I would never seed in the Spring, it is pointless. Fall is the time to seed, no question. Crab grass can be killed off but you really need to apply a pre-emergent in early spring (right before Forysthia bloom) so it will not come back. Dandelions are easy, anything from Home Depot will knock those out. Improving soil? Depends on what is wrong with it.. any ideas on that?

>"I have learned my lesson"

I don't think you did.

#1 thing, you core aerated and seen what happened yet you plan on doing it again. Guess what will happen again?

#2 You have dandelions this spring because you didn't kill them in fall last year. they are winter annuals. Core aerate in fall and guess what happens again?

3. - - - I'm tired of typing.

cwidene -
Not sure what's wrong with the soil but the grass does not grow very well. I'm planning on getting a soil test. We bought the house last winter so this is my second spring in the house. Having just moved in last year I didn't have a lot of time to do anything outside except cut the grass and a lot of clean up. According to the neighbors that I talk to the previous owners cut the grass like 2 or 3 times a year because the town made them. I'm not expecting a perfect lawn this year or even next year but I want to get it on it's way.

garycinchicago-
Get off you're horse. So I did not learn anything..what makes you say that? You have no idea what my yard looks like or what the ground feels like yet you say that core aerating is bad. Why? From what I have been reading it seems like a lot of people say it's a good idea to loosen up the soil before seeding. Sure, maybe the spring was the wrong time to do it but I have a lot of bare spots and wanted to get something down. Last fall dandelions were the last thing on my mind so now I am trying to deal with them now. In stead of being a jerk, how about trying to help someone who is trying to get started on his lawn. Some people on here seem to think they are superior to others because they may know more then someone else, some people are very helpful.

Anyway, anyone else have a feeling on if core aerationg is a bad idea? I know I'm new at trying to get a lawn together but just about everything I have read says it's a good idea.

I think core aeration works well. I doubt you have to do it annually, but it really helps get the new seeds going. It is strictly a fall affair for cold season grasses though as you found. Treating your soil well and proper lawn care will crowd out weeds eventually. I do mostly organic now, but when I first bought my home, I used every weed killer in the book. It looked like heck, but it was a clean slate.

Search this forum for "baby shampoo" and you'll read my thoughts on core aerating. I did it once back in the 90s and won't do it again. At the same time there are grass people I respect who swear it works for them every year. I think you can save time, money, and your back by spraying shampoo instead of aerating. It is a method I adapted from many long discussions about surfactants on another forum.

Sounds right. I bought my first house 5 years ago, first year was ok second was terrible. For the last three years I used weed b gon and my weed hound in spring and overseeded In fall. This spring I'm down to zero weeds apart from a poa. It's Definatey better to seed in fall and just kill weeds in spring, I had thousands of danelions and crabgrass in year 2 but zero now. I think to get rid of the poa I need to use some preemergent not only in spring but early fall too...I'm hoping my kbg will fill any gaps. Good luck though sounds like you are on the right track.

O I forget to mention add some milorganite it really helped my lawn. A year of using it and I have the darkest greenest healthiest lawn in my entire block helped the soil a lot.

>You have dandelions this spring because you didn't kill them in fall last year. they are winter annuals.

They're biennial or, according to some, a short-lived perennial.