I'm new to lawn care... Well, that isn't entirely accurate, I've mowed the same grass for 4 years, but I am new to the "care" part of it :) Previously I've only mowed and edged. Now I've got more time on my hands and I'd like to do a little more work and have a better looking lawn as a result.

I am not sure what order to do things in, I've not done much more than spreading seed on dead spots before. I know that I need to get rid of weeds and crab-grass, I have thin coverage so I should overseed the lawn at some point, and I also intend to fertilize. Those are the main tasks on my list aside from filling a few low spots and defining the boundaries between grass and landscaping.

After reading about the different processes I think I should do (weedkiller, overseeding, and fertilizing), it sounds like fall is the right time to do all of these things individually (none of the instructions refer to any of the other processes). Obviously I shouldn't do them all at the same time, right? I don't want to do these things too close to each other or in the wrong order and fight my own progress.

It seems like I shouldn't fertilize before I've killed the weeds (or else I'd just be feeding the weeds), and I don't want to do either of those if overseeding should be my first step (because the fall overseeding window is closing), etc... In short, I don't want to step on my own shoelaces by mixing up what to do when.

In your opinion, what should I do and in what order, to prepare for a greener lawn in the spring? What should I do in the spring for that matter? I've thought about renting a power dethatcher and overseeding this fall, and then trying to kill the weeds in the spring followed by fertilizing. Aeration sounds like it should be thrown in there somewhere too, but I don't know which step of the process that would help, etc... Like I said, no clue.

What should I do to get started down the right path? Thanks for the advice!

Fall is best if you're going to kill everything and start over, but you really need to start to think about that in June, so you've missed that window.

At this point, the best thing to do is to fertilize with 1 lb of actual N per 1000 sq ft after the top growth has stopped, but while the grass is still green. Then, start asking questions next spring.

Weed B Gone Max recommends waiting 4 weeks before seeding after an application. Seeding October 11th in South Bend Indiana is too late. Also the advice "wait a few days to a week before doing anything else" pertains to what exactly?

"If your lawn looks bad: Mow it short (1" height), Aerate if you like (aeration is not necessary unless there is compaction of the soil or heavy thatch, but it will never ever hurt), set a seed slitter at soil height and go over the lawn to dethatch, remove the debree (rake or mow with a bag), add any amendments needed (soil test), spread seed at recommended rate, set the slit seeder at a 1/2" depth and go over the lawn (two directions if you have the energy), apply a starter fertilizer."

So according to you, you add any amendments needed right before seeding. So if your soil needs lime you should add it at the time of seeding, along with starter fertilizer. Show me where that is recommended (here's a little hint, it's not recommended).

"Throught the summer spot spray Ortho on any weeds that pop up. "

Most herbicides shouldn't be used in summer when temperatures are above 85 or 90 degrees, and turf grass is under stress.

"In september, aerate or hard rake to open up the soil and overseed with 1p pound of seed per 1000 sq ft."

So 1 lb. per 1000 square feet is the overseed rate for all cool season grasses? KBG yes, all others, no.

Also your insistence on applying a high potassium fertilizer in late October is lacking definition and somewhat baseless. What do you mean by high potassium? 28-0-3, 25-0-11, 0-0-50? While potassium is generally part of "winterizing" fertilizers and has benefits for turfgrass, adding large amounts of potassium without a soil test is somewhat of a waste. Potassium levels don't fluctuate like nitrogen levels, it's better to add potassium consistently throughout the year to keep your soil levels in the optimum range.