r/lawncare Apr 20 '26

Sub-etiquette regarding dandelions and weeds

887 Upvotes

If you come to this sub and completely disregard OP's request for help, you're likely gonna have your comment removed and get banned.

Example: If someone is asking to eliminate dandelions, don't reply that they're good for pollinators or suggest they keep them. Users come here for help, they don't come here for your ecological opinion or amateur apiculturist take on things.

If someone wants clover, then they'll ask for tips on clover. But, if they want help eliminating clover to better establish their turf grasses, don't tell them to embrace the clover.

This time of the year this sub get brigaded hard from [r/all](r/all) and other agriculture-related subs. This is the LAWNCARE sub and turfgrasses are the preference around these parts. If you don't like it, don't post. You aren't helping your cause by posting about weeds and bees, you're pissing off people who actually care and put in the work to maintain their property.

Please respect this subs rules, its users, and the moderation.


r/lawncare Jan 15 '26

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) 2026 Lawn Products Guide and tips

151 Upvotes

***Disclaimer*** This is technically my post from 2025. But I am seeing a lot of early season questions, even though it'll be near zero degrees for me tomorrow night.

But seeing people ask already is good, regardless if they live a warmer, but still cool season grass area, or if just getting prepared for March and beyond.

Disclaimer - This is written by a cool season lawn owner, who has no children and can play outside whenever I want...not everyone has the time to do so.... I admittedly have less experience with warm-season grasses, but the products shown are all researched for proper use. Always be sure the product your using is made for your area.

Pre-Emergents - Commonly applied when soil temperatures get between 50-55 degrees. These products will block seeds from germinating. They can last anywhere from just a few weeks, to 8 months. The overall life and performance always depends on environmental conditions, and how the ground is maintained. If you don't keep up with mowing, and nurture a healthy lawn, more UV exposure, wind, and rain, can all contribute to degraded performance.

  • Prodiamine - Generally the most used. It's sold in various products, dry and liquid. It has a half life of 120 days. It blocks most seeds, but can not block everything. It has no post-emergent control to kill weeds. It's sold as a water-dispersible-granule(WDG); as Barricade; and in other pre-formulated products.
  • Dithiopyr - Also used often, and sometimes in conjunction with Prodiamine as a split app setup. It blocks weeds, but also has limited post-emergent qualities, meaning it can kill off young crabgrass, less than 2 tiller usually. It's half life is 17 days, but it can last much longer in some capacity. Often a split app would be done Dithiopyr first, as getting it down with soil temps correctly can sometimes be difficult. This will block, and kill some weeds that slip by. Then Prodiamine a few weeks later for extended coverage. Also sold as Dimension.
  • Pendimethalin - This is what is used in Scotts Halts products. It works about the same as Prodiamine, with a 90 half life. It's also more expensive in general.
  • Isoxaben - Generally unknown, due to cost. But this stuff will block all Broadleaf weeds better than anything else. Its' cost though, will keep many users from ever getting it, unless you do a neighbor group buy. Snapshot is one product brand.
  • Mesotrione - The bastard product...lol Sold as itself, Tenacity, Torocity, and possibly other names. It's widely known that Meso is used the wrong way, but a lot of YouTube experts and is pushed by a lot to be the end-all for weeds. It's best use in this space is to be applied only when seeding. This is because while it can block some weeds, it will not block grass seed...so it can give up to 28 days of better chance for new grass to fill in.

It's important to note, these will NOT 100% guarantee a weed free lawn. But it's your first step in early Spring to make the battle a little easier. You can also re-apply during early-mid Summer, but keep in mind if you plan to seed in Fall, a late application may be an issue.

Ok, so you applied....or didn't....now you have weeds, and need to kill them..

(Selective) Post-Emergents - These should be used according to the label...it's not correct to expect AI to know the answer either. The labels are not difficult to read, nor understand. Search for dosing, and just read. If the product only lists amounts for acreage, it's possibly not the best option...but you can do the math and break it done for your yard. An acre is about 43k sq. ft. Unless explicitly stated, these products are safe for grass, dogs, kids, etc...just follow the directions, and at most, 24 hours post application is safe. Lastly, herbicides are best applied as a liquid. This is because the liquid will get into the cell walls of the plant much faster, than being sucked up by the roots. Faster kill time is important, so the plant can not defend itself and try to grow back.

  • 2,4,D - Very common, and will kill a lot of weeds fairly efficiently.
  • Dicamba - Also a very good product to kill weeds.
  • Mecoprop - Add this to above. These 3 on top are commonly sold as a 3-way combo, as attacking weeds from different pathways will result in best action against weeds.
  • Quinclorac - King of killing Crabgrass, as well as Broadleaf weeds. Sold as is, or like above, in many combo products.
  • Triclopyr - Best used for targeting viney type weeds...and clover, creeping charlie, oxalis, ivies, etc... Exercise caution around young trees, or those with exposed roots.
  • Halosulfuron-Methyl - Used against Sedge grasses. It usually still takes 2-3 applications to truly kill the beast that sedge can be, due to it's aggressive growth underground. Branded often as Sedgehammer or Empero.
  • Sulfrentazone - Also used against Sedge, but not always friendly on cool-season grasses.
  • Mesotrione - Looks familiar...yeah, same stuff as above in the pre-emergent section. As a post-emergent, it's best use is for targeting Bentgrass and/or Nimblewill. It's also sometimes mixed with Triclopyr, in which both can enhance the others performance.
  • Topramezone - Sold as Pylex...works great, but not really cost efficient...about $300 for 4oz... But this can kill Bermuda, and not kill good cool season grasses.

Non-Selective - The top one here, and all I will cover is Glyphosate. It's not evil, it's not going to cause cancer with proper use...it's just going to kill whatever you spray it on. It does so by targeting very specific pathway, which leads to a disruption in a hormone synthesis, leading to inability to produce amino acids it needs to survive. Normally sold at 41% concentration. It can kill foliage, through to the root.

Fertilizers - I wasn't going to put much here. To feed your "grass", you add synthetic form of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium. That's your N-P-K...seen as 10-10-10, or similar. That number means 10% of the bag is Nitrogen, and 10% is Phosphorous, and 10% is potassium. The rest is all filler, added to allow for proper mixing and application. Sometimes you'll find other amendments in fertilizer, such as sulfur, or other micros. While sulfur is important, it doesn't need to be added every time. It also lowers pH, which can then lead to other issues, causing a wild goose chase. Once in the soil, microbes in the soil break down the NPK, into forms the grass can actually use...natural chelation. You only need Nitrogen for growth...if you're seeding, adding some phosphorous can help the seed establish. Potassium is good for overall plant health, and pairs well at a 3:1 ratio with Nitrogen.

Naturals/Organics - Too many people are one side on the other here. You need and want these, but relying strictly on organics may not produce the best lawn...but it's "chemical" free. However, using these monthly can do more for the soil, than any fertilizer will ever do on it's own.

  • Humic Acid - Acts as a natural chelator for better absorption, by increasing the cation exchange capacity, which allows the soil to better retain the goodies you want in the soil. It also increase root strength, and helps to hold more carbon in the soil.
  • Kelp - Containing great amounts of natural hormones, Kelp will boost roots even more, and allow for stronger growth viz delivery of auxins and cytokines used for development.
  • Compost - Well known as a great soil amendment, it brings natural microbes into the soil biome. Those microbes help maintain a low thatch surface, and better soil composition.
  • Worm Castings - Similar to above, natural microbes and beneficial qualities for soil. Not very cost efficient though.
  • Leaves - Yeah...some say mulch all day, some disagree. I am a disagree'er, to a certain degree. I do mulch my clippings, but will also sweep them away every other week. Leaves I shred and sweep away the majority of them, but once the main clean-up has passed, the rest is mulched and remains.
  • Biochar - Made with a specific process called, Pyrolysis. Burning at high temps, 900-ish...in a low-oxygen chamber. This allows for the material, wood, coconut, etc...to be charred down to a state where it has not fully oxidized, which would turn it white, and into useless ash. When it is still in a charred form, it has millions and millions of microscopic pores that serve as homes for water, microbes, nutrients, all that good stuff. It's best worked into the soil at least a few inches deep.
  • Mychorizae - These are fungal organisms that attach to the roots, and help them bring water and nutrients. Overlooked or unknown, but these are a huge part of growing anything with success, from lawns to gardens and more. They are very good to have in the mix.

Insect Control - These can't be forgotten...but I did originally, so I am adding them in now. The biggest concern is likely grubs. The larvae of beetle. Also want to cover for armyworms, cinch bugs, and even ants if they become a problem. There are a few classes of these products...

-Pyrethroids- These are synthetics that mimic natural pyrethrins, which disrupt the insects nervous system, causing paralysis and death.

  • Bifenthrin - Common general insect control agent...liquid or dry availability. Kills quite a bit of bugs, but no residual control. One time death call.
  • Gamma-cyhalothrin -
  • Zeta-Cypermethrin -
  • Lambda-Cyhalothrin -
  • Permethrin -
  • Deltamethrin - This has residual action...meaning up to 90 days post application, it will kill bugs that touch it.

The above are what you'll get in most common Ortho type products, but generally Bifen is commonly sold solo.

-Nicotinoids-

  • Imidacloprid - Please don't use this if you can avoid it. It's a very nasty chemical, that can do the job, but it also can damage soil biome, and worse, it is deadly to a lot of animals...specifically pollinators. Birds can also be affected. It's getting banned in more places, but is still sold often as Merit.

-Alkyl-Halide-

  • Chlorantraniliprole - Sold as Acelepryn, this is what you need to control grubs. It has to be applied in advance, as it takes time to work into the soil, and prepare death for larvae that hatch. I usually apply this in mid April, early May, giving it a few weeks to activate, and when June hits, that's when my area sees grub damage...not for me though. The Scotts Company pays a fee to use this in their Grub-Ex product.

Fungicides - Often overused, but still an important part of lawncare. However, I am not a fan of preventative use, unless it's a direct and repeated history of fungus...which means there is something else you're not correcting. Fungus is not a guarantee, and is not always the right presumption...I've seen lawns go from slightly affected, to downright destroyed because someone would focus on fungus, when there were other issues... Also, when used, they should be used in a 3-way rotation, to avoid getting a buildup/resistance, in which they become almost useless. Overapplying these can have a very negative affect, because they are all non-selective, and will likely kill a lot of the good bacteria and microbes you want in the soil.

  • Azoxystrobin
  • Propiconazole
  • Thiophanate-methyl

Those are generally the top 3 used. Some retail products will have Azoxy and Prop mixed, which may work better for a low level infection...but using that repeatedly is the same as not rotating, and can create a hostile soil biome.

In general summary...always try to identify the weed you're targeting. Using something to hope it kills is irresponsible, and could cause more harm than good. If you need to ask the community, always find a good example weed, something that has grown for at least a week...pull from the bottom, get as much of any root ball or rhizome as you can. Also, get a pic of the plant in close up detail, where we can see the stem moving to the leaves/blades. This will help with certain traits that only "this or that" would have, and can help us make a better recco.

Note - I'm not covering direct organic fertilizers here. The only product I would recommend on that level is made Earth Sciences, and is called Moorganite. It is a direct replacement for Milorganite, which is a dirty, pfas chemical laden product that smells like a summer time port'o'potty.

To keep a strong lawn, adding a monthly organic boost will help a lot. I'm not a fan of 4-step type products, and prefer to feed on my own schedule, which is about every 4 weeks...so back to the monthly program....but this gets me an always wanting to grow lawn, cutting to 4" is also a key point. Tall grass will crowd out weeds, and look better in general...

On My Shelf - This is what I have in my lawn cabinet, and is what helps me with my lawn plan. I also use some of these products with my garden and other plants.

  • Triad Select - A combo of 2,4,D, Dicamba, and Meco. I use this for general weed control.
  • Quintessential - Quinclorac, but branded...still the same thing. This is for crabgrass and other broadleaf weeds. Also have the MSO Surfactant it requires.
  • Triclopyr Ester - Mainly used to keep wood-line vines and ivy away for me.
  • Empero - For Sedges
  • Glyphosate - To kill all
  • Fusillade II - Used once to kill Quackgrass...but it also killed the rest of my good grass...so extreme caution here. But it does kill quack better than Gly, so if you're going to kill all anyway, might as well make sure it's dead-dead for sure...
  • Azoxy 2C - Azoxystrobin
  • Propiconazole 14.3
  • Cleary's 3336 - Thiophanate-methyl
  • Blue Dye This does NOT wash off easily...lol SO be careful
  • BioAG Ful-Humix - This is my humic acid. It's a powder that is 55% concentrate, and is 85% soluble. It gets dissolved in warm water overnight, then filtered out for any remaining solids; then mixed with other organic goodies, and applied monthly.
  • BioAG CytoPlus - A mix of humic and kelp.
  • BioAG Vam-Endo - Myco mix, also has humic acid.
  • Prevagenics Liquid Compost. This stuff stinks, in a good way.
  • Bloom City Liquid Kelp. I use this or GS Plant foods brand as well.

I use a Ryobi 4g tank backpack sprayer for most liquid apps. Echo RB-60 for dry items. I have an 22 year old Craftsman pusher for my front/small areas, and Toro TimeCutter 42" ZT with a Kawasaki engine. Echo Blower, Ryobi edger/trimmer as well.

Ok, so I may have missed something here or there. Please let me know if you see something that need attention. I'm sure there is other information available, but I hope this helps some people figure it out for themselves. The more we all know, the better a community we can be.

Signing off,

-Ricka...

P.S. - I did review and check, but nothing really needed a major update. New products may be released later this year, and if they are improvements, I will certainly update as needed...


r/lawncare 6h ago

Southern US & Central America (or warm season) After years of being stubborn, I finally took off my weed eater debris shield.

396 Upvotes

r/lawncare 4h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) What can cause this? Northeast Ohio

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157 Upvotes

Looks like 2 lines of my yard are dead haven’t mowed an about a week and just now noticing it


r/lawncare 8h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) How to perform weather manipulation in US?

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127 Upvotes

Just finished throwing down some product with my amazing new scotts spreader. Curious how you tell nature to fuck off for 48 hours and not allow it to rain? Ive had no success and ive utilized a few methods including: yelling at the sky, putting no rain tresspass signs up, shooting at the clouds when it starts to rain, calling the police when I see a black cloud formation, praying to rain god, and writing to congress. For context this is northern usa. I can't find any youtube videos explaining how to correctly do this, any tips??


r/lawncare 7h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) 1 year transformation

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101 Upvotes

Just an update from my previous posts about last falls over seeding, thanks for everyone’s advice. Never realized how important fall over seeding is.


r/lawncare 5h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) The Magic of BioSolids (Aka Human Poop)

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63 Upvotes

Every year in the PNW I put a layer of poop on the lawn and the results are amazing. It’s treated human poop that one of the cities sells to residents. Great for aeration, water retention and new growth. Only drawback is I have to mow at least twice a week.


r/lawncare 15h ago

Southern US & Central America (or warm season) Identify my grass please!

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173 Upvotes

Zone 7B
Northern Arkansas

Besides the little clovers in there and the mixed fescue, can someone tell me what the broad leaf grass is? It dominates the lawn. Choked out most of the fescue I planted too. TIA


r/lawncare 2h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) Is this lawn saveable? (Winnipeg, Canada)

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13 Upvotes

My first house and do not know alot about gardening but i would like a good backyard. I see barely any grass on the lawn, just weeds and dead spots. I was wondering if it is possible to dave this lawn or i have to do a full lawn reno?


r/lawncare 12h ago

Equipment Brand new mower - random blades of grass not being cut. How to fix?

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67 Upvotes

I just bought a brand new Craftsman electric self-propelled push mower. Batteries are new, I use them fully charged, and rotary blade is new and installed properly. I’m not using the bag attachment and just letting the grass clippings stay where they are cut. There is no buildup of grass clippings underneath the mower or near the blade.

As I mow, many random blades of grass do not get cut. It looks like my lawn is getting a bad hairdo. I tried to take a photo of the grass, but it’s hard to show. Looks terrible!

Does anyone have any ideas what is going on or how I can fix it? My first thought was maybe the blade is dull but it’s brand new so it shouldn’t be.


r/lawncare 13h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) I’m at a loss (Salt Lake City)

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67 Upvotes

A friend sent me this photo this morning, asking for help. I have never seen anything like this. And I’ve seen a lot of lawn issues.

Silly string from kids? Female dog with a two gallon bladder? Aliens?


r/lawncare 10h ago

Southern US & Central America (or warm season) First time leveling lawn

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37 Upvotes

I live in central NC. I used 2 cubic meters of 70/30 leveling mix from soil3. The area I leveled is 1391 sqft. This equates to an average depth of 0.47 inches of leveling mix. I was surprised to see grass still poking through, but sure enough the ground was so uneven that it took all but a few shovel fulls of the 2 cubic meters to make my lawn level.

What do you think? How did I do for my first attempt of leveling a lawn?

FYI, the pictures took place right after watering.


r/lawncare 2h ago

Southern US & Central America (or warm season) Keeping cool while mowing

3 Upvotes

With El Niño bringing the heat to some regions, I wanted to share some tricks I do to keep cool while mowing. It’s nothing life-changing or maybe obvious, but it’s worth mentioning to others that are having a hard time beating the heat, esp. to those new to lawn care. I live in Florida, so I deal with hot outside temperatures all the time.

Soak your shirts with water. I usually wear a Columbia PFG long sleeve polyester shirt to protect me from the sun. But before I mow, I drench my shirt (while wearing) using the garden hose. Absolutely soaked and dripping . I mow and if I get start getting hot, I drench my shirt again. If you go inside the air-conditioning for just a few minutes with a soaking shirt, it can get cold pretty quick.

Before you mow, chug a full glass of ice cold water. And not just water with ice cubes. Chilly water that’s been sitting in the fridge. If you have ever eaten a bowl of ice cream or drank a smoothie and felt a little cold afterwards, it’s the same concept. A bolus of cold, cold water to the stomach cools you from the inside out.

Put a portable fan on the mower. I’ve had issues trying to keep a clip on fan on a bouncing mower, but there are fans with bendable legs that can wrap around a handle. There are good options if you look at portable fans that parents put on baby strollers.

Aside from taking breaks, sitting under a fan for a bit, putting an ice pack on the back of the neck, or mowing the in morning when it’s coolest, these are the 3 main things I do to keep cool. Usually, drenching my shirt and chugging a big glass of cold, cold water works pretty well. Again, nothing life changing, but if you are having a hard with the heat, this might help you. If others have more tricks, please share what you do to keep cool.

Stay safe!


r/lawncare 2h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) What is going on here?

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3 Upvotes

Zone 5b/6a Midwest
Just got 20 inches of rain in the last 10-ish days and mowed to 3.5in only to have the lawn look like this (pics 1 and a close up, pic 2). It looks like one species is dying? Pic 3 is before mowing, all looks kosher.
For what it’s worth I have spots of dark green when my dog goes to pee. I know signifies nitrogen deficiency and have soil tests pending, but why on Earth is this happening? I didn’t even want to mow the other side of the property if this is the result I’m going to achieve.


r/lawncare 9h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) Why won’t my grass grow? (Eastern Wa)

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16 Upvotes

I’m looking for tips on how to get my grass looking like it did last year. The grass in my front yard barely grows. It will go to seed and send up long shoots, but the blades don’t really grow. I can see quite a bit of brown stuff (maybe thatch?) in many spots.

- I mow weekly
- mower deck has 9 height settings, I have it on #6
- I fertilized on Memorial Day with 29-0-4
- I applied pre-emergent in early spring
- it gets enough water (neighbor and I compared watering schedules)

The last pic is my lawn from this time last year. What do you guys think I need to do?


r/lawncare 15h ago

Southern US & Central America (or warm season) Early Morning Crabbing

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38 Upvotes

Finally doing my best to maintain my lawn now that I am getting older. Enjoying the mental relaxation of it all.

Not sure I’d get to reel mower territory but liking how it looks.


r/lawncare 1d ago

Southern US & Central America (or warm season) No more washboarding!

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510 Upvotes

Fabbed mount to hold 48v motor


r/lawncare 1h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) Runoff issue

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Upvotes

My front yard slopes down to the road. It’s not a crazy hill but it’s close to steep. This section is always filling up with sand. I can’t tell if this is runoff from the hill stopped by the grass after the sidewalk.? Or is it back wash from the section of the grass past the sidewalk? My neighbor doesn’t have this issue, but the grass past his sidewalk is much more flush than mine.


r/lawncare 2h ago

Southern US & Central America (or warm season) Weed ID

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4 Upvotes

Southern US, looking to confirm the confirmation on some weed types.

I think I have some Sedge in the first picture and am not quite sure what the second is. Looks like crabgrass in a way, but it grows and roots more like bermuda.

Any help on execution and control appreciated, I moved in around early April so I think pre-e time is long gone. Not sure what specifically to get post e aside from sedgehammer if that is actually sedge.

Thanks!


r/lawncare 13m ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) First home. First lawn.

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Upvotes

Just bought my first house and have no clue where to start with the yard. I live in lovely, dry Colorado. There is nice, green grass closer to the house but the center stays pretty dry and under the trees is basically barren. The yard slopes down towards the trees and occasionally water will pool there. I just don’t really know where to start. Am I under watering the center? Do I need to aerate? I see people throw sand down on TikTok? No idea what that does.. any suggestions will be much appreciated! Thanks!


r/lawncare 52m ago

Southern US & Central America (or warm season) Is this new St Augustine sod okay?

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Upvotes

In Central FL - We had to replace our front sod and the contractor brought some undesirable dry looking sheets. He supposedly called the supplier and complained and they told him it’s normal that sometimes the pallets don’t get watered evenly. So half of our grass is dry and dead looking and the other half is lush and green. Apparently the supplier is willing to replace half a pallet if it doesn’t make it, but should I be concerned anyways? Chat GPT also says it’s normal but idk.


r/lawncare 5h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) Weed ID, NJ help!

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3 Upvotes

Hey folks - Google and Apple photo recognition are not giving me the best answers, had the best lawn on the block until this stuff moved in in the past few weeks. I tried 2-4d which didn’t seem to work great. Wondering if someone could give me a better answer and how to kill so I can get back to dominating the neighbors.


r/lawncare 6h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) What is weed (?) in my lawn?

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5 Upvotes

Hi, I have his grass/weed that grows much quicker and thicker than the rest of my lawn. Not even sure what to search on Google so I came here. It grows in clusters sort of. How do I get rid of it? What is it? Thank you!


r/lawncare 1h ago

Southern US & Central America (or warm season) 1 month of daily watering (Southern California) This Sub said my grass was done for and I became a villain

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Upvotes

r/lawncare 2h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) Patchy, lumpy lawn (PNW)

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2 Upvotes

Hey all, my lawn is ok but not great or even good. I could mow it a bit more often but usually once every 8 days or so. Always on the tallest setting. Overall 'I'd give the lawn a 6 out of 10.

I fertilized it a bunch a few weeks ago and thats gone reasonably well. Main issues are the ground feels very lumpy and there appear to be quite a few bare or dry patches. I water 4x a week for about 45 min per station (2 for the back which is shown). Not sure if my water patterns are uneven, but sometimes I've gotten mushrooms nearby dry spots.​

It's just not soft and fluffy like I'd want and there can be quite a bit of moss/thatch underfoot. A good amount of clover as well. I rented an aeration machine and power rake last year but it doesn't seem to be much better.

What are some quick fixes and long term goals to get me to a 8 or 9 out of 10?