Help from Lawn Care experts

We are going to be having a Graduation party this summer in mid to late June. I want to do whatever possible to getting the lawn looking good. I would rather not use a Lawn Care service but would if necessary. Just need some advise of what to do and when. A few questions I have are:

When to rake or dethatch lawn?
When to put down spring Fertilizer? I did fertilize it last fall if that makes a difference
When to do various weed control?
Is overseeding in the spring a good idea? or should I wait till fall to do this.

In the past I’ve just hooked a bottle of weed control to my garden hose when the dandelions started to show up, Mow when the grass gets high or when I find time, and turn the sprinklers on from time to time when it starts to look a little dry. I know if i want one of those nice looking lawns I’ll probably have to put in a little extra time on it this spring and summer.

I am not an expert, but this is what I do and when and my lawn has really turned around since I have owned the place.
I dethatch my yard before applying any product to it for obvious reasons. I do it every Spring, when its dry. Dont do it when its wet as it will damage your lawn most likely.
I use a combination fertilizer, weed killer and crabgrass prevent and apply that probably in a couple weeks but basically when trees are budding out pretty good is a good time.
I have problems with grubs in my yard so I treat that with a product as well and will do that around the same time as the weed n feed application.
Some say the crabgrass prevent needs to be done when soil is at a certain temp, but I just go by what the trees all look like.

The U of M has this guideline calendar for lawn maintenance.

https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/lawn-care-calendar

Take in to mind the early spring we have to this year so that might affect those dates a little bit.

dethatch when the grass is active and is starting to grow. fertilizer can go on soon but im waiting for moisture in our area first. as far as broadleaf herbicide i use trimec classic which you cant find at most stores but you can get it online or stores that sell commercial fertilizer and supplies. put down some spring fertilizer and i am a fan of milorganite fertilizer. you can put that stuff on as thick as you want and anytime and it wont burn your lawn.

and as you mentioned mow your lawn high! scalping and mowing very short will ruin a lawn very fast unless you constant irrigation and herbicide

I raked my lawn yesterday then put down crabgrass preventative/fertilizer.
Ill hit it again with straight fertilizer in a couple months. I just play it by ear and what the lawn tells me. I have always had one of the best lawns on my street and I use NO broadcast weed killers. A healthy lawn will take care of most then you just need to stay on top of picking out or spraying the odd weed or dandelion that takes hold. That’s just how I do it. I like to spend the extra time on my lawn. On good rain years my lawn is lush. On dry years or late summer I use my inground sprinkling system just enough to keep it alive. I don’t care as much as I used too and would rather spend that money elsewhere.

As noted above, you can dethatch as soon as your lawn dries out from this rainy spell. To cut down on mulch in the future, make sure that your lawn mower has a true mulching blade on it. A mulching blade will cut the grass into finer pieces, reducing the need to dethatch as often, and those smaller pieces will return nutrients into the ground acting as another fertilizer.

I usually put down fertilizer once I see significant growth. I like Milorganite since it’s much cheaper than Scotts, is organic and won’t burn the lawn, and you don’t have to worry so much about spread rate. This has helped turn my lawn around. Note that Milorganite does not include weed control.

I would use pre-emergent weed control soon. It may be too late in some spots like next to a curb or road where the ground has heated up faster. I also like to use a weed control liquid and spot spray with a can sprayer rather than an full granual product application. But spot spraying may not be feasible is you have a large property.

It’s beneficial if you have your lawn aerated prior to overseeding. It’s best to do in the Fall with the cooler temps, however, you can do it in the Spring as well. Just know that you’re going to have to water all of that seed everyday for a while and then regularly thereafter once it germinates. Using a starter fertilizer or Milorganite with the new seed is a good idea.

For a nice kick before your party, you can fertilize maybe a week or two prior and your lawn will have a deeper color. You can also spray liquid iron for a deeper green. Finally, mow high as it’s healthier for the lawn and prevents sunlight from reaching weeds.

As above, rake or dethatch as soon as practical but not when ground is wet.

One big mistake to avoid: Crabgrass killer (or combination “weed and feed” products that contain crabgrass killer) is a pre-emergent chemical. This means it kills the germ of the crabgrass seed before it germinates. The issue is if you put down crabgrass killer, and also over-seed with new grass seed, the crabgrass killer will also kill the germ of the new grass seed you put down.

So do NOT put down crabgrass killer or a combo product that contains it if you intend to overseed to fill in bare spots. Over seeding is great if you need it, but do proper prep or you’re just wasting seed. Also buy the correct grass seed for the application. Using shade seed in shady areas and full sun seed in high-sun areas makes a huge difference vs generic “all purpose” seed which is mostly crap.

Keep on top of dandelions with 2-4-D spray. IMO the hose-end sprayer is the way to go, just do the whole lawn. Spot spraying for dandelions IMO is a waste of time because you miss as many of them as you kill so it’s a never-ending process.

I would personally let the lawn wake up a little more before you apply the first dose of fertilizer. Nitrogen is what makes the lawn green and nitrogen is easily lost through evaporation and runoff, so IMO it’s better to wait until the lawn is ready to use it before putting it down.

Do NOT over-fertilize and burn the lawn. The right amount is good. More than the right amount is very bad. Make sure your spreader works and shut off the spread at the end of every pass to avoid dumping fertilizer at every turn or over-applying at the end of each pass.

Personally, I would apply fertilizer in mid-late April and then again about 10-14 days before the event. Also get your last round of weed control in at least 7 days before the event to give time to achieve a kill and get rid of that “lawn spray” smell.

Lastly, don’t scalp the lawn. Most guys mow way, way, way too low. I mow at the 2 inch setting in spring/early summer and then even longer in the high summer. I’m not sure that’s exactly the length the mower cuts but the point is longer is better than shorter because you get the thicker look and the grass is happier and stays greener.

Same as most above. Many rake/dethatch too early in the season when the grass is just beginning to grow- that does more damage than good. Fertilizer/weed control when the dandelions first start to show ( the green plant part not the yellow flowers) and then ( i have irrigation system) i water first and then do the weed and feed application because it is far more effective when spread onto the wet weed surface in terms of killing/controlling the weeds and I don’t let it get wet again for a couple of days so the weed killer has time to work. Gotta pay attention to the weather. I carry a small pop bottle size container of the weed and feed and a little hand pump style quart size sprayer and walk around and spray the weeds with water and sprinkle a little of the weed and feed on them (Augusta got NOTHIN on me).
I also water deeply ( my zones run for 30-40 minutes once or twice a week if dry. Get a good soak! Too many people that have irrigation run them 3,4,5 times a week for like 12 -15 minutes?! That only encourages shallow root growth and a lawn this is susceptible to drought and weeds. Mow it LONG so the grass can help shade it’s roots for when it’s hot and long grass also helps keep the sunlight from reaching weeds trying to grow. I also have 3 blades for my mower so they are always sharp. When blades are dull they rip instead of cut and this also has a detrimental effect on your grass. I mow a different direction every time as well. Mow it a little short for your party when that time comes. Our grad party on Saturday I mowed a little shorter than normal on Wednesday and a little more on Thursday and then it was short and green on Saturday.
My two cents

suzuki wrote:

A healthy lawn will take care of most then you just need to stay on top of picking out or spraying the odd weed or dandelion that takes hold. That’s just how I do it. I like to spend the extra time on my lawn. On good rain years my lawn is lush. On dry years or late summer I use my inground sprinkling system just enough to keep it alive. I don’t care as much as I used too and would rather spend that money elsewhere.

Same. It generally looks better when the weather is cooler and wetter rather than hotter and drier, but you can’t control mother nature. 2 applications of fertilizer/weed control – one in the spring and one in the fall. Maintaining a healthy lawn is the best way to keep from weeds growing because the grass uses all the water, sunlight, and nutrients instead.

Fishthumper, one thing to consider if you are going to have a lot of foot traffic on it for this gathering is that its very important that its not dry when it happens. Keep it heavily watered until the day before so that it can recover afterwards. If you get people on it for hours when its dry, you will have a problem.

I use 2-4d for weed control and spray the whole yard once weeds are actively growing. Usually may or so. Fertilize every few weeks with generic 13-13-13 and keep a rather thin coat on more frequently than a single heavy dose. Then the big thing is mowing really high. No lower than 3.5” is my rule. Edging with an actual edger makes a big appearance difference too. Also a mower with a roller that stripes the lawn can look sharp. This is mine from last fall…

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Looks sharp Adam. No trees?

A lot of people make the mistake of mowing their lawn too short. I have several neighbors that scalp it. Its fine as long as it gets water soon afterwards but if you cut it short and then it gets hot and dry out, its scorched earth.

Ha no trees for this guy…which also means I don’t rake or clean gutters! Also don’t have much shade. Neighbor to the north and I have a friendly competition going for greenest yard…it gets a tad obnoxious once in a while with the prep and cutting it just so to make the guy next to you look bad lol. He has a nicer yard than mine 90% of the time, and I get lucky with fertilizer and rain timing once in a while.

Adam Steffes wrote:

Ha no trees for this guy…which also means I don’t rake or clean gutters! Also don’t have much shade. Neighbor to the north and I have a friendly competition going for greenest yard…it gets a tad obnoxious once in a while with the prep and cutting it just so to make the guy next to you look bad lol. He has a nicer yard than mine 90% of the time, and I get lucky with fertilizer and rain timing once in a while.

Man, I thought I was anal!?

FYI, I get ground temp emails from the U of M and right now is the time to put down crabgrass preventer. The ground has had 5 days with above 50 degree temps for 24 hours a day. Crabgrass starts to germinate at 55 so get it down now, this is for the metro area and south.

Sprinkler system!!! And fertilizer!!

If this all seems to time consuming and expensive just have the guests park on the lawn and nobody will notice.

Dutchboy wrote:

If this all seems to time consuming and expensive just have the guests park on the lawn and nobody will notice.

Dutch – I like how you think !!!

I would plan on 2 apps of crabgrass preventive. They have it with fertilizer so you’ll get benefits of both. One app won’t make it through the season and in July you’ll see crabgrass.

fishthumper wrote:

We are going to be having a Graduation party this summer in mid to late June. I want to do whatever possible to getting the lawn looking good. I would rather not use a Lawn Care service but would if necessary. Just need some advise of what to do and when. A few questions I have are:

When to rake or dethatch lawn?
When to put down spring Fertilizer? I did fertilize it last fall if that makes a difference
When to do various weed control?
Is overseeding in the spring a good idea? or should I wait till fall to do this.

In the past I’ve just hooked a bottle of weed control to my garden hose when the dandelions started to show up, Mow when the grass gets high or when I find time, and turn the sprinklers on from time to time when it starts to look a little dry. I know if i want one of those nice looking lawns I’ll probably have to put in a little extra time on it this spring and summer.

It’s a little pricey but tear out the grass and replace with green asphalt. No mower needed. A good leaf/gravel blower and you’re done.

Very hard decision because I hate, did I mention Hate, Creeping Charlie. Anyways after research, I am not going to apply weed and feed to my lawn at all this year. I am going to let the Dandliions, Clover, and other pieces of poop plants flourish. I am doing this for our Honey Bees, Butterflies, and other critters. It took a lot of thought to do this, but I believe it is the right thing to do. I will also be planting Mild Weed in my flower gardens for the Monarch Butterflies. I already have a pollination garden of native wildflowers, but I think I can do more. Your deal. I used to like a yard that looked like a Golf Course, today I think differently. I still hate Creeping Charlie, but am trying to make peace. I actually lulled around the idea of planting my entire yard in wild flowers, but the fire risk I anticipate has quashed that.

All of the above were done this week before the rain. Except weed control. Will wait a bit for that. Maybe a month. Probably less if weather stays similar. Worked for my brother in lawn care industry for 15 years. Still have plenty of time but early spring for sure.

I hate lawn maintenance with a passion. No fertilizer, no pesticides, no watering when dry. I mow it down to 1″ of the ground and it keeps coming back.

Short of burning it, I’m trying to kill it. Bees love me because of the dandelions and weed flowers.

Rip are you saying now is Not the time for pre-emergent? Would think their would be no harm in getting down a little early, unless it washes away-late is a no go.

Not to derail but seems like some of you guys know a thing or two.

We put sod down in the fall. It hasn’t completely taken root but seems to be in good shape. Should we be cautious on fertilizer or any other applications until it’s firmly rooted?

What about aeration? I didn’t see that mentioned.

I should add that I overseed pretty much every fall to wipe out those bare patches that come along inevitably due to varmints or standing water from a big rain or from kids etc. I do my dethatching, aeration, and then overseed and rake in the fall while its cool. I usually cut the grass down to maybe 2.5” and bag it all then go after it with the dethatcher and rake to prep for overseed. I try to do it early enough in the fall to have time for it to recover in the cool rainy season then go to sleep for the winter. Usually it ends up looking terrible for about two weeks.

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Matt Moen wrote:

We put sod down in the fall. It hasn’t completely taken root but seems to be in good shape. Should we be cautious on fertilizer or any other applications until it’s firmly rooted?

Fertilizer is fine with sod. The issue is with grass seed and using weed control. A herbicide intended to kill weeds could cause harm to grass seed before it has taken hold. Also, have you cut the sod yet? If you haven’t, let it grow real long and then when you mow it for the first time make sure you cut it cross ways, not with the strips.

Matt Moen wrote:

Not to derail but seems like some of you guys know a thing or two.

We put sod down in the fall. It hasn’t completely taken root but seems to be in good shape. Should we be cautious on fertilizer or any other applications until it’s firmly rooted?

i would use starter fertilizer or milorganite on that or both. not something with really high nitrogen if its dry. keep it well watered

Snake ii’s wrote:

I hate lawn maintenance with a passion. No fertilizer, no pesticides, no watering when dry. I mow it down to 1″ of the ground and it keeps coming back.

Short of burning it, I’m trying to kill it. Bees love me because of the dandelions and weed flowers.

Sounds like someone needs to move into an apartment or a development with a maintenance association!

i personally like doing lawn maintenance and having nice green lawn. my dad owns a lawn care bussiness and ive helped him since i was in the 5th grade when he gets behind or needs extra help.