Grass Question - Overseed or Start Over (lawn, irrigation, growing)

[CAAPEX]

I have been using a lawn service for the past few months in an attempt to restore the lawn that was neglected by the previous home owner. They have been able to remove most of the bigger weeds and clover in the lawn, however, with the limited amount of grass established crab grass has taken over (80% of the lawn). Next month, I am scheduled to have the lawn aerated and over seeded. Will this process do much considering the amount of crab grass established? Would it be wise to cancel the service and just spend the extra money and apply roundup and reseed the lawn?


Thanks

[boardjnky4]

Use roundup now
wait 2 weeks
rake out dead crap
let them aerate and overseed a week or so later

[candlegirl]

Kill everything you want dead now, before the weeds go dormant. Then aerate, heavily overseed, fertilize, and probably even apply lime sometime right after Labor Day. With the right product and right amount of watering it will come back fine.

[lamishra]

I agree with the other posters. Start killing the crabgrass now. Wait until about mid-end of September and rake up dead stuff, aerate, fertilize, overseed and water!

[douknownam]

Does anyone know how much a job like this would cost to have done?

[Ernest T Bass]

Few points to add.

1. You spray Round-Up now, it'll be dead in a few days. That gives it time to come back with new crabgrass before September.

2. Weeds like crabgrass don't go dormant for the winter. They die. Its their "children" that come back next season (seeds).

3. You can overseed within minutes of applying Round-Up. It does nothing to the soil so don't let that dictate when you spray and when you overseed fescue.

4. Don't guess on the limestone part. Get a soil sample done. Limestone takes a good six months to fully do its thing so waiting an extra month or two is no big deal.

5. How much sun or shade do you have? In other words, why did your fescue lawn die off to begin with? Do you have irrigation? I've done more bermudagrass overseedings this year than I've ever done before. "If you can't beat'em, join'em."

[Jamerican]

Originally Posted by douknownam

Does anyone know how much a job like this would cost to have done?

Free if you do it yourself

[grannynancy]

Originally Posted by Ernest T Bass

5. How much sun or shade do you have? In other words, why did your fescue lawn die off to begin with? Do you have irrigation? I've done more bermudagrass overseedings this year than I've ever done before. "If you can't beat'em, join'em."

I thought about joining suit with some of my neigbors and switching to fescue but after a summer like this --- my bermudagrass is happy happy happy and everyone's fescue is a brown mess full of weeds. If I want winter green I can always overseed with Rye.

But Bermuda does not like shade - putting a different groundcover in a shaded area . Still too hot for fescue to really be happy.

[Ernest T Bass]

Originally Posted by grannynancy

I thought about joining suit with some of my neigbors and switching to fescue but after a summer like this --- my bermudagrass is happy happy happy and everyone's fescue is a brown mess full of weeds. If I want winter green I can always overseed with Rye.

But Bermuda does not like shade - putting a different groundcover in a shaded area . Still too hot for fescue to really be happy.

Mix a little zoysia in the shady areas. That should do better than the bermuda in the shade but will still love the summer heat.

[Butterfly4u]

Caapex,
Just pay the pros to aerate and reseed the lawn.
Just don't forget to water it real good and mow when you are suppose to.
Crab grass will be dying soon, it is an annual and dies in the fall, when your
newly seeded lawn will b growing.
In the spring, around St. Patty's day, have the lawn service put a PRE EMERgenT
down, so the crab grass seeds don't sprout for next year.
No need for Round up.
The weeds are going to be dying anyway.
Good Luck!