How do I do it myself?

[Down to Earth]

Our house we just bought this summer was pretty much had a back yard of tall weeds. I'm keeping them mowed so it looks somewhat decent, but would like to make it more of a lawn. How do I transform it into a nice grass lawn. Also, it is quite bumpy and I'd like to smooth it out. I own a Cub Cadet LT1050 and am wondering what I need to get that I can use on my own tractor and what if anything would I need to rent? Not necessarily looking for a quick fix, but something I can work on over time at an affordable cost.

Thanks.

Andy

[cheesehead]

Kill of whatever is growing

rototill the area.

pick up any stones and other debris

get a soil test

rototill the area.

pick up any stones and other debris

add the recommended soil amendments dependant upon your test results

rototill the area.

pick up any stones and other debris

rake the area level

pick up any stones and other debris

add a pre-emergent fertilizer designed for new seedings

rake again

spread your seed (recommended is 100% kentucky blue grass

mulch the newly seeded area (use marsh grass if available as is coveres well and contains few weed seeds.

water daily until a few weeks beyond the seed sprouting beging to mow the area when the sprouts are 3" tall.

[LwnmwnMan2]

Quote:

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Kill of whatever is growing

rototill the area.

pick up any stones and other debris

get a soil test

rototill the area.

pick up any stones and other debris

add the recommended soil amendments dependant upon your test results

rototill the area.

pick up any stones and other debris

rake the area level

pick up any stones and other debris

add a pre-emergent fertilizer designed for new seedings

rake again

spread your seed (recommended is 100% kentucky blue grass

mulch the newly seeded area (use marsh grass if available as is coveres well and contains few weed seeds.

water daily until a few weeks beyond the seed sprouting beging to mow the area when the sprouts are 3" tall.

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That's pretty much it, except there's not alot of pre-emergent that's okay for new seeding. I actually don't know of any. All that I know say not to seed for 6-8 weeks after application.

You'll have to just seed, then work the with whatever weeds pop up.

Also, you could use peet moss to cover the new seed.

[Down to Earth]

Thanks a lot for the feedback. My back area probaby is about .5 acres, which would be a bit much for a walk behind tiller & hand raking. Are there any options I can hook onto my cub cadet or will I need to go the renting option? Or just go with the walk behind tiller?

Thanks.

Andy

[reddog]

dont forget to compact after seeding. You will get 25% more germination with a little compaction. Dont put the seed too deep.

[IFallsRon]

See if your local rental center has a Harley rake attachment for a tractor. It's a roller with knobs on it that will grind and level the surface. You can follow up with a larger seeder to smooth the surface before applying the seed.

[hotrod1]

There is a product called Tupersan...a wettable powder that does work well against grassy weeds that you can apply at time of seeding. Not sure if it would be available to homeowners though.

[Down to Earth]

Haven't done this yet, wondering what is the best time of year to do this?

Thanks.

Andy

[Tim Boomgarden]

We just seeded two apartment buildings two weeks ago. I think you should be alright if you choose to do it soon.