I've just purchased my first house and the previous owners did not take care of the lawn...?

Question

The soil is rock hard and dusty. There are rocks and tree limbs embedded in the ground. What grass is there is spotty at best. Crab grass dominates and its minions are no less hideous weeds. I am told that September is the time to get started on my lawn renovation; but, where does one start???

Thank you wise and experienced lawn care pros!

P.S. - If I could afford to put down sod I would! But, like I said, I just bought my first house;)

Answer 1

Purchase some lawn tools, a rake, a shovel, maybe a wheelbarrow. Your own labour is free. Start with raking up leaves and debris, fix low spots by fill holes with topsoil and adding grass seed, fix high spots by cutting an X in the raised area, peel the sod back, remove as much soil as necessary from underneath and lay the sod back in place. Remember to choose the right seed for your growing zone, fertilize and irrigate. Later on when you have some extra dollars, you can do a soil test, to see what your soil is lacking, rent an aerator and a de-thatcher which will make your lawn healthier

Answer 2

Rent a "troy-bilt" tiller and, after you wet down the soil but not turn it to mud, till it once.  Then lay down a mix of compost, peat moss, a non-burning fertilizer, granulated sugar, epsom salt, and plain laundry detergent or twenty mule team borax and till it in.  Use the compost at a rate of 25 pounds per square yard.  As the rocks and wood is kicked out by  the tiller, burn the limbs in your grill and save the rocks to make a rock garden or to edge flower beds with.  Use a mix of seed sown once a month all year 'round.  Fescue, oats, rye and berseem clover.

Answer 3

Remove the debris first rocks limbs etc....You cannot do anything else untill this is gone..You will have to manually do this unless you can afford to hire a handyman or a couple school kids to..After that i would suggest renting a tiller for a weekend..and till it up at least 3 or 4 inches just for a lawn...not real deep like a vegetable garden..braodcast a layer of time release fertilizer in the soil as you till would be great..for grass you want a slow release granular fertilizer high in nitrogen..compost would not hurt as well if you can afford to buy some while tilling..turn it into the soil too..After this you can pretty well select the grass that you want, and one appropriate for the growing zone you live in...When you rent a tiller.. Find a rental place that is closed on Sunday and rent the tiller as soon as they open up Saturday morning..They cannot legally charge you for the extra day if they are closed upon that day, so the tiller will not be returnable untill Monday morning  when they open....The rental is for 24 hours..and they will be closed then..so it will be returnable the same time you picked it up on thier next buisness day...