Okay, lets talkabout WI lawns

[pink_fins]

Last year I did some yard work and seeded areas of lawn.  These areas are coming up with dead dry grass. So I guess it didn't take.

Any ideas on what name/brand of seed I should use so I can have some grass to cut and it doesn't look blotchy ?

Speaking of weather how do you all like the snow/sleet/rain all in one week 

gail   

[Swimjim]

Remember, grass cutting can cut into time that would be better used to go diving.  Are you sure you want grass to cut? Ha, but seriously work up the area to be patched with a hard tined rake.  You know, the kind that if you leave it upside down it will impale your foot and or rearrange your face.  Lay grass seed as per instructions on the bag.  I usually use Scotts personally and it works.  Make sure you use the right kind for the conditions.  There are different seed blends for shade conditions or areas that get full sun light for example.  Once the grass seed is down fertilize the area using a broadcast spreader.  Be very careful to adjust the spreader openning.  If you get too much fertilizer it can kill the grass rather then make it grow. There will be instructions on the package.  Finally get some straw and spread it over the newly seeded area.  This helps bind the soil and prevents wind erosion.  Oh yeah, don't forget to water it.  Water isn't just for diving you know.  For further info, go to a garden center and look for a lady with a crook in her back, weathered skin and dirty hands.  A person such as this can be a gold mine of information. I hope this helps.

Jim

[dfreeman]

If all else fails, use green paint.  Good enough for Lambeau field in winter, good enough for you.

Doug

[divbum]

Besides using the right grass seed as mentioned (sunny or shady....) all the seeds have a fast growing annual % of seed in them.  This is desigened to come in fast and look like you have a nice lawn.  That % is annual, so it will be dead the following year.  I would personally sod vs seed.  Faster better results, but it is more money.  Good Luck

[Chris H]

This was taken from The Onion.

For homeowners, few things are more satisfying than a beautiful lawn and garden. Here are some tips to help you improve yours:

Experiment with different nitrogen-based fertilizers to find the one with the best greening power and highest blast radius.

Gang members will often pour malt liquor onto the ground in memory of their dead homies, resulting in soil damage. Shoo gang members away from your front yard.

To preserve your place in the highly competitive suburban social hierarchy, make sure your lawn is always 1/8 of an inch shorter than your neighbor's.

Do not plant magic beans within 25 feet of your home. Doing so will place it at risk of severe foundation damage.

If your lawn doesn't look as green as it could, warn Manuel that you could fire him and hire another one just like him in a second.

Mowing a pentagram into your lawn not only looks cool; it will also increase your dark powers.

Gardening experts agree that talking to your plants is a great way to exhale carbon dioxide onto them.

If you own a riding mower, do you have any idea how stupid you look on it?

Under no circumstance should you allow a circus to set up in your backyard.

Don't let "the fellas" see you growing a flower garden like a fairy sissy girl. Build an indoor greenhouse instead.

Planting vegetables is a great money-saver. Over the course of a summer, you could shave $75 off your grocery bill with just a few hundred hours of work.

If your family has been suffering a string of lawn-related injuries, consider installing natural grass.

Gardening may take a lot of hard work and patience, but before you know it, you'll find a vegetable humorously shaped liked human genitals.

Remember the movie The Lawnmower Man? Me neither.

Make a faustian bargain with shadowy garden gnomes in which you exchange your soul for some really good gardenias.