Melissa Scott

We do pull the dandelions all the way out so that is good. And we have a Tractor Supply right down the street so I will check their prices on the Milorganite. Thanks again for your input.

Thanks Tom. I will look into getting the soil test done. I have seen the milorganite in our local stores, but I also contacted True Value and they will order the Ringer for me, so may do that as well. Also, we don't have issues pulling the dandelions so that is fine. And the clover seems to have some flowers and again, we really wouldn't mind it all that much. It is kinda pretty. Our main thing is the dead sorry looking grass. I did some more reading and I understand now that the thatch is below the surface so dethatching wouldn't make sense, but what about aerating? I read somewhere that aerating is probably the better thing to do to get more oxygen nutrients down to the roots. Would this be ok to do right now in May? And at that time would we add some seed and fertilizer?

I appreciate your input!

John Polk wrote:Years ago, most lawn seed had some clover mixed in...makes for a healthier lawn.
Nowadays, most people are so fussy about their lawns...not a stray leaf in the lawn...that they don't routinely add the clover.

Actually, I guess I don't mind it all that much. It is more the dead grass or thatch on top of the soil. How can we get the grass looking healthier?

Shawn Harper wrote:IMO clover is a lawns best friend. Half the time someone asks me lawn advice I recommend it.

LOL, thanks. Can you explain why about the clover? Also, that is what we have in the 2nd picture right??

Hello, I would like some opinions for our lawn. It needs help. I recently came across Paul's article on organic lawn care and my husband and I were really interested in not using chemicals anymore. We have 2 kids so that is important for us with them playing outside. We live in Southwest Iowa so we have some pretty cold winters with good snowfall and hot humid summers with lots of rain in the spring/summer months. We have 17k lot with our backyard being pretty big and it also has a pretty big incline starting about 20 feet from the house.

For roughly the past 2 months we have been mowing on the highest and not bagging the grass. The last thing we put on there was in the fall, a winterizer. I know it is only May, but the lawn looks terrible. It is the worst I have seen it since we moved into this house 3 years ago. It looks splotchy and seems like there is a layer of dead grass on top of the soil. Dandelions and clover everywhere. We have a maple tree in the yard and those helicopter things are everywhere, some trying to grow. There are a few mushrooms as well. I read about using Ringer natural fertilizer, but I don't want to spend the money on that yet until I figure out if that is all it needs. I assume not. My husband was wondering if it needs to be dethatched. We also put a shovel into the ground and it went all the way down no problems. I should add that the back yard gets all the afternoon sun.

I am attaching some pics. Please ask away!!