How can I make a yard look amazing without starting over again

[fattymcbutterpants]

Hey guys I am working on a guys yard over the next few weeks kinda trying to get it looking good for him I am mowing it and everything. But so his grass isnt very good its kinda rough random junky grass and weeds.

Should I come through with the fertilizer/weed control first and then aerate the yard and spread some Fescue seed, or should I do the seed first then come back through with the fertilizer a couple weeks after?

I am thinking fertilizer then seed so I can get rid of some weeds and help prep the soil somewhat before I sow the seeds. Then give it a nice coating of grass seed. I am trying to make it look as good as possible without having to rip everything up and start fresh.

Anyways just looking for some opinions and input,

thanks guys

[lovbyts]

Airieate it. Rent on of those that does the deep plugs.

Kill any/all weeds first. Pull what you can for weeds, kill any/all moss. Rake the sh*t out or it to get all the little vine stuff growing on the ground and thatch it.

Give it a couple weeks and re seed it. Dont mow for at least a month or you will suck up the seed. To help the seed put a layer of topsoil or pete mos over it. After it has started to grow and you cut it seed it again.. I seed my lawn 3x a year.

If the soil is really hard then it's a bitch. One year I just rented a rotor tiller and started over. Major airiation, dragged it to remove clumps, brought in new top soil and by the end of summer it looked great.

If I had to do it all over again I would go with FAKE grass. Next house will have AstroTurf.

[Times Roman]

hire LB to do it! =)

[kalspic]

try thatching it. they make an attachment for push mowers. it pulls up all the dead grass thats stuck underneath the live stuff.

[fattymcbutterpants]

Thanks for the longer response man I might have to try some of that. I was just trying to figure out what I could do to make the yard look alot better without doing anything extreme and without costing the guy a fortune

[lovbyts]

If you just want to get it up to speed ASAP, do the thatching as suggested. You have to go deep enough that it will pull up some grass also and look like sh*t for a week or two. Then do the airiating. If you cant rent one you can use the shoes with spikes while you mow/thatch. They work but not great. Then just re seed.

[songdog]

Truff builder works good.

[SlimmerMe]

put some evergreens in it to break up the monotony....and then some flowers too.....

and why is it that every time I ask someone who has the prettiest green grass, they tell me it is Rye grass?

[VegasRenegade]

Well in Vegas we kill it all and put in rocks.

[fattymcbutterpants]

Haha yea rocks sounds much easier but alright thanks lovbyts. The guy wants his yard mowed every other thursday till the season picks up and the grass starts growing more and he doesnt like his old neighbors showing him up... that is why he hired me haha. But so do you think that 2 week break would be enough time for the grass seed to get in the dirt so I wouldn't have to worry about sucking it up with the mower or anything?

I am thinking maybe I can mow it next thursday, rake out some of the old stuff, and then right after as in that same day come in and aerate it real well and come in with some seed and spread it real good. I will come through and give it a good watering and then tell him to make sure and water it too which he doesnt have a problem doing. Then I'd be back in another 2 weeks to mow so do you think it would be good to go?
Also I remember hearing water deep not often meaning when you water give it alot but dont water it lightly really frequently so that the roots will grow deep and help the grass to grow better vs being more spread out and not deep roots. Anyways what do you all think about that plan?

[wmaousley]

rye grass always makes a yard look nice in the winter and summer.

[fattymcbutterpants]

Its a yard in middle Tennessee. His yard specifically receives a large amount of sunlight also. So idk which would be better fescue or rye. I planned on fescue but I dont know anything about rye.

[auslifta]

Rip up your whole yard, level it, put down layer of river sand then lay this on top


Fake grass

[bushido3374]

In Oregon, a lot of us just let the moss take over.

I'd hire LB to do my yard : )

[lovbyts]

Rip up your whole yard, level it, put down layer of river sand then lay this on top


Fake grass

Agreed. That's what I said. Astroturf or fake grass. Ive done all the other stuff. It works good and grass looks nice but it's a PITA and when your neighbors done care how theirs look and have massive weeds and dandy lions it likes to spread to yours.

[fattymcbutterpants]

Haha I dont think astroturf is too feasible

[bushido3374]

You could do like the houses in Las Vegas do and just have lava rock lawns.

[fattymcbutterpants]

Haha its in the middle of TN man

[Knockout_Power]

While the turf idea is cool, very expensive if you have a large lot. Im in the same boat, this spring (if the nsow actually melts) I will need to get a bobcat and tear off the top layer of grass and dirt and seed the entire lot. Probably ownt have a nice yard early fall or next spring.

Better start early ad collect as much seed as possible

[oldnsedentary]

Its a yard in middle Tennessee. His yard specifically receives a large amount of sunlight also. So idk which would be better fescue or rye. I planned on fescue but I dont know anything about rye.

Rye will be dead by July. Looks great this time of year, but it is an annual grass. If you think it can be watered enough to survive the summer, then go with the fescue. You really need to reseed it in the fall, though, which is the right time, and keep the leaves off of it in the winter.

[fattymcbutterpants]

Yea I think I will get Fescue but I might just put out some good fertilizer and then do the seeding in the fall for him if it wont do much good now

[oldnsedentary]

I typically seed in the spring and fall, but it is getting a little late.