New grass is patchy, in two ways
#17
(07-05-2018, 12:58 PM)CLETUS Wrote: You don't mow for several weeks after you've seeded.

I'd wait until September. Seed it, cover with straw and keep it moist. Don't mow until the grass gets established, then mow it no shorter than 3".

I agree.  September and again March after the snow melts.

In my opinion over-seeding works better over the long run than weed killers.  You simply crowd out the weeds with the grass.  The dandelions and the clover have all but disappeared from my lawn (it took about 3 or 4 years, but no weed killers).  My lawn used to be 50% grass, 50% dandelions, 50% clover, plus some purple flowered thingies.  I figured I had about 170% of my yard covered.
Big Grin
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#18
Thanks for the suggestions all. Sorry I didn't reply sooner, I was busy all day yesterday eating things that used to have hooves.

What type of grass do you suggest for sunny areas? This sun/shad mix stuff seems great at first, but I worry some varieties grow faster and crowd out the stuff that actually may be better in the long run.

A couple years ago Fios came to lay a new line to the house. They peeled back a 2' section of grass like rolling up a rug. That strip is now noticeably greener and thicker, a testament to the aerating! I don't have a tractor, but my next door neighbor does. I may keep my eyes peeled for a cheap used tow behind and just ask him to help me out and let him use it too.
Benny

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#19
(07-05-2018, 03:47 PM)bennybmn Wrote: Thanks for the suggestions all. Sorry I didn't reply sooner, I was busy all day yesterday eating things that used to have hooves.

What type of grass do you suggest for sunny areas? This sun/shad mix stuff seems great at first, but I worry some varieties grow faster and crowd out the stuff that actually may be better in the long run.

A couple years ago Fios came to lay a new line to the house. They peeled back a 2' section of grass like rolling up a rug. That strip is now noticeably greener and thicker, a testament to the aerating!  I don't have a tractor, but my next door neighbor does. I may keep my eyes peeled for a cheap used tow behind and just ask him to help me out and let him use it too.

As far as aerating goes, if you have a smaller lot (e.g., half acre or less) a self propelled unit can do a lawn in an hour, and if you can get a neighbor or two you can split the rental, I used to do that before I got a 1.5 acre lot.....  something like this:

https://www.sunbeltrentals.com/equipment...n-aerator/
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#20
Scotts publishes a "grass selector" and it has useful information:

https://www.scotts.com/en-us/library/gra...your-grass

But generally the local stores will carry seed appropriate for the locale.
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#21
Just curious...have you tested the soil for pH?  I see you amended the soil by adding peat, but if the soil was already acidic, you may have compounded the problem.  If that is the case and you in fact have acidic soil, you'll have to add some lime to it to balance it out to neutral when reapplying new seed.  Also, when adding new seed, add a fairly heavy layer of straw to keep the the soil moist and protect the seed.
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#22
I did not test it, maybe I'll pick up a kit this weekend!

I've seen that aerator before. I'll talk to my next door neighbor and see if he wants to go in. He's got a pickup truck, and a tow-behind de-thatcher.

The problem with seed is that there's the "northeast mix" and the "sun-shade" mix. Everyone wants the swiss army knife of seed bags... I feel like I have a fairly specific sub-set of needs for this area being full sun and flat, sandy ground. But maybe I'm wrong.. Either way, my thought was to top the scales of one of these mixes in my favor by over-spreading with one particular time after the mix.
Benny

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