The Grass Doctor

Could anybody give me the right recommendation for getting this lawn to grow good?

This lawn was seeded last fall and the results are below (3 pics). (Tennessee zone 6b) The lawn has an irrigation sprinkler system. Want to know if it is better to put down pre-emergent now and wait 6 weeks or instead to go ahead focus on growing more grass. aerate, seed and fertilize really good again and to come after in summer time and spray for weeds with 24D or MSMA selective post emergent herbicides? This will kill even the crabgrass that came up as well ? I think somebody had told me their was even a granular post emergent chemical you could put down that would kill crabgrass after the event. http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w65/cliffedwardsk/PicturesApril12007042.jpg http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w65/cliffedwardsk/PicturesApril12007044.jpg http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w65/cliffedwardsk/PicturesApril12007043.jpg DONT WANT CHEMLAWN. ACTUALLY , I AM THE LANDSCAPER.

Public Comments

1. COW MANURE!
2. Chemlawn is a great company...
3. a good tip for bright green lawn, is to drip human urine on the parts of the lawn that either hasnt sprouted yet, or on the parts of the grass that has sprouted but dried out. trust me, it works. if you have a young nephew, son, or brother ask to borrow him for the day. spend the whole day outside and tell him that whenever he has to go pee, that he should go on the brown patches. it is really fun for him, plus it helps him with his potty training.
4. I agree with you.... your suggestion of aerating and then spreading a generous amount of compost (1 to 2 inches)over the top of your lawn and then brushing it in to the holes. My advice is to rake up the "Plugs" you pulled out during the aeration process and discard them. (These plugs usually have weed seeds embedded within so when you mow, they'll germinate) The compost will help with germination and also introduce the beneficial bacteria and fungi needed to help get your lawn looking healthier. Compost will help deter any fungal diseases that you might encounter and also utilize the fertilizer better. From your photos, I notice you have some thatch which might be presenting some problems with proper water and fertilizer penetration. This should be done prior to aerating. I wouldn't apply a pre-emergent herbicide before over-seeding. There are a couple of good post-emergent herbicides for crabgrass. I've included the information on them so you can decide which route to go. http://www.turfgrasstrends.com/turfgrasstrends/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=12697 Hope you find this information useful and good luck with your lawn. -Certified Professional Crop Consultant with over 30 years of experience and a Degree in Plant Science