Lawn Care Tips (3 Viewers)

[The Tick]

Anyone have any good suggestions for Crabgrass control. My front yard has about 10 big ones, and they are multiplying. Last year I tried one of the hand bottle spray's that was supposed to take care of Crabgrass, but I swear it did nothing. One of my friends has suggested image, which I have to mix up myself in a spray tank, maybe that will be the answer.

Any other suggestions here? I need to get rid of that stuff, I have an OK Bermuda grass front lawn besides that crabgrass.

the best way to handle crabgrass is to attack it before it germinates.

Scotts has a product called "Halts" that you can put down in the early spring when you fertilize that helps prevent the crab grass from germinating.

Yeah, I'm using a pre-emerging now, but my biggest problem is the ones that took root a couple years ago, before I started using it.

Crabgrass is an annual so anything you see that's actually crabgrass sprouted from seed just this year. There's other weeds that look similar that are perennials.

Yea, I just read that, but I swear that some of these just never died from last year. Any chance in the warmer climates they manage to survive? I'm in the middle of Texas, and we didn't have a very cold winter at all this year.

 

[NewlyRetired]

My lawn has become thin and patchy. please critique my expected procedure to remedy this.

This is an area of about 1 acre. It is not thin or patchy enough to bring in loam (which worries me if the below will work)

In early fall

1) Rent thatcher and perform an aggressive thatch of lawn.

2) Rent an aerator and aerate entire lawn (ground appears to be very compressed right now)

3) Spread seed across entire lawn

4) Spread starter fertilizer across entire lawn

5) Keep moist for 2 weeks until full germination

I have never done overseeding like this. Will this work?

I wouldn't thatch AND aerate and once the seed is down you might want to add a step of rolling the yard to make sure the seed is in good contact with the ground.

So which one(thatch vs aerate) is better to do in the fall before seeding? (Assuming I use a slit seeder as recommended above)

I vote aerator. I purchased this one last year (at a local hardware store when it was on sale for less than this) and used it last spring and fall, and then again this spring. Instead of renting one and having to pick it up and drop it off each time, this has already paid for itself.

Thanks for the recommendation. I don't have a driving mower (I use one of the big walk behinds) so this might not work for me.

 

[shuke]

My lawn has become thin and patchy. please critique my expected procedure to remedy this.

This is an area of about 1 acre. It is not thin or patchy enough to bring in loam (which worries me if the below will work)

In early fall

1) Rent thatcher and perform an aggressive thatch of lawn.

2) Rent an aerator and aerate entire lawn (ground appears to be very compressed right now)

3) Spread seed across entire lawn

4) Spread starter fertilizer across entire lawn

5) Keep moist for 2 weeks until full germination

I have never done overseeding like this. Will this work?

I wouldn't thatch AND aerate and once the seed is down you might want to add a step of rolling the yard to make sure the seed is in good contact with the ground.

Definitely don't roll. He said his soil is already compacted.

 

[shuke]

For the aerator, it seems it would cost me $60 to rent at a 4 hour min (likely will take me less than half that time without rushing). I have asked for a couple of qoutes on having someone else to do it for me. Do landscapers have decent rates on this kind of thing? I mean, I am thinking that it should cost me right around that much to have someone do it for me. An hours worth of work for a landscaping company can't be that costly... no?

How big is your yard?

Lot is 9,704 sqft with a 1,963 sqft house. Minus out small dog run, other non yard area, driveway and garage.... Let's call it about 5,500 sqft

Should run you $60-80. But I agree with renting and splitting with neighbors.

 

[shuke]

My lawn has become thin and patchy. please critique my expected procedure to remedy this.

This is an area of about 1 acre. It is not thin or patchy enough to bring in loam (which worries me if the below will work)

In early fall

1) Rent thatcher and perform an aggressive thatch of lawn.

2) Rent an aerator and aerate entire lawn (ground appears to be very compressed right now)

3) Spread seed across entire lawn

4) Spread starter fertilizer across entire lawn

5) Keep moist for 2 weeks until full germination

I have never done overseeding like this. Will this work?

I've always read that if you aerate you do not need to de-thatch at the same time.

I do not think just throwing seed down on the ground. It needs good soil contact. You may want to rent a slit-seeder.

ok thanks. If I use the lawn slicer for the seeding, would you recommend Thatching or Aerating before that?

I would aerate to loosen the soil, then slit seed a few weeks later.

I have never personally slit seeded, but I just know throwing seed down doesn't work.

 

[NewlyRetired]

My lawn has become thin and patchy. please critique my expected procedure to remedy this.

This is an area of about 1 acre. It is not thin or patchy enough to bring in loam (which worries me if the below will work)

In early fall

1) Rent thatcher and perform an aggressive thatch of lawn.

2) Rent an aerator and aerate entire lawn (ground appears to be very compressed right now)

3) Spread seed across entire lawn

4) Spread starter fertilizer across entire lawn

5) Keep moist for 2 weeks until full germination

I have never done overseeding like this. Will this work?

I've always read that if you aerate you do not need to de-thatch at the same time.

I do not think just throwing seed down on the ground. It needs good soil contact. You may want to rent a slit-seeder.

ok thanks. If I use the lawn slicer for the seeding, would you recommend Thatching or Aerating before that?

I would aerate to loosen the soil, then slit seed a few weeks later.

I have never personally slit seeded, but I just know throwing seed down doesn't work.

I looked up slit seeding online and a few different "how to's" seem to recommend doing both aerating and thatching before hand. But you guys seem to agree that that is over kill

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/overseed-slit-seeder-87263.html

 

[The Commish]

My lawn has become thin and patchy. please critique my expected procedure to remedy this.

This is an area of about 1 acre. It is not thin or patchy enough to bring in loam (which worries me if the below will work)

In early fall

1) Rent thatcher and perform an aggressive thatch of lawn.

2) Rent an aerator and aerate entire lawn (ground appears to be very compressed right now)

3) Spread seed across entire lawn

4) Spread starter fertilizer across entire lawn

5) Keep moist for 2 weeks until full germination

I have never done overseeding like this. Will this work?

I wouldn't thatch AND aerate and once the seed is down you might want to add a step of rolling the yard to make sure the seed is in good contact with the ground.

So which one(thatch vs aerate) is better to do in the fall before seeding? (Assuming I use a slit seeder as recommended above)

Aerate

 

[shuke]

My lawn has become thin and patchy. please critique my expected procedure to remedy this.

This is an area of about 1 acre. It is not thin or patchy enough to bring in loam (which worries me if the below will work)

In early fall

1) Rent thatcher and perform an aggressive thatch of lawn.

2) Rent an aerator and aerate entire lawn (ground appears to be very compressed right now)

3) Spread seed across entire lawn

4) Spread starter fertilizer across entire lawn

5) Keep moist for 2 weeks until full germination

I have never done overseeding like this. Will this work?

I've always read that if you aerate you do not need to de-thatch at the same time.

I do not think just throwing seed down on the ground. It needs good soil contact. You may want to rent a slit-seeder.

ok thanks. If I use the lawn slicer for the seeding, would you recommend Thatching or Aerating before that?

I would aerate to loosen the soil, then slit seed a few weeks later.

I have never personally slit seeded, but I just know throwing seed down doesn't work.

I looked up slit seeding online and a few different "how to's" seem to recommend doing both aerating and thatching before hand. But you guys seem to agree that that is over kill

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/overseed-slit-seeder-87263.html

I'm no expert. I've never dethatched nor slit seeded. If your thatch is really bad, maybe you need to do it for the new seed to break through.

 

[The Commish]

My lawn has become thin and patchy. please critique my expected procedure to remedy this.

This is an area of about 1 acre. It is not thin or patchy enough to bring in loam (which worries me if the below will work)

In early fall

1) Rent thatcher and perform an aggressive thatch of lawn.

2) Rent an aerator and aerate entire lawn (ground appears to be very compressed right now)

3) Spread seed across entire lawn

4) Spread starter fertilizer across entire lawn

5) Keep moist for 2 weeks until full germination

I have never done overseeding like this. Will this work?

I've always read that if you aerate you do not need to de-thatch at the same time.

I do not think just throwing seed down on the ground. It needs good soil contact. You may want to rent a slit-seeder.

ok thanks. If I use the lawn slicer for the seeding, would you recommend Thatching or Aerating before that?

I would aerate to loosen the soil, then slit seed a few weeks later.

I have never personally slit seeded, but I just know throwing seed down doesn't work.

I looked up slit seeding online and a few different "how to's" seem to recommend doing both aerating and thatching before hand. But you guys seem to agree that that is over kill

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/overseed-slit-seeder-87263.html

I did both at my house one year....didn't seem to make much difference. Doesn't hurt, but I didn't see a huge benefit either. That's why I commented the way I did.

 

[SteevieG]

Also, not quite a lawn question but close enough since it concerns the yard and weeds. I have a small dog run with rocks. It is over run with weeds right now (after my car accident it was impossible for me to keep on top of this and the spring has come back with eagerness). I am looking to have someone clear the weeds for me but I am looking for a good option to treat to keep weeds from coming back. I am reluctant to use the vegetation killer stuff that I have for that area since that is obviously where my dog goes. I had someone mention using vinegar. Who has some thoughts/ideas on this?

Weed burner to clear them out since they are on rocks? I've heard of using vinegar but never have tried it.

 

[The Commish]

Also, not quite a lawn question but close enough since it concerns the yard and weeds. I have a small dog run with rocks. It is over run with weeds right now (after my car accident it was impossible for me to keep on top of this and the spring has come back with eagerness). I am looking to have someone clear the weeds for me but I am looking for a good option to treat to keep weeds from coming back. I am reluctant to use the vegetation killer stuff that I have for that area since that is obviously where my dog goes. I had someone mention using vinegar. Who has some thoughts/ideas on this?

Weed burner to clear them out since they are on rocks? I've heard of using vinegar but never have tried it.

Plenty of solutions out there. Most are a combo of soap, vinegar, water and salt.

• Vinegar, from 1 tablespoon per gallon to full strength;
• Salt, from adding none to adding 1 pound per gallon;
• Soap, from none to 20% of the mixture;
• Water, from adding none to having the mix be 99% water; and using cool, lukewarm, warm or hot water;

Just google "homemade weed killer" and pick a recipe. They certainly work. I had one a couple years ago that I put down thinking I could put it on the grass too. I had lots of brown spots in my yard

 

[Wrigley]

Anybody use Ringer lawn repair?

 

[Chadstroma]

Also, not quite a lawn question but close enough since it concerns the yard and weeds. I have a small dog run with rocks. It is over run with weeds right now (after my car accident it was impossible for me to keep on top of this and the spring has come back with eagerness). I am looking to have someone clear the weeds for me but I am looking for a good option to treat to keep weeds from coming back. I am reluctant to use the vegetation killer stuff that I have for that area since that is obviously where my dog goes. I had someone mention using vinegar. Who has some thoughts/ideas on this?

Weed burner to clear them out since they are on rocks? I've heard of using vinegar but never have tried it.

Plenty of solutions out there. Most are a combo of soap, vinegar, water and salt.

• Vinegar, from 1 tablespoon per gallon to full strength;
• Salt, from adding none to adding 1 pound per gallon;
• Soap, from none to 20% of the mixture;
• Water, from adding none to having the mix be 99% water; and using cool, lukewarm, warm or hot water;

Just google "homemade weed killer" and pick a recipe. They certainly work. I had one a couple years ago that I put down thinking I could put it on the grass too. I had lots of brown spots in my yard

How long do they typically last? Am I applying this every weekend or is it good for a couple of months?

 

[Brony]

I looked up slit seeding online

hot!

 

[The Commish]

Also, not quite a lawn question but close enough since it concerns the yard and weeds. I have a small dog run with rocks. It is over run with weeds right now (after my car accident it was impossible for me to keep on top of this and the spring has come back with eagerness). I am looking to have someone clear the weeds for me but I am looking for a good option to treat to keep weeds from coming back. I am reluctant to use the vegetation killer stuff that I have for that area since that is obviously where my dog goes. I had someone mention using vinegar. Who has some thoughts/ideas on this?

Weed burner to clear them out since they are on rocks? I've heard of using vinegar but never have tried it.

Plenty of solutions out there. Most are a combo of soap, vinegar, water and salt.

• Vinegar, from 1 tablespoon per gallon to full strength;
• Salt, from adding none to adding 1 pound per gallon;
• Soap, from none to 20% of the mixture;
• Water, from adding none to having the mix be 99% water; and using cool, lukewarm, warm or hot water;

Just google "homemade weed killer" and pick a recipe. They certainly work. I had one a couple years ago that I put down thinking I could put it on the grass too. I had lots of brown spots in my yard

How long do they typically last? Am I applying this every weekend or is it good for a couple of months?

I STILL have a couple dead spots in my yard....almost two years now.

 

[D_House]

It's only May 15 but I have some areas in my yard that already look dry enough to be August 15. I did spray Bayer weed killer a few weeks ago, maybe it is in those spots. But I diluted it like I normally do. Not sure what the hell is going on.

Same issue for me. There's one side of my house that gets total sun all day long. No matter how many times I water it or seed it, it will be nice and brown.

Spread about a 1/2" layer of compost over the areas that are dry. You can let the rain/sprinkler work it in or lightly rake it down.Seems like most of he folks here use inorganic fertilizers and don't mulch mow. That combination leads to a dearth of organic material, leading to dead soil/sand that doesn't retain water very well. If this is happening in new areas of the lawn with heavy watering in mid-spring I'd imagine that the soil is the problem.

ETA: also when you are watering, do so deeply rather than frequently. And adjust your mower blade up a bit. This will helo your grass root development and increase drought resistance.

 

[NutterButter]

Another thing to consider for those with thin lawns is getting a soil test performed and seeing if you need to add lime. A test costs 20 bucks in my area. If your ph is low, the roots of the grass aren't going to be sucking up the fertilizer that you apply.

 

[shuke]

It's only May 15 but I have some areas in my yard that already look dry enough to be August 15. I did spray Bayer weed killer a few weeks ago, maybe it is in those spots. But I diluted it like I normally do. Not sure what the hell is going on.

Same issue for me. There's one side of my house that gets total sun all day long. No matter how many times I water it or seed it, it will be nice and brown.

Spread about a 1/2" layer of compost over the areas that are dry. You can let the rain/sprinkler work it in or lightly rake it down.Seems like most of he folks here use inorganic fertilizers and don't mulch mow. That combination leads to a dearth of organic material, leading to dead soil/sand that doesn't retain water very well. If this is happening in new areas of the lawn with heavy watering in mid-spring I'd imagine that the soil is the problem.

ETA: also when you are watering, do so deeply rather than frequently. And adjust your mower blade up a bit. This will helo your grass root development and increase drought resistance.

I have been mowing at my mower's maximum cutting height for years, and have always mulched mow.

But we do have compact clay soil, and I have not been good about aerating the past couple years.

 

[matuski]

Usually writing $400 checks for my monthly water bill by now... haven't had to turn my sprinklers on once this year.

 

[belljr]

You thatch to remove the dead grass and weeds.

you aerate to help the soil and promote grass root strength.

Then power seed

Aerate first then thatch. That way you break up the aerate balls

 

[NutterButter]

You thatch to remove the dead grass and weeds.

you aerate to help the soil and promote grass root strength.

The power seed

Aerate first the thatch. That way you break up the aerate balls

Don't you mow up all the thatch? You might suck up a lot of those balls. I dethatch, aerate and then use a "drag mat" made from a piece of chain link fence to mix the seed will the loose dirt/balls. Seems to do a good job of breaking up the balls.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Aerate first the thatch. That way you break up the aerate balls

I don't understand this (specifically the first sentence).....

Something is not matching up.

 

[The Commish]

Aerate first the thatch. That way you break up the aerate balls

I don't understand this (specifically the first sentence).....

Something is not matching up.

Aerate first THEN thatch....typo.

 

[The Commish]

Usually writing $400 checks for my monthly water bill by now... haven't had to turn my sprinklers on once this year.

HFS....that's a bit rich for my blood....I'd consider monkey grassing my whole yard at that much. We water every other day all month and we don't get over $100 for water.

 

[belljr]

You thatch to remove the dead grass and weeds.

you aerate to help the soil and promote grass root strength.

The power seed

Aerate first the thatch. That way you break up the aerate balls

Don't you mow up all the thatch? You might suck up a lot of those balls. I dethatch, aerate and then use a "drag mat" made from a piece of chain link fence to mix the seed will the loose dirt/balls. Seems to do a good job of breaking up the balls.

i do pick up the thatch. With a big tractor no worries.that's why I aerate first. Then thatch. The thatcher will break up most of the balls. That is the whole point.

that's how we always did it on all our fields.

now my yard has too many roots so I'm happy just to get green growing. I barely thatch or aerate much because of it

high quality lawns aerate twice a year

 

[belljr]

Aerate first the thatch. That way you break up the aerate balls

I don't understand this (specifically the first sentence).....

Something is not matching up.

Aerate first THEN thatch....typo.

Yes this

 

[The Commish]

You thatch to remove the dead grass and weeds.

you aerate to help the soil and promote grass root strength.

The power seed

Aerate first the thatch. That way you break up the aerate balls

Don't you mow up all the thatch? You might suck up a lot of those balls. I dethatch, aerate and then use a "drag mat" made from a piece of chain link fence to mix the seed will the loose dirt/balls. Seems to do a good job of breaking up the balls.

i do pick up the thatch. With a big tractor no worries.that's why I aerate first. Then thatch. The thatcher will break up most of the balls. That is the whole point.

that's how we always did it on all our fields.

now my yard has too many roots so I'm happy just to get green growing. I barely thatch or aerate much because of it

high quality lawns aerate twice a year

When typically is the second time (assuming fall is one of the times)? I don't mind doing it now that I can just pull one behind my tractor

 

[belljr]

Spring. Most golf courses aerate spring and fall

 

[NutterButter]

Spring seems like a logical time if you get a lot snow pack

 

[Chadstroma]

Also, not quite a lawn question but close enough since it concerns the yard and weeds. I have a small dog run with rocks. It is over run with weeds right now (after my car accident it was impossible for me to keep on top of this and the spring has come back with eagerness). I am looking to have someone clear the weeds for me but I am looking for a good option to treat to keep weeds from coming back. I am reluctant to use the vegetation killer stuff that I have for that area since that is obviously where my dog goes. I had someone mention using vinegar. Who has some thoughts/ideas on this?

Weed burner to clear them out since they are on rocks? I've heard of using vinegar but never have tried it.

Plenty of solutions out there. Most are a combo of soap, vinegar, water and salt.

• Vinegar, from 1 tablespoon per gallon to full strength;
• Salt, from adding none to adding 1 pound per gallon;
• Soap, from none to 20% of the mixture;
• Water, from adding none to having the mix be 99% water; and using cool, lukewarm, warm or hot water;

Just google "homemade weed killer" and pick a recipe. They certainly work. I had one a couple years ago that I put down thinking I could put it on the grass too. I had lots of brown spots in my yard

How long do they typically last? Am I applying this every weekend or is it good for a couple of months?

I STILL have a couple dead spots in my yard....almost two years now.

 

[The Commish]

Also, not quite a lawn question but close enough since it concerns the yard and weeds. I have a small dog run with rocks. It is over run with weeds right now (after my car accident it was impossible for me to keep on top of this and the spring has come back with eagerness). I am looking to have someone clear the weeds for me but I am looking for a good option to treat to keep weeds from coming back. I am reluctant to use the vegetation killer stuff that I have for that area since that is obviously where my dog goes. I had someone mention using vinegar. Who has some thoughts/ideas on this?

Weed burner to clear them out since they are on rocks? I've heard of using vinegar but never have tried it.

Plenty of solutions out there. Most are a combo of soap, vinegar, water and salt.

• Vinegar, from 1 tablespoon per gallon to full strength;
• Salt, from adding none to adding 1 pound per gallon;
• Soap, from none to 20% of the mixture;
• Water, from adding none to having the mix be 99% water; and using cool, lukewarm, warm or hot water;

Just google "homemade weed killer" and pick a recipe. They certainly work. I had one a couple years ago that I put down thinking I could put it on the grass too. I had lots of brown spots in my yard

How long do they typically last? Am I applying this every weekend or is it good for a couple of months?

I STILL have a couple dead spots in my yard....almost two years now.

They are right along the edge of my planting beds, so I have paid them no attention or tried to put grass back there. Point was, the brew I picked worked REALLY well. Other spots in the yard, we replanted grass and everything's good.

 

[VA703]

I'm trying to find the best spot to make a little vegetable garden. Zucchini lettuce kale etc. how much direct sunlight would this spot need? Is 6 hours enough

 

[D_House]

I'm trying to find the best spot to make a little vegetable garden. Zucchini lettuce kale etc. how much direct sunlight would this spot need? Is 6 hours enough

6 hours direct is good enough for lettuce and kale. the squash might need a couple more hours but everyone i know that grows squash in their full sun gardens get great production (more than they can eat) so 6 hours might be enough but just with a bit less productioni.

 

[shuke]

It's only May 15 but I have some areas in my yard that already look dry enough to be August 15. I did spray Bayer weed killer a few weeks ago, maybe it is in those spots. But I diluted it like I normally do. Not sure what the hell is going on.

Here are some examples: 1 2. I know these two areas are those that I reseeded last fall. Can't remember if I sprayed the Bayer around these or not. Is there some type of wait time with new grass before you can treat it for weeds?

 

[MattFancy]

Another thing to consider for those with thin lawns is getting a soil test performed and seeing if you need to add lime. A test costs 20 bucks in my area. If your ph is low, the roots of the grass aren't going to be sucking up the fertilizer that you apply.

I put down lime a couple times a year. Already put it down at the beginning of Spring and will probably do so again in another week or so

 

[belljr]

you should still get it tested because there's two types of lime 1 if your pH is too high and 1 if your pH is too low

 

[MattFancy]

you should still get it tested because there's two types of lime 1 if your pH is too high and 1 if your pH is too low

From talking to people in my neighborhood, we all have pretty acidic soil. Mine especially due to our dog.

 

[SWC]

brohans i just got my hands on a springy metal bar thatcher that tows behind my rider when in wisconsin would you bromigos say is the right time to run this thing or if i should even run it at all take that to the thank you bank

 

[The Commish]

It's only May 15 but I have some areas in my yard that already look dry enough to be August 15. I did spray Bayer weed killer a few weeks ago, maybe it is in those spots. But I diluted it like I normally do. Not sure what the hell is going on.

Here are some examples: 1 2. I know these two areas are those that I reseeded last fall. Can't remember if I sprayed the Bayer around these or not. Is there some type of wait time with new grass before you can treat it for weeds?

From the pics, that looks like fungus. Is it "crunchy" to walk on?

 

[matttyl]

When's the best time of year to dethatch a yard?

 

[The Commish]

When's the best time of year to dethatch a yard?

Don't think it really matters. I'd probably do it when it's relatively dormant just so I didn't stress it during the hot times of the year.

 

[shuke]

It's only May 15 but I have some areas in my yard that already look dry enough to be August 15. I did spray Bayer weed killer a few weeks ago, maybe it is in those spots. But I diluted it like I normally do. Not sure what the hell is going on.

Here are some examples: 1 2. I know these two areas are those that I reseeded last fall. Can't remember if I sprayed the Bayer around these or not. Is there some type of wait time with new grass before you can treat it for weeds?

From the pics, that looks like fungus. Is it "crunchy" to walk on?

Definitely dry/crunchy.

 

[Dark Matter]

It's only May 15 but I have some areas in my yard that already look dry enough to be August 15. I did spray Bayer weed killer a few weeks ago, maybe it is in those spots. But I diluted it like I normally do. Not sure what the hell is going on.

Here are some examples: 1 2. I know these two areas are those that I reseeded last fall. Can't remember if I sprayed the Bayer around these or not. Is there some type of wait time with new grass before you can treat it for weeds?

From the pics, that looks like fungus. Is it "crunchy" to walk on?

Definitely dry/crunchy.

Doesn't look like fungus to my eye from those pics. There is certainly a waiting period to re-seed for most herbicide applications. Looks like some spillage or misapplication?

FYI, de-thatching/aerifying should be done when turf is actively growing. Warm season grasses (bermudagrass, zoysia, St. Augustine) can be aerated/dethatched in the spring and in the fall usually if overseeding in a cool season variety. Cool season grasses (ryegrass, bluegrass, fescues) should be aerated/de-thatched in spring/fall not in heat of summer as they tend to grow slower and won't recover as well when it's hot. Both of these processes are driven by soil temperature and it's a good idea to fertilize ahead of the process to help in recovery.

 

[belljr]

Guranteed a dog is peeing there

Looks like too much weed killer or red thread

 

[shuke]

Guranteed a dog is peeing there

Looks like too much weed killer or red thread

Quite possible the one by the sidewalk is from passing dogs and the one near the front of the house is from ours.

Not red thread.

 

[AAABatteries]

I was going to say a big dog or FDAS pisses there frequently.

 

[The Commish]

It's only May 15 but I have some areas in my yard that already look dry enough to be August 15. I did spray Bayer weed killer a few weeks ago, maybe it is in those spots. But I diluted it like I normally do. Not sure what the hell is going on.

Here are some examples: 1 2. I know these two areas are those that I reseeded last fall. Can't remember if I sprayed the Bayer around these or not. Is there some type of wait time with new grass before you can treat it for weeds?

From the pics, that looks like fungus. Is it "crunchy" to walk on?

Definitely dry/crunchy.

Could it be from too much over seeding? This happened to me in my old house and grass was killing other grass in certain areas. The last thing to check is see if you have a concentration of grubs under those patches. They could be a problem too. Just going through the things I've encountered.

 

[Osaurus]

Need to get rid of what's left of my zoysia/weed patch I call a yard. Time to fully re-sod. Oof!

 

[Dark Matter]

Guranteed a dog is peeing there

Looks like too much weed killer or red thread

Quite possible the one by the sidewalk is from passing dogs and the one near the front of the house is from ours.

Not red thread.

Is it pee?

After core aerating or de-thatching, always rake/sweep up then apply lime or gypsum depending on your soil tests. You don't always need to take a core, in fact for homeowner lawns only areas of high traffic really need coring. Simply punching holes with solid tines and adding amendments will suffice.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Guranteed a dog is peeing there

Looks like too much weed killer or red thread

Quite possible the one by the sidewalk is from passing dogs and the one near the front of the house is from ours.

Not red thread.

Is it pee?T

After core aerating or de-thatching, always rake/sweep up then apply lime or gypsum depending on your soil tests. You don't always need to take a core, in fact for homeowner lawns only areas of high traffic really need coring. Simply punching holes with solid tines and adding amendments will suffice.

I was under the impression that you are not suppose to rake up after core aerating. I always thought you wanted the plugs to break down into the soil.