1 acre dethatch/aerate/seed cycle?

[kluczenk]

Hi All-
I'm planning to do a dethatch/aerate/seed cycle on my lawn this fall as I have lots of areas of grass that are a bit sparse after the tough summer and many sections that also contain broadleaf grasses I'd like to squeeze out. In doing so I have several questions I'm hoping the experts here can help me answer.

First, the equipment I'll be using:

Fixed-tine dethatching rig (~48'') pulled behind my yard tractor
Plug aerator (~48") pulled behind my yard tractor
John Deere and hand spreaders with a localized seed mixture

Is the timing right to begin this process this year? The grass seems to be starting to pull back as fall approaches. I've heard the tine dethatcher can be tough on a lawn and should only be used late in the season.

Should I leave the lawn longer or chop it short before starting this process? Maybe just a normal cut...is there any preferred height?

Is the order I've listed in the title appropriate? I've heard others say to use the tines second as they will help break-up the plugs.

How long should I wait between finishing the first two activities and actually seeding the lawn? Same day, week, etc.?

Any other guidance would certainly be appreciated as well!

[Richard Martin]

Originally Posted by kluczenk

Is the timing right to begin this process this year?
How long should I wait between finishing the first two activities and actually seeding the lawn? Same day, week, etc.?

Any other guidance would certainly be appreciated as well!

Do it in the order that you have it. I would cut the existing grass as low as you can within reason. Don't scalp it. Probably around 2.5" is fine. I would spray the broadleaf weeds. Don't worry about the plugs, they'll disappear long before Spring gets here. You can do everything on one day. Don't forget to fertilize. Use a straight fertilizer without any weed killers in it. You can use regular fertilizer (as opposed to starter fert), just cut the rate in half.

After the new grass is up and established I would hit the lawn with some crabgrass pre-em. It doesn't hurt a thing to get a jump on spring weeds.