[donnj]

In the northeast we have cool season grasses so the grass goes through tremendous stress during the 4 seasons. Do a core aeration in the early fall with a aerator that extracts plugs, second week of Sept. is perfect. Apply as much lime as you can get your hands on, pelletized is better, a starter fertilizer with a low nitro count is needed at this time. Get yourself to a Lesco/John Deere location and spend the extra money on "Metro" seed. Apply the lime, seed, and fert after aeration, water daily and DO NOT let the soil dry out at all especially once the seed has germinated or it will die. Keep weeds in the the turf areas to minimum during the spring and summer. When mixing your weed potion to spray on the lawn be sure to use a SELECTIVE herbicide and add Dawn dish soap to the mix, never spray in direct sun "high noon" or over 85 deg. Many weeds have a oil coating on the leaf and if the herbicide isnt entered into the leaf and stem it will not kill the weed, the soap acts as a great surfactant. Good luck

Apply your pre-emergents when the Forsythia are in bloom, this week or next depending on soil temperatures, its easier to grow seed than control weeds. The weeds is ALWAYS the dominant species in the turf, less weeds = more grass, always keep blades sharp and never mow short!!!!!!! Always water in the morning, very very important for less disease and fungus