# First spring after horrible crab grass on a new lawn



## Pognox (Apr 21, 2019)

Hello everyone-

This is my first post and I want to start by saying thank you in advance!

I live up in central Vermont where our spring is just beginning now and I have gotten almost all of it hand raked at this point.

Last spring I took a few trees down and brought in a ton (close to 20+ yards) of top soil in order to level out some massive issues in the yard.

When I first bought the house it had two huge spruce trees, a pine, and the neighbor has a row of pine that drop a lot of needles on the property line

So I leveled off the yard, mostly. Then seeded & covered and made sure to water at least once a day.

Crab grass took over. Being that it is a "new lawn" i expected that. I also wasn't against the free aeration! I attempted to pull out and reseed areas but they never sprouted.

After taking the rake all through out I feel like I took a good amount of thatch, dead crab grass, and pine needles.

I don't have thick patches of grass but some areas are thick patches of dead crab grass.

I know if I put a pre emergent on it grass seed won't take.

It's my first spring after a newly planted yard & a lot of dead crab grass.

Any and all help is much appreciated!

Can try to get some pictures tonight


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## ctrav (Aug 18, 2018)

Any pics yet??


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## Pognox (Apr 21, 2019)

ctrav said:


> Any pics yet??


No- not yet. By the time I got home it was dark. Will try to in the morning. Thank you for sure a quick reply!

I hope you had a good Easter


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## ctrav (Aug 18, 2018)

Pognox said:


> ctrav said:
> 
> 
> > Any pics yet??
> ...


Thanks and back at ya1 Pics always help the guys with expertise (not me) help out. All I know is Im learning everyday...


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## Pognox (Apr 21, 2019)

ctrav said:


> Pognox said:
> 
> 
> > ctrav said:
> ...


I was able to grab some pictures this morning. I still have quite a bit of spring cleaning as you can tell.

Since I've raked it the green has gotten much more so. Once the areas that have the leaves and snow thaw enough to rake I'll get those cleaned up. 




















Where the flag is and flower garden is my side yard I call it. Where the play area and my sons toys are is my back yard. I didn't take any of my front overall becuase I haven't cleaned that up yet.

After I did all of the top soil work last spring I seeded quite heavily and covered in straw and did my best with it. I'm at a cross roads currently.

Do I over seed now? Do I fertilize now? Do I pre emer?

It's not a huge yard so all options are appreciated!


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## Wes (Feb 15, 2017)

What kind of grass is in the conservation mix? I feel like this thread should be in the cool season section, where you might get better advice. If in fact you have cool season grass, a moderator can move this topic for you.


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## Pognox (Apr 21, 2019)

Wes said:


> What kind of grass is in the conservation mix? I feel like this thread should be in the cool season section, where you might get better advice. If in fact you have cool season grass, a moderator can move this topic for you.


If I misplaced this post I apologize. I went by a good guess to be honest.

But I have:

Perineal rye grass
Creeping fescue
Annual rye
Kentucky bluegrass

It was a lawn mix that my local store mixes up


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## Wes (Feb 15, 2017)

@Ware It looks like this might belong in the cool season forum. Hoping someone there can provide more help.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

@Pognox I moved this to the cool season subforum. Thanks @Wes.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Welcome. I'm not sure if the raking help or hurt you. Sometimes raking early in the season rips away good grass. I see some sections that could green up once things warm up more, but other look bare.

I think you should overseed. Stay away from creeping fescue and annual rye. I think those two are weeds instead of grass.

But to prevent crabgrass, use Scott starter with weed preventer at seed down and at 30days after germination. Once you are at 60 days, then use prodiamine. You will need to avoid the lawn getting dry in the summer but I am assuming you can in Vermont.


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## Pognox (Apr 21, 2019)

Ware said:


> @Pognox I moved this to the cool season subforum. Thanks @Wes.


Thank you for the help in moving this.


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## Pognox (Apr 21, 2019)

g-man said:


> Welcome. I'm not sure if the raking help or hurt you. Sometimes raking early in the season rips away good grass. I see some sections that could green up once things warm up more, but other look bare.
> 
> I think you should overseed. Stay away from creeping fescue and annual rye. I think those two are weeds instead of grass.
> 
> But to prevent crabgrass, use Scott starter with weed preventer at seed down and at 30days after germination. Once you are at 60 days, then use prodiamine. You will need to avoid the lawn getting dry in the summer but I am assuming you can in Vermont.


Thank you for your time!

So I decided to rake because I had some left over clean up from fall but we had a lot of snow this year. Most of the worst areas are where the snow pack was so it could also have salts and other gross stuff on it.

I knew I had a problem last year but couldn't get ahead of it.

But I also had a lot of straw it seemed in some areas from when i originally planted it.

I went to my local supply store and talked to someone there and explained to them what I had going on and showed them the same photos I posted & she told me to use a pelletized lime ca-mag on it overall and a little extra under the pine trees.

I did that last night hoping it won't be a mistake

But I snagged some more pictures tonight and things are looking more green which I'm happy about.

As for the annual rye and creeping fescue- I went with this mix because it was one of the ones mixed in bulk and allows me to buy it for what I though is a deal. I honestly agree though that they look like more of a weed too. Once I get a more established lawn will I be able to filter it out in time to remove it from coming back al together?

I'm no expert on anything. I know what I have now is better than what I started with. Took down 6 trees over all in this tiny yard and had stumps removed. So flat is an improvement.

Let me know what you think it looks like just with a few days of sunshine. Of course they are calling for 37 degree Friday night 










The big dark area also had the leaves I wasn't able to pick up in the fall & had a large amount of snow from plow truck. I also have some areas I need to fix the grade for run off. Hence the mulch displaces on the girlfriends flower area

So just throw the seed down once it's warm enough and let it play out?


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## jessehurlburt (Oct 18, 2017)

g-man said:


> I think you should overseed. Stay away from creeping fescue and annual rye. I think those two are weeds instead of grass.
> 
> But to prevent crabgrass, use Scott starter with weed preventer at seed down and at 30days after germination. Once you are at 60 days, then use prodiamine. You will need to avoid the lawn getting dry in the summer but I am assuming you can in Vermont.


^^^


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## Coy9901 (Oct 15, 2018)

I had to do some Spring overseeding. Please confirm that this whitening is crabgrass being halted by the Tenacity that I sprayed at time of seeding (seeded 26 days ago)? Thanks in advance!


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

Coy9901 said:


> I had to do some Spring overseeding. Please confirm that this whitening is crabgrass being halted by the Tenacity that I sprayed at time of seeding (seeded 26 days ago)? Thanks in advance!


That looks like nutsedge.


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## Pognox (Apr 21, 2019)

g-man said:


> Welcome. I'm not sure if the raking help or hurt you. Sometimes raking early in the season rips away good grass. I see some sections that could green up once things warm up more, but other look bare.
> 
> I think you should overseed. Stay away from creeping fescue and annual rye. I think those two are weeds instead of grass.
> 
> But to prevent crabgrass, use Scott starter with weed preventer at seed down and at 30days after germination. Once you are at 60 days, then use prodiamine. You will need to avoid the lawn getting dry in the summer but I am assuming you can in Vermont.


Just wanted to thank you for the good advice. The lawn is looking much better than it just 3 months ago.

I'd love to be able to pick your brain about a few other things if you get the time


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

I'm sorry, but that looks like crabgrass.


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## Pognox (Apr 21, 2019)

g-man said:


> I'm sorry, but that looks like crabgrass.


I don't doubt it. I had a heck of a mess when I started and this is greatly improved.

This lawn has a 4 seed mixture and I wanted to talk to someone about moving forward and changing it over time as well as working on getting a more uniform color green across it.

I also have these weird bumps sporadically all over where I'd presume the rain and such washed away before grass grew there making little pits? What is the easiest way to deal with that?

Again I'd love to be able to pick your brain


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