Yard in trouble need help!!!

[crown]

My yard has really gone way back this summer, mostly due to lack of rain and neglect by myself. I started a new company this winter and it has had me spending a good deal of time on the road, in addition cancer is beginning to take its toal on my father-in-law and I have spent a good many week-ends at my in-laws place helping them care for there 38 acres. I was not able to fetilize, I usually do this in April with weed and feed. We only received around 3 inches of rain in June and July. I have a grass called perennial rye, it is fine but in the past has been thick and very green. This year the yard is taken over with crab grass and burmuda, it appears the rye is completely dead in many areas sort of looks as though grub may have eaten the roots. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

So what should I do this fall, I will have some spare time and would like to get the lawn back in shape for next spring and summer.

I was thinking of aerating and over-seeding and putting down some winterizing ferterlizer.

Any suggestions would be helpful.

 

[thcri]

Aerating, seeding and putting down lots of fertilizer is a good start. You could even put some weed killer down. I have done the weed killer thing in the fall and it seems to work pretty good. I think I would wait with the aerating and seeding until you know you won't get the high temperatures again or you will loose your seed and will kill off some of the good grass you have left. Probably the big thing would be to get some water on it. I don't know how large your lawn is but water would be key.

murph

 

[RandyS]

Aerating and slicer seeding is better. Rent a slicer seeder at a rental place. I've read where broadcast seeding only accounts for like 5% germination rate. Use a starter fertilizer when you do it. Don't put down a weed killer with it, retards the growth.
Pre-emergent crabgrass control in the spring, between forsythia and lilac bloom.

 

[thcri]

Randy,

If he does the weed killer now and then wait two weeks for the seed and fertilizer he won't ****** the growth. There still can be some pretty warm weather that can ****** the seed yet and me, I would wait a bit for cooler temperatures.

murph