How to get a great lawn in Chicago?
Question:Well I live in Chicago, and my lawn ain't all the great, especialy with the neighbors kids runing over my front lawn(partly shaded) and four small dogs in the back(mostly sunny). Weeds aren't the problem as much as the bare patchs and crabgrass, I've seeded the lawn, put preen down, and I water lighty daily, What can I do?
Answers:
First, cut your watering schedule down to 1-2x per week and water deeply (1"+). Light watering will only encourage shallow root growth.
Also, you might have a problem with compacted soil, which happens in areas that get foot traffic. It also inhibits root growth. If you've ever noticed pools of water in your yard after a rain, that could be a sign of compacted soil. It's also common to see bare soil and weeds, too.
To treat this, the most reliable and fastest method is core aeration, which is basically a process of removing plugs of soil from the yard at a rate of 1 plug every 6" or so. These plugs are about 1/2" in diameter and 4-6" deep, depending on the tool. My yard is over Texas clay and I do aeration about 2x per year with a hand tool called a Turf Hound. It really makes a difference! My yard is green and I need less water since my grass roots are deep. Also, I prefer a hand tool to an aeration machine because I have a sprinkler system and some areas have tree roots I'm not interested in chopping up. The Hound Dog is very easy to use and I can cover a space of 5' x 10' in about 30 minutes. One note: core aeration will temporarily chew up your yard. In grassy areas it's pretty quick to hide with grass but bare areas will stay holey looking for quite a while. I suggest redoing seed after this to fix the pocky look. :-/
Last thing is to ensure that you're using the right grass seed for your partly shady, high traffic area. Good choices are tall fescue or kentucky bluegrass. These are cool season grasses and although you can plant them now, definitely overseed this fall to ensure a better lawn next spring. Also do a winterizer fall lawn fertilizer to give your lawn nutrients it needs to last until spring.
Regarding adding seed, make sure you lay down a layer of clean topsoil over the seed, at least a 1/2 inch, and if possible put a layer of loose-weave burlap over these areas to help keep the soil moist and to prevent erosion. Then, follow the seed package directions for watering.
You probably cann't grow grass seed under the trees- it's just too shady. Try a fescue or go to hostas and other shade perennials.
get a slingshot for the kids. everytime you see one run by, shoot the f**ker down!!
I have a very good reliable easy way to remedy your lawn problem, that will give you one of those tv looking lawns.
sorry but if you hate the CUBS you do not deserve a good lawn sorry man.
lifelong Cubs fan
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