What should I do with my lawn now and in the fall? pic attached.

[lawn00b]

Hi I need some advice what to do with my backyard and a side lot we just found out was ours.

It seems our backyard has dormant Bluegrass and weeds at the bottom of the hill. Also, I just trimmed down weeded out side lot a few weeks ago so now it just has weed/grass clumps.

I live in St. Louis, Mo would like to get some nice thick fescue growing in these spots. I'm thinking of doing each part separately...

Backyard: Weed & Feed this week, aerate in a few weeks then in the fall aerate and overseed.

Sideyard/lot: Wait until fall, till 4inches deep or so. Seed, Fertilize then straw.

Does this seem like the logical way to go about this? Or would anyone have any suggestions?

Thx.

[Marcos]

Hi I need some advice what to do with my backyard and a side lot we just found out was ours.

It seems our backyard has dormant Bluegrass and weeds at the bottom of the hill. Also, I just trimmed down weeded out side lot a few weeks ago so now it just has weed/grass clumps.

I live in St. Louis, Mo would like to get some nice thick fescue growing in these spots. I'm thinking of doing each part separately...

Backyard: Weed & Feed this week, aerate in a few weeks then in the fall aerate and overseed.

Sideyard/lot: Wait until fall, till 4inches deep or so. Seed, Fertilize then straw.

Does this seem like the logical way to go about this? Or would anyone have any suggestions?

Thx.

Are those weeds in the backyard broadleaf weeds?
If they are, are the temperatures in your area warm enough yet to allow a "weed-n-feed" to properly do its work?
If you're still having nighttime lows in the upper 30's to lower 40's, I'd say the answer to that would be... "no".

When those weeds are killed in the backyard, you'll probably have somewhat noticeable open gaps between whatever existing bluegrass is back there.
Are you sure you want to put exclusively tall fescue out there?
Where the weeds will die and new seed will (hopefully) come up could end up looking like a quilt in a few years!
You may want to consider a blend of 80% turf type tall fescue/ 20% bluegrass by weight, which is actually close to 50/50 by seed count, because kentucky bluegrass seed is so much smaller than fescue.

If this were my lawn and I wasn't a DIY'er, I'd be out looking for someone to slice seed it.
Core aerators were originally utilized by the golf course industry in the '60s as a turf maintenance instrument, NOT a seed prepping tool!!
The holes created by core aerators typically are TOO DEEP for satisfactory turf generation, even with 2 passes over the lawn. Don't let el-cheapo ABC lawn care salesmen tell you anything different!

I myself will use an aerator sometimes before turf renovation, but ONLY before I use a renovator (a.k.a "slice-seeder) as a way to bring up additional soil to the surface to make better seed/soil contact as the blades spin in the top 1/8" or so of the soil.

Along with ensuring proper after-seeding water plans, any needed stormwater erosion prevention, & stopping the potential of invading weeds after seeding, making sure you have excellent seed/soil contact initially when the work is being done are your primary goals.
DO NOT overlook the importance of this!

Also, remember this #1 rule for weed control in turf, copy it, and put it smack dab on your garage wall right next to your pesticide shelf:
THE BEST WAY TO CONTROL WEEDS IN A LAWN IS NOT WITH THE USE OF CHEMICALS, BUT RATHER WITH CULTURALLY PROMOTING A DENSE HEALTHY STAND OF DIVERSE GRASS SPECIES THAT WILL WORK TO EVENTUALLY CROWD OUT POTENTIAL WEED COMPETITION NATURALLY ON ITS OWN.


Regarding your sidelot, I don't think you'd ever have to go to the trouble of tilling it to 4" deep down the road, unless possibly it is so uneven right now that mowing it is next to impossible (?)

It sounds to me like someone out there has already talked you into waiting to do your seeding sometime this coming fall.
I won't argue with that.
Just don't get forgetful.
Many folks think they should start in September, wheras August is actually more ideal. The warmer the soil, the better for seeding, no matter what time of year. You just have to be more religious about watering the earlier you start.
The up-side is that you'll have plenty of establishment time for the turf before the fall's first freeze cycles.