Overseed or full reno

Discuss how to and whether you should renovate your lawn
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jscottwoodwork
Posts: 2
Joined: April 29th, 2020, 10:20 pm
Location: Chicago sw suburbs
Grass Type: I don't know
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Overseed or full reno

Post by jscottwoodwork » April 29th, 2020, 11:23 pm

I posted this first in cool season grasses topic before seeing this topic

Hello, I am interested in either overseeding or doing a full reno on my front yard this fall.
I live near Chicago and have almost all full sun.
I hate the look of my lawn, different colors and grass varieties.
Am I better off killing the front yard and starting from scratch?
Can I get an even color/texture in front yard by overseeding?
I am very new to the lawn game re: growing seed.
Thanks in advance for any help!
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bpgreen
Posts: 3871
Joined: January 3rd, 2009, 2:28 am
Location: Utah (Wasatch Front)
Grass Type: Western, Streambank, Crested wheatgrass in front (with blue grama added in the heckstrips), sheep fescue in back; strawberry clovetr in both
Lawn Size: 3000-5000
Level: Experienced

Re: Overseed or full reno

Post by bpgreen » April 30th, 2020, 4:14 pm

I've never done a renovation, but I know that you'll never get a uniform lawn by overseeing. That's likely how the lawn ended up with different colors in the first place (periodic overseeing with different seed blends or mixtures). I've been overseeing my lawn with native grasses for years, and they still haven't taken over, and they have very different requirements from the traditional lawn grasses that were already in the lawn.

If you decide to do a renovation, you'll have there best results starting to plan now for seeding in August (probably around the middle).

You should probably start trying to come up with a good seed blend now and order well in advance. You should also decide what you want from the lawn. For example, do you want a showcase lawn with the darkest green you can get (or maybe something with a bluish tint)? Do you want something that's a uniform color, but it doesn't have to be great? Do you want a lawn that is low maintenance? Once you come up with what you want, there are people who are good at identifying cultivars (or you can check the testing sites).

It would probably be a good idea to get a soil test done (check the soils forum for instructions-- use Logan labs), especially if you want a showcase lawn.

northeastlawn
Posts: 1259
Joined: June 1st, 2015, 3:10 pm
Location: S.E. Mass.
Grass Type: KBG
Lawn Size: 1000-3000
Level: Experienced

Re: Overseed or full reno

Post by northeastlawn » April 30th, 2020, 4:49 pm

A full Reno is the way to go, but be careful.

My biggest mistake to this day is not knowing enough to take care of the POA Triv and POA Annua i had in my lawn Before I planted KBG. I killed the lawn in august as is the practice around here, but because those weed grasses were dormant, they all came back through the KBG I planted.

It may look like hell, but ID any weed grass in your lawn and kill it while it is growing in the spring. Spraying in August will not kill it. Then when your watering the new seed, your just helping the POA.

jscottwoodwork
Posts: 2
Joined: April 29th, 2020, 10:20 pm
Location: Chicago sw suburbs
Grass Type: I don't know
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: Overseed or full reno

Post by jscottwoodwork » April 30th, 2020, 10:54 pm

Thank you both for responding and for the advice! It definitely makes sense to not overseed.

I would love a kbg showcase lawn but what Im reading says it needs so much water in summer to look good. I do not have an irrigation system. 2 kids and not a lot of free time.

I am leaning towards a tttf. I really want a uniform look. So I believe I should go with a 100% seed.

I have a lot to learn but look forward to the challenge!

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