Lawn going lime green

[adawg88]

Hello -

First off, let me apologize, I am not a pro, but I read these forums religiously. There is a ton of great information here for pros and non-pros alike.

I am hoping you may be able to give me a little advice. I have always been a country boy, never really caring about my grass (when you have acres, it is too much to worry about). Now I am in a country sub with just a few acres and a sprinkler system. People here take their lawns very serious, so out of respect, I am trying to also. I just moved in last fall, so all I have done so far is winterize last fall. I noticed then that the grass was not as deep green as everyone else's. Now here (in Michigan) the weather is warming up and everyone's grass is coming in nice and deep green again and mine is a lovely shade of bright lime green. Is there a special fertilizer composition I should look for to green up my lawn?

I have a decent amount of thatch build up, so in the next few weeks, I plan to core aerate, over-seed and fertilize.

Any advice you can give me is immensely appreciated.

Thanks again for your help and this great site.

[Grassmechanic]

First off, get a soil test so you know what you're dealing with. Then, head over to your county Cooperative Extension agency (They'll send your sample in to MSU for testing). While you're there, pick up some bulletins on lawn care. If you have anymore questions after that, ask away!:waving:

[adawg88]

Will waiting three weeks for the results of the soil test hurt my lawn? I mean, will I miss the spring fertilizer cycle?

Also, would you wait for the results of the soil test before aerating? Does aerating and fert/seeding all have to take place the same day?

[Grassmechanic]

No, you don't have to wait. Go ahead and fertilize it. Aerating has no effect on soil tests. Aerate away! You can fert, aerate, and seed all at the same time or you can do them a few days apart. However, DO NOT use a fertilizer with a preventative for crabgrass if you plan on seeding.

[PSUturf]

Was your house a new build last year? New lawns usually need extra nitrogen. Low nitrogen can give your lawn a pale green color.

[adawg88]

Thanks for the response. Nope, my house was built in 1999. It actually has the thickest, best looking (meaning lack of bald spots, thin spots, etc.) in the sub, it is just a really pale green. I think the guy that had the house before me just lucked out with a good lawn and never did anything to keep it up. I was talking to a neighbor who says he never saw the guy do anything to it.

That stinks for me because other than cutting the grass I know nada about lawn care.

[NickN]

What type of turfgrass do you have?Can you post pics?

[adawg88]

From what I can tell it is a mix of KBG and Rye, which is typical around here. It is raining right now, but if it lets up I'll be sure to go snap some pictures.

Thanks again for all the help. It is truly appreciated.

[adawg88]

As requested, I ran out and took a few pics. To be honest, the yard is in worse shape than I had thought. There are a lot of places where dead grass is matting down the live stuff. I had planned on aerating to break up this thatch, but do you think de-thatching is in order? I have included pics of the grass for color, close up of the grass and a pic showing the thatch issues.

Thanks!

[LandscapeMasterpieceGA]

looks like nothing a good triple aeration and some chems wont take care of

[adawg88]

looks like nothing a good triple aeration and some chems wont take care of

Sorry, like I said I am a moron when it comes to lawns (my wife would say and many other thngs too :) ). By triple aeration, do you mean run the aerator over it three times in one day in various directions? Or aerate 3 times? Also, by chems, you mean fertalizers, correct? Or is there something out there that will speed up the decomp of the thatch.

Again, thanks everyone for the help. I want to get this lawn looking nice and your help is much appreciated.

[Grassmechanic]

Unless I'm missing something, there appears to be nothing out of the ordinary wrong with your lawn. It is KBG coming out of it's winter dormancy. A little thatch layer (about a half inch) is OK. If it's more than 1" you may have to remove it. From the pics, I can't really tell how much is there, but it doesn't look too bad. Aerate and fert according to a soil test and it'll respond nicely. If you still have questions in a few weeks after that, ask away!

[LandscapeMasterpieceGA]

Yeah, just aerate it really well (3 times over) and give it a feeding and maybe a weeding and it should get happy quick!

[upidstay]

It looks to me like Grassmechanic is right. It is KBG that just hasn't woken up yet. Aerate in 2 or 3 directions, give it a good fertilizer, and I'd hold off on the seeding just now. Give it a shot of pre-emergant (dimension, etc.) with your fertilizer, and wait until fall to seed. Around 9/1 is usually a good time. The aerating will help the thatch break down naturally. just do yourself a favor and buy a good fertilizer. Stick with a quality Lesco or Lebanon. Buy cheap and you get what you pay for.

[olderthandirt]

Hire a pro! They will get you started in the right direction