Synthetic fertilizer goes on after the second mowing of real grass. If you use it earlier, the roots will not be ready yet.

Since you are a tractor kind of guy, look into a box blade. That is the tool landscapers use to prepare soil for a lawn.

I've got a "back blade", which works pretty good. It probably takes a bit longer than a box blade, but does a reasonable job, if you take your time. I'll move the dirt around with the back blade and then drag the area with some chain link fence.

It seems like I should apply some nutrients before seeding.

Well, I put the new "dethatcher" to work on the front lawn.

After I got done with the dethatcher, there were quite a few areas, which had nothing left, due to the fact that they were mostly creeping Charlie. I decided to disk the whole front lawn, re-grade it and re-seed it. We're looking at about 1/2 acre.

Then I found out, that it was probably too late to fall seed. Now what do I do? So, on the the 18th I sowed "contractor's mix", which I hope makes it. On the 19th it rained most of the day and the next several days look like they'll be warm and sunny.

I drug tons of stuff off the lawn, as it dried out, but even so there are remaining rolls of ?? probably the left overs from the creeping Charlie, which gathered together as I drug it after seeding.

{{gwi:120658}}

Most regulars of the lawn forum would probably not have used contractors mix. Generally speaking the quality is just too poor. On the positive side, contractors mix contains a high percentage of annual rye. Those seeds will, if irrigated, germinate in less than a week and give you a green, good looking grass through winter. By Spring, the annual rye will be dead and you would be left with a sparse lawn of the cheapest grass in the solar system.. But you are not going to let that happen. Later this year, probably in mid-December, you are going to dormant seed a decent grass seed mixture. Lesco would be a good source for quality seed. Judging by your pictures, a mixture of Kentucky blue grass and fine fescue (creeping red perhaps) and perennial rye should work well for you. Scotts Highest quality Kentucky blue grass mixture would be another choice. Neither of these grasses are the elite cultivars used on the front lawn of exclusive country clubs, but they are pretty good. Dormant seeding will sprout when conditions are right for it in the Spring. You should not use crabgrass preventer or weed killers in the spring until your lawn is up growing and been cut a few times. Good luck. Bill Hill

Bill, this is a rural environment. Most lawns have been seeded with hay seeds gathered from the barn floor. So, I'm not going for a "golf course look". When you have the house and 5 out buildings and 14 acres to maintain, taking care of the lawn, just falls in between the other things. Finding time to mow once a week is sometimes tough. Weed whacking .... when it's long over due.

Yes, I had planned on over-seeding with something better, but since I was running out of time, I felt I'd go with something quick and not overly expensive, just to get it started. If it doesn't grow, the loses will be minimal.

If I hadn't gotten a new Woods ZTR mower, which I find to be a lot of fun, I probably wouldn't have been encouraged to make improvements. I felt like, I wasn't totally justifying the ZTR.

Got my soil sample results today.

pH 5.6, phosphorus was high (117), potassium low (87).

So, I put down 3/4 ton of dolomitic lime so far (on the whole property), as that was all I could haul. I'll get another 500 pounds tomorrow. Then I need to repeat the whole process in 4-6 months. I still need fertilizer, which I can put on the original lawn, which hasn't been disturbed.

It seems like, maybe I should have plowed the yard and planted buckwheat.

The creeping charlie will not be eliminated by the work that you did. It will just shoot out more runners and be back probably thicker than ever...

Be prepared to deal with charlie next year. Don't spend any money on a quality grass seed, if you plan to chemically zap charlie next spring.