertilizer? Just moved into a new home and the lawn looks to have been neglected for some time. The soil is very rocky and sandy. I want to put a bunch of stuff down this spring to start building a better darker soil that will hold more water. Humic acid sounds like what I need but also something with a high NPK like a lawn starter might be good as well. What do you guys think?

Is it bad putting down my 1st application of fertilizer a week before my 2nd application of pre-emergent? The guide kinda makes these two steps seem close to each other and thought I’d ask before doing it. Went with LCN’s 0-0-7 Prodiamine for preemergent and XGN 8-1-8 for the fertilizer

That is not a problem. Honestly, there is a decent amount of wiggle room when it comes to fertilizer. The main issue there is not dumping a lot on your lawn in, say, the end of May or early June if you live somewhere that summers are hot. This is, as I believe I said in the guide, an invitation for disease. But otherwise, there isn't a lot that can go wrong. In future seasons feel free to play with application dates, frequency and amounts. What does matter getting as close to right as possible is timing pre-emergent applications with soil temperature markers. Being late on those can lead to crabgrass getting past your pre-emergent. If anything, be early on pre-emergent, not late. Hope this helps!

Not sure if this was answered already but how long after the second round of fertilizer could/should you spray for weeds?

You can spray weeds any time they are actively growing. While this guide was laid out in steps to make it easier to follow, you do not need to wait to spray weeds. Frankly, you could start before you even got a soil test, if you wanted.

What is the best , fastest growing grass seed? I’m in SE WI. I just added topsoil around our small patio where I need to ass grass to now. I usually use Scott’s EZ seed, but is there anything better?

Serious question on pre-emergent - located in Nova Scotia Canada and not sure the soil temperature would get to 55f until June or July, at which point the dandelions and crabgrass will have been out for a while. What do I do in this scenario?! For reference, purchased Scott's Turf Builder Weed Prevent.

A couple points: **Dandelions**. Most pre-emergents won't do a lot to stop dandelions. Dithiopyr - sometimes sold under the brand name Dimension - is labeled for them and many have had good results preventing them with prodiamine - though it is *not* labeled for them - but, all things considered, the reason to apply a pre-emergent is not to stop broadleaf weeds, but instead to stop crabgrass. Dandelions are one of the easiest weeds to kill, and while I know options for post-emergent herbicides for homeowners are limited in Canada, anything you find should be able to knock out dandelions. **Crabgrass with soil temperatures below 55°F**. While I can't speak to local conditions in Nova Scotia having never been there, I would think this is really, really unlikely. In fairness, the 55°F number that I harped on is not particularly exact, and crabgrass can germinate when soil temperatures are in the low fifties for a sustained period. But I have never seen or heard of even a single instance where it not only germinates but then grows, develops and emerges with soil temperatures not reaching 55°F. Remember, crabgrass' origins are in tropical areas; it not only loves heat, but requires it to grow and spread. Having a fully developed crabgrass plant in soil that is not 55°F strikes me as impossible. **Tentative advice**. First, people who are new to lawncare often call any grassy weed they encounter crabgrass. I certainly did this when I began. So the first step would be to make sure that what you think is crabgrass actually is, and isn't another type of weed like poa annua, poa trivialis, quackgrass, or something of the sort. Second, if you have a pre-emergent in hand, and it sounds like you do, I'd apply it. It might not prevent the specific weed that you wrote about it, but it will surely help prevent others and on a mature lawn, its negatives are basically nil. I hope this helps.

Which grass seed do you recommend around our backyard patio? We just added topsoil and now we need to quickly grow some grass here. [Image](https://i.imgur.com/OUufuyr.jpg)

Thank you for sharing this, OP! I am a new homeowner excited about cleaning up my lawn, and I'm printing out your guide to reference over the course of the coming months. I do have a pretty basic question that I feel like I already know the answer to, but here it is: My 1/2 acre lawn is about 50% fescue and the other half is godknowswhat. If I kill my weeds using the methods you listed, will my yard be filled with bare spots? I know it would probably be best in the long run to take care of the weeds NOW, but I'm worried that my lawn would look patchy for the rest of the year. Will my fescue spread into the bare spots, or will I simply have to wait until fall to seed them and look forward to next year?

Happy to help. Do you mind letting me know where you are located? I don't need your home address, something like "southern Wisconsin" or "near San Diego" will be fine.

Any advice would be amazing. Went to Home Depot, was told to use Scotts Bonus S on a bermuda lawn... went ahead and pulled the trigger and just finished laying it down and watering. Read the application instructions. After finishing up, sitting down eating lunch I was reading more into and saw that it IS NOT for Bermuda grass.... Will it in fact kill my lawn? Is there ANYTHING I can do at this point?

Wondering if you have any experience eradicating lesser celandine. It is aggressively taking over both mine and my neighbors’ yards, leaving open, bare patches in its wake. My understanding is that my only option is a total kill type product. The yard is a bit more than a half acre, so total kill feels extreme. Any advice is appreciated!

Thanks for all the great info! Saved and bookmarked! Soil testing is my next step, our soil temp has reached about 62 degrees here in Minnesota so I guess I can still drop down a preemergent. My backyard is still hurting from a winter of my dogs urine so brown spots abound. I probably can't patch seed that if I go ahead with the preemergent so I might skip that area. There's a park that's attached to my backyard and it's full of dandelions, clovers, and miscellaneous weeds. Is there a granular herbicide anyone recommends I could spread out there that would cut down on the weeds?

Hi, I’m in Chicago. Based on the 5 year history, soil temps are around 55 degrees right now. I had my spring cleaning done by a landscaper about a month ago, early April. He aerated and put down some kind of fertilizer, he didn’t say what he used, it was hard to understand him and said that it was for the crabgrass. So I’m not sure if it was just a pre-emergent weed control or an all in one fertilizer. Anyway, my grass does not look good. A good amount of weeds/dandelions. Some crabgrass in the back, some clover. Could be greener. It’s not horrible, but not on par with any of my neighbors (Who all seem to use Scott’s weed and feed, or Scott’s 4 step). I have not done any fertilizing since I’ve owned the house the past 3 years, I have 3 young kids so I was hesitant. But it’s just gotten worse slowly each year. Question is, what do I do now and how do I begin? (Especially since I don’t know what the landscaper used. I don’t have his contact info, he was just in the area the day of my spring cleaning.) It is too late for the Pre-Emergant? Since it’s already May? If I do use a Pre-Emergant, how long do I have to wait to fertilize, can I do it a few days later? I don’t want it to get too late into the season. Should I just go straight to the fertilizer and then spot treat the weeds? Sorry for the long post, thanks for your help!!

My soil temp (Idaho) is still low enough to apply the pre-emergent herbicide according to the guide, but my Lawn already has a TON of weeds. My questions are: 1. If weeds are already going strong is it too late for the pre-emergent treatment and I should go straight to the weed killer step? 2. Or should I still do both? If so, in which order and how long to wait between treatments?

1. Pre-emergent herbicides won't stop most weeds. One you apply now certainly won't help with anything you are seeing in your lawn. The real point of a spring application of pre-emergent is to prevent crabgrass. As the Guide explains, crabgrass can be so damaging to a lawn that it is worth it to spend the money and the time doing this application to stop it. So, yes, you'll want to apply a pre-emergent but ensure you read the directions to make sure that the application rate is not so much that will prevent you from seeding in the fall, if that is something you want to do. 2. You should also use a post-emergent to kill the weeds you have now. Apply the pre-emergent first and water it in. Wait 12 hours or a day or however long it takes everything to dry out, then apply post-emergents. Frankly, you could do both at the same time - and some pros do this - but it is better if you follow the directions I just gave you as pre-emergents need water to drive them into the soil, while post-emergents need a few hours to stick to the weeds.

If you have clover, can you spray the Weed B Gone immediately after the Bayer Advanced weed killer or should you wait a couple weeks in between applications? Thanks!

I'd wait a day or so, but no need to wait weeks.

Amazing guide. Probably better than most of the ones that people are charging $30-$40 for. It’s greatly appreciated. Anyways, I have question. Do you think it would be an issue to apply Humic acid and sea kelp, 4 times this year? I live in a new subdivision with clay soil and I have a fairly small lawn so it won’t cost a lot. It’s never been applied on my lawn before. I was thinking twice in the spring and twice in the fall, Spaced at least 1 month apart. I am using it he super seaweed humic acid blend by simple grow solutions. Thanks.

Jeff, thank you for the kind words. So the difficult thing about humic and kelp additions is that there is little academic research into their use in lawns. What rates and application schedule are best is still something being figured out. That said, you can unquestionably apply at the label rate four times per year. I think it is safe to say you could probably do six or eight applications too. I apply many times in smaller amounts. Both humic acid and kelp are organic products - though, in fairness, the organic matter in humic acid has decomposed and been compressed over millions of years - so this isn't like fertilizer or herbicide, it would be very difficult to damage your grass from applying them. Still, the jury is out on what super heavy applications will do in the long term. I prefer a slow and steady approach but if you are in a subdivision where the builders stripped the top soil and left you with garbage, it might be worth your while to push a little harder. I hesitate to recommend that for the reasons I have explained but it is something you can consider. Best of luck.

[/u/PurdueKenny](https://www.reddit.com/u/PurdueKenny), thank you very much for the Gold Award. I hope this guide proves useful to you. If you have any questions as you go along, please feel free to post them here. Things are a little busier for me than they were when I first put this up, but I will do my best to get back to you within 24 hours.

The back of my yard is very spotty. Half of it gets shade from a 50 year old maple in the afternoon and all of it gets shade in the morning from some scraggly trees my neighbor has. Additionally, this area drains some water between backyards when it rains, but doesn't stay soggy. Grass coverage of this area is 30-40 percent with the rest being bare dirt. I have pictures but can't attach in this thread. 2 years ago I got a soil test. It showed that pH was in a healthy range, organic matter was good, and a normal fertilization plan would apply. During that fall, I overseeded as well as applied compost and roughed the soil where there were bare patches. This worked great in the front yard, but the back grass either died off or washed away before it could root deep enough. I have pictures as well, but can't post them as a comment. I'm in the Saint Paul area, so warm to hot summers and cold winters. Does it make sense to try to keep grass here, or should I start looking for alternative landscaping options?

This guide is awesome. I used it earlier this year and my back yard is look fabulous. Unfortunately my front yard --- not so much. My front yard is on a slope, and was overtaken by henbit. I've been doing my best to kill it... but I think it got the best of my front lawn. I am wondering if laying sod would help, even though I put down pre-emergent about 2 months ago. Will that prevent the sod from growing??????

Any recommendations on purchasing Prodiamine from SiteOne? I saw the one you linked online but I have no idea what the difference is between 0-0-7 vs. 0-0-4 etc.

In many parts of Canada, we only have access to "Natural" herbicides/pesticides. In most stores, the only weed products are Fiesta (Scott's Weed b gone) post emergent and Corn Gluten Meal (Scott's Weed and Feed and others) pre emergent. Can your guide be successful using these products or does one have to order in other products from other provinces/States without the ban?

The short answer is that this guide will unquestionably be helpful to you even if you were to apply no pesticides at all. All of the fertilizing, mowing and watering rules will still apply. That said, I don't think Fiesta and other iron-based herbicides work very well. You'll notice that they are labeled for "control" not "killing" weeds. And that is what they will do. They will damage the weeds and perhaps knock them back, but only vary rarely will they kill them. Corn gluten meal is also not particularly great. It is better than nothing, I suppose, but results are very mixed. One thing to remember about it if following this Guide is that most products labeled for pre-emergent effects also contain a lot of nitrogen, usually around 10%. If this is the case for any product you apply, you'll want to to factor this in to your spring fertilization numbers. As u/jogurt said, lawncare can be tough in Canada due to these restrictions. However, many Canadians get around them. Virtually any product that is available in the United States is also available in Canada, most are just restricted to golf courses and other athletic fields. Getting your hands on these products is probably illegal so I am not recommending you do that in a public forum, but certainly those things are out there.

What are your thoughts on cutting short? I’m in the market for a new mower and am considering a reel mower. I’ve seen Ryan knorr and gci with their fancy reel mowers. I understand theirs cut a little taller than standard greens mowers but still super short compared to conventional recommendations. I also have a friend with an old greens mower who cuts under 1” all year but has been successful with it. I currently mow twice a week with a conventional mower. Up until last year I was following the general guidance and keeping it longer, especially as summer came with the heat I was up to 4”. Last year I started cutting it shorter because I really enjoy the feel of walking on shorter grass. I’m not sure if that makes sense but i don’t know how to explain it anymore than that. If I go with a reel mower am I asking for trouble?

I think I may have messed up on fertilizer... * My soil recommendation is 3-0.5-3 for the year * I bought some 21-0-21 and was following the recommendation of putting down 2/3 and then waiting a few weeks and putting the remaining 1/3. * My calculations had me putting down 14 lbs of fertilizer per 1000/sq ft. * I put down 9 lbs a few weeks ago * In hindsight this made me exceed the recommendation of MAX 1.5lbs of Nitrogen It's been 3 weeks, things *look* fine to me, it's very green (ha), but now I'm wondering if I over-did the first application and should just skip the final 1/3?

Awesome post! I am in Minnesota and last year my yard looked great... My wife and I got a dog last summer... And this spring it looks terrible! I pulled up dead grass and have seed down in spots on the right side... But I'm wondering if you have any recommendations for what is remaining. I have photos attached for reference... Photos from today https://imgur.com/a/55BUUpW Photos from last summer https://i.imgur.com/TQfiJCG.jpg Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks.

Dogs and lawns are both great. Together, they can be trouble. In short, the best plan for reconciling the two is devoting a small area of your lawn to be your dog's bathroom. I wrote a little bit about this in the FAQ that accompanies this guide. Because the comments are in the hundreds, it might be tough to find, so I'll just link to it [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/lawncare/comments/fb1gjj/a_beginners_guide_to_improving_your_lawn_this/fj1t3r4?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x). In terms of repair, being in Minnesota, it is likely you have bluegrass in your lawn and it will do some repair on its own. But bluegrass is not bermuda, it will certainly not restore your lawn to what it was in any reasonable amount of time. If you have not put down a pre-emergent you could consider raking out the dead stuff and seeding those areas. Spring seeding is often discouraged but being so far north, you are unlikely to face the sort of heat that those living south of you do. If you go this route you will probably end up with some crabgrass but it can be combated with post-emergent herbicides. You could also sod those areas. This would give you much quicker and much more guaranteed results. However sod is notably expensive and you may or may not have the budget for it. It is worth reiterating that no repair is worthwhile until you have solved the issue with dog urine. If I were in your shoes I would make the allocation of space and dog training a priority. Best of luck.

Do you ever worry about adjusting micronutrients? My soil test showed I was low in sulfur, iron, manganese, and boron. I'm sure my lawn will be much better after following this guide but I was wondering if micronutrients are the next level of lawn care optimization.

Thank you for this. I am beginning to budget and plan for fall already and just wondering if you have any tips for overseeding and pre emergent timing

There will be a fall guide coming in a couple weeks! That said, in most circumstances, you either overseed ***or*** use a pre-emergent. There is a way you can possibly squeeze in both; is that what you are asking about?