Fall Overseeding Questions

[spl_lawn]

I am getting ready to do some overseeding this fall and was looking for some opinions on what steps to take.

Here are the things that I intend to do and the order in which I think they should be done. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

1. Apply Moss Killer (wait a week or two)
2. Aerate and Overseed
3. Topdress with Topsoil (I am thinking about cutting it with some compost)
4. Apply a winterizer fertilizer w/ weed control.

I am located in upstate, NY if that helps any. Temperatures are starting to turn, but I still have a large canopy, so sunlight could be an issue ( hence the moss )

Thanks
Steve

[AI Inc]

You should realy address that moss problem first . hence , tree work then ammend the soil because the moss will have your ph screwed up .Others may disagree.

[BMW5MT]

You don't want to use any kind of weed control products after putting down grass seed; your seeds will not germinate.

Also I read on here that depending on where you get your top soil you could be introducing more weeds that could be in the top soil and that you should just use compost.

I hope this helps!
Mike

[rockee]

You don't want to use any kind of weed control products after putting down grass seed; your seeds will not germinate.

Also I read on here that depending on where you get your top soil you could be introducing more weeds that could be in the top soil and that you should just use compost.

I hope this helps!
Mike

I put down a mixture of compost and loam in the spring and ended with 90% crabgrass on one area and about 30% in another. Could it also be that some of the good seed used had weeds?

What is best way to get rid of the crab grass and overseed now?

Should I start with a good crabgrass killer and wait a few weeks to then rake and overseed, or wait until Spring to seed and then put down a pre-emergent?

Or should I pull out all of the grass now? How can I end up with no crabgrass in teh spring and start the lawn now?

[BMW5MT]

I put down a mixture of compost and loam in the spring and ended with 90% crabgrass on one area and about 30% in another. Could it also be that some of the good seed used had weeds?

What is best way to get rid of the crab grass and overseed now?

Should I start with a good crabgrass killer and wait a few weeks to then rake and overseed, or wait until Spring to seed and then put down a pre-emergent?

Or should I pull out all of the grass now? How can I end up with no crabgrass in teh spring and start the lawn now?

I think what the problem is from what most people are saying is that you should put down the compost in the fall.

Fall... Aerate, compost & oversed... then in the spring you should hit it with a fert. with weed killer before they pop-up. I'm sure someone else can chime in if they can clear it up a little more. Or you can check over in the Lawn Maintenance & Renovation section.

[BostonBull]

Have the lawn dethatched if it needs it, and aerated. Overseed after aeration and apply 1/2" or less of compost not loam or topsoil. Water accordingly.
In the spring apply a weed and feed if your going the synthetic route, or Corn Gluten Meal if going Organic/natural route.

Good Luck!

[BMW5MT]

Have the lawn dethatched if it needs it, and aerated. Overseed after aeration and apply 1/2" or less of compost not loam or topsoil. Water accordingly.
In the spring apply a weed and feed if your going the synthetic route, or Corn Gluten Meal if going Organic/natural route.

Good Luck!

Thanks for the correction BostonBull! :drinkup:

[BostonBull]

Thanks for the correction BostonBull! :drinkup:



No problem! :drinkup:

[rockee]

Have the lawn dethatched if it needs it, and aerated. Overseed after aeration and apply 1/2" or less of compost not loam or topsoil. Water accordingly.
In the spring apply a weed and feed if your going the synthetic route, or Corn Gluten Meal if going Organic/natural route.

Good Luck!

How do I get rid of existing crabgrass now? Should I leave it and reseed and then with compost?

[BMW5MT]

How do I get rid of existing crabgrass now? Should I leave it and reseed and then with compost?

I believe most people will say leave it because it will die out soon anyways. If you put down a weed killer now, your new seed will not germinate. I would say stick with what BostonBull said before, Aerate, over-seed then compost. The weed killer next spring will help with the crabgrass not to come back. However you have to put the fert. with weed killer down at the right time. If you put it down to early, you will be waisting the weed killer properties of the weed & feed fert. I believe you have to put it down after your second cut of the season. Is that correct BostonBull?

[BostonBull]

I believe most people will say leave it because it will die out soon anyways. If you put down a weed killer now, your new seed will not germinate. I would say stick with what BostonBull said before, Aerate, over-seed then compost. The weed killer next spring will help with the crabgrass not to come back. However you have to put the fert. with weed killer down at the right time. If you put it down to early, you will be waisting the weed killer properties of the weed & feed fert. I believe you have to put it down after your second cut of the season. Is that correct BostonBull?

Honestly I am unsure of when to apply chems. Lawns are new to me. If using CGM you need to put down before the weeds germinate. The CGM "suffocates" the seeds and prevents them from growing.

Check with someone in your area, and I am sure it is season specific. If we get a real warm/wet spring early on you will need to apply earlier. Of course you could always use a POST emergent as well and spot treat.

I have had good luck with having a thick lawn. I pull the few weeds I have by hand, and I LOVE my clover. Cant see it unless it is flowering and it gives me FREE N without any help from me!

[JoeKidd]

Applying a preemergence for the crabgrss next spring depends on soil temps. Crabgrass begins to germinate when the soil reaches a temp of around 60 and it needs to hover around that temp for a week before they start to germinate. You want to hit it at this time when their trying to sprout. Usually up here in the northeast it's around late April to early May.

My yard is pretty small at my new house but about half of it was crabgrss when I moved in this past summer. I just reseeded it yesterday but the crabgrss was so thick it had to be removed before I dropped my soil/compost mix and seed. I sprayed it with round up then weeded it by hand. I know it surley dropped plenty of seeds from the root but my plan is to establish a very thick lawn in this area this fall..feed it with some winterizer without weed killer. Then in the spring I'll hit it with a Pre-M and hopefully that will do the trick.

This approach worked pretty well at my last house that I owned. It did take about three seasons of spot weeding/reseeding before I was crabgrass free.