Getting ready to seed back yard - are we doing it correctly?

Question

Here is the deal - just moved into a new house. The front was sodded, the back ended up being full of weeds and we are starting over. We bought RoundUp and killed all the weeds and grass. Everything. We plan on breaking up all the dirt and removing the old weeds and grass (is that right?). We are then renting an aerator and using a 3 blend of seed (as advised by the guy at the store) and a fertilizer. He said there is no need for straw. Then we are going to water frequently in small time frames and then infrequently in longer times frames once the grass gets growing.

For those of you who have done this, does that sound right? I am trying to figure it out by what I have read online and what I have been told at the store. Who knew growing grass could be so detailed/confusing!

Also, is it too early to plant the seed? (Like Septmeber 15th or 22nd.)

I guess it would have helped to add that I live in middle Tennessee. Been pretty dry here lately.

Answer 1

It sounds like you are doing it right, you might want to check to see if you need to add lime. You can do this with a PH test. It shouldn't be too late, I'm in the Seattle area and am reseeding several areas to take advantage of the fall rains so I won't need to water as much, but it really depends on where you are at. Denver area for example I think sometimes gets snow in early October so if that's a concern you might want to wait until spring.

Answer 2

It sounds OK, grass is fairly prolific. We have used Straw Hay thrown around mainly to help hold the dirt so all your seeds not wash to a low area. But, I not sure it a have to do. One thing about weeds. Over time grass will choke them out if it thick. I had an area of well established Bermuda and it was weedless. I tilled a small area for a small vegetable garden. Dang, next thing I knew it was full of weeds!!!! What happened? Weeds can lay dormant under the ground for years!!!! When you till up the dirt you just give them a kick start. So, when you said breaking up the ground I remembered my garden. Look in your phone book in the Blue pages (City, State stuff). Under "County Offices" find "Cooperative Extension Office" and give these people a call. Your taxes pay for this, so, use it. They have many free publications. A man/woman may even come to your house to look and advise you for free. Also, they can even do a soil test to help you. It think it free, but, $5-10 tops if it cost.

Answer 3

A few years a go I seeded a park strip and it turned out great You're right about the watering (short & frequent). However, I also laid a 1/2 inch layer of peat moss on top of the newly laid seed. If you live in a dry area, I'd highly recommend that you buy Nutrimoist or some other kind of water absorbent polymer. This will keep you roots most with less water. You'll save $$$ each year.

Answer 4

Sounds pretty good. You're going to work the seed into the top inch or so of soil, right? I'd use a mulch, however, for two purposes: 1) water retention and 2) keeps the birds from finding the seed more easily.

If you're doing a custom blend for sun and shade, you might want to bring home two bags, one of the sun species and one of the shade, and blend simply by seeding at different rates.

Answer 5

Sounds right...
Just make sure you don try to seed until at least 4 weeks AFTER you use the Round-Up. It will kill any chance for the seeds to grow.

Good Luck!

Answer 6

i do no longer understand the place you reside - I stay in northern New England. and that i've got grown many pumpkins - by ability of twist of destiny. All you ought to do is flow away a pumpkin on the floor, in keeping with probability smash it, and next 365 days you would be wanting a pumpkin vine. This occurred at my old residing house, besides the incontrovertible fact that ultimately a groundhog began ingesting it, and then at my contemporary residing house, darned if we did no longer have a pumpkin vine interior the area the place we left the pumpkins we had from the 365 days in the previous. they supply the impact of being to love a mix of sunlight and shade. they have massive yellow plant existence, and massive vines. I surely have slightly pumpkin and probable a huge 15 to twenty pound pumpkin. this is cool to enhance your individual, and because it happens so surely, i could say you do no longer ought to do lots. while you're up in our climate section, i could purely say flow away a pair of smashed pumpkins on the floor and next 365 days you would be wanting a pumpkin patch. curiously purely leaving them on precise of the floor is all you elect. in keeping with probability the the remainder of the pumpkin serves as a nutrient, or in keeping with probability no longer. i've got in no way had unintended plant life in the previous (apart from timber and rhododendrons) yet pumpkins look quite effortless to enhance. savor!

Answer 7

If you are going to till the soil there should be no need to aereate