re-seeding

[fetch]

I bought a foreclosure home last yr and my yard appears to be in very rough shape. i spent all weekend detatching it. i could of baled it had ao much thatch!.. my question is what is the beat method to reseed? i was going to spray with 2-4d put down some starter fertilizer and lime.. I do have an irrigation system that i just hooked up/ repaired. Do i stick with my idea of another round of dethatching weed killing and fertilizing? the location is in sun nearly all day long.

thanks for the help!

[Tom7227]

It is too early to expect seed to start. Same as Lawnmowerman's advice on the crabgrass threads. When I bought my house I was faced with the same as you. I went on a fairly aggressive fertilizing regimen with aeration and some seeding. By the second year I was getting compliments from my neighbors. Go to a good quality nursery or feed mill and get their advice on the fertilizer products to use and follow the advice. I can remember that my guy said I needed iron in the soil and so I had to add that along with gypsum to break things up.

[LwnmwnMan2]

Depending on the product you're going to use for the weed control, many types have a window that you have to wait before you can reseed.

If it was myself, I would work on getting what you currently have in shape this spring. You said you already removed the thatch. Now work on getting rid of weeds this spring and watering your yard, what's already established.

Hopefully you didn't rake too much out of the yard, and only removed product that was loose. There are still many yards that look like they are 1/2 dead, but it's only because the grass hasn't woke up completely.

With this cooler weather now, there will be many people that'll end up buying into the idea that somehow their yard died off last winter, when in fact it just hasn't come alive yet.

Work on getting your yard in shape over the summer with what's already established, then this August, first part of September, you can reseed. This is the time to do seeding if you can wait.

By this time you should have what's established in a mowing cycle, and hopefully most of the weeds under control, so the new grass doesn't have to compete with the weeds.

If you need to get seeded this spring, wait until mid-late April. The last thing you want to do now is seed it this weekend, have the grass start to germinate, and then have 2 nights of frost mid-April and kill the new grasses.

If you're going to reseed, make sure you do not use a Crabgrass preventer, or make sure you get one that allows seeding, if they are available in your area.