I am new to caring for lawns. I have a new yard with a sodded front and seeded back. What are the basics for caring for something like this besides water and mowing? Thanks.

Here are some particulars: live in PA, have about a third of an acre with about a 10, 50-60 year old trees in my yard. There’s a mix of grass, moss, weeds, and other organic matter (acorns, twigs, needles, etc) on the ground now. I’m trying to grow grass effectively. This is the third spring we’ve been here, and in the previous two years, I’ve put down random 2-3 pound bags of grass to try to get some of the repair started. It’s pretty spotty and I did notice that this spring, some of the seed that I planted in the past 2 years had surprisingly began to emerge! But it’s still pretty thin.

I’m not interested in tearing up the whole lawn and starting from scratch. I’m interested in perhaps trying some of those new products like Scotts EZ Seed, but want to perhaps mix it with another seed to a) control costs, and b) have a grass that can grow fast, but live throughout the year and remain after the grounds thaw in the winter. Is this doable? If so, what are your tips to help my partial lawn grow into a nice, thick lawn?

BQ, I just spread some weed ‘n feed in my front lawn, how long should I wait to spread seed so that the new seed won’t burn from the fertilizer?
I appreciate the input. But I will also add that my neighbors have GREAT lawns. So my physical attributes don’t matter TOO much. I’m just wondering how I can get over the hump! !

I am a 45 year-old guy with a lot of gardening experience from taking care of my own lawn/garden, but no formal landscaping training. Last spring I started doing lawn/garden help (trimming, mulching, etc – no mowing) for people at per hour. I work alone, do fine work, use all my own tools – hand tools, no power tools. However, I work at my own pace, dress casually, don’t have a truck with company logo or anything… so I don’t know if I can get away with claiming to be a "professional landscaper." My niece’s husband just told me that he would expect someone to to charge to per hour. I don’t want to price myself out of getting jobs. But I also don’t like the idea of being taken advantage of. Most people who hire help for this are upper middle class at least. Should I charge more? If I do raise my rate, what’s a polite way to inform customers?
(to April) Well, I agree "being taken advantage of" sounds like victim mentality. What I should have said is that I don’t like the idea of selling myself short. It does seem like some customers act like they’re sort of licking their chops and ask if I can do other things too, like paint their garage, clean their porch, etc. I’m afraid I seriously undersold myself thinking that any high school kid can weed a rose garden… but in fact, it’s amazing to find out what seemingly ordinary tasks people are not able or willing to do neatly and efficiently.
(to emerson) Thanks for your advice! I’m not sure, however, if you understand my situation. I am not a trained landscaper – I’m an artist – musician – teacher… This August I leave for a two year contract working at an international school overseas. The reason I don’t like to do mowing is that if I want to go on a road trip or go hiking for a few days, I’m not locked into mowing people’s lawns. I don’t sit on my can all winter – I’m usually teaching children with learning disabilities. Landscaping is really a moonlighting job for me. So you see, I’m not going to get a degree, hire staff, advertise, buy a big truck, etc. I don’t want to deal with anything more than "small fry" level work. Therefore, I leave the big jobs and the bidding and so on to pros like yourself. That said, do you, with your considerable experience, have any thoughts about niche work for individuals like me?

I’m talking people in really nice homes too. I live in new development and a lot of my neighbors have already let their lawns go to crap….They scalp it low and make it even worse……I don’t care what you think, a nice landscaped weedfree lawn adds value to your home. And don’t tell be because they have no time. It doesn’t really take that much time to keep your lawn looking nice.

Sometimes people put these little white pellets all over their lawns and it gets on the sidewalk. They have a very strong odor. I’m guessing it’s some sort of lawn-care chemical. What is it exactly? Fertilizer or pesticide?

I’m wondering because my brother (10 years old) got some on his feet today, while playing barefoot on the sidewalk. He says his feet keep burning, and they are really red underneath.

i am 15 years old and been doing yard work for about 4 years now.i am staring a small land care Business next year and would like some tips.so far i have a self propelled mower, weed eater, blower and rakes and shovels and things like that. i am doing the fist year by myself but hope to heir a friend to help next year wen i get a riding mower and trailer so we can do more lawns

I have one 3′x3′ patch of tall fescue and other smaller patches that need to be killed to make my bermuda grass lawn look better. My neighbors have lawn services take care of their lawns, and most do not have this issue. So, I just need to know the secret to preventing and removing tall fescue from a bermuda grass lawn. I am tired of trying to pull up all of the tall fescue, because this seems like an endless process. I would prefer to use a treatment to solve the problem.
Is there any product available that will kill the fescue but not the bermuda?

I have been hearing a lot about the problems with the bees and the relation to the cost of the rising prices of food. According to the news, Bees are normally rented out to farmers to pollenate their farms to produce fruit but due to chemicals that people are putting on their lawns seem to be killing all of the bees and therefore is a problem for the farmers and will make the cost of food rise? I realise that with the droughts, then floods it has been hard on farmers already but now the bees? My question to all of you is, if you could make a difference but not putting such harsh chemicals on your lawns to save the bee population would you do it? What happens if your lawn just dies from too many bugs? Is there anything else we can use on our lawns that would not be as harmful? I am not trying to be a tree hugger, but when is enough, enough for you? Does it bother you or not? I am not sure why this is bothing me so much? But it is! Is my liberal tree hugging side coming out?

I recently purchase a home and am not versed on plant care. I have a front and back yard lawn, and alot of landscaping in front and back > evergreen bushes, magentas, other types of bushes, sone palms in my backyard, 5 redwood trees about 20-25ft high, 1 maple tree, small shrubs etc.

I know I need to look into each plant and get specific detail etc.

*** But for people that know in general for bushes, lawns, trees how much water and when? plant food? trimming / specific kind of trimming, other lawn care things? ***

or can I just water and forget other than the occasional cleaning leaves ofcourse and general trimming.

I recently purchase a home and am not versed on plant care. I have a front and back yard lawn, and alot of landscaping in front and back > evergreen bushes, magentas, other types of bushes, sone palms in my backyard, 5 redwood trees about 20-25ft high, 1 maple tree, small shrubs etc.

I know I need to look into each plant and get specific detail etc.

*** But for people that know in general for bushes, lawns, trees how much water and when? plant food? trimming / specific kind of trimming, other lawn care things? ***

or can I just water and forget other than the occasional cleaning leaves ofcourse and general trimming.