I started this convo in the chatbox but figured it might be best to make a new thread. This is my first house and while I am getting used to doing everything myself, the hardest part, I'm learning, is knowing how to do it. Since its an apparent early spring, I would like some advice on how I can get a beautiful, green lawn/yard. Celtic suggested I start by getting rid of weeds...now how do I do that? I have a bottle of ortho weed spot treatment spray. Is that sufficient or should I get the bottle that connects up to the garden hose, or should I just physically yank them up myself? What about the next steps after that? Aerate? Pine straw? ...???
Yank the weeds by hand, and use weed killer after. Here's a link on aerating. http://www.wikihow.com/Aerate-a-Yard
Be careful with pine straw or hay if you have dogs that will be in contact with it. When the hay or straw gets wet and starts to decomp, dogs can easily get a parasite from it. I found out the hard way. My black lab got the parasite last year and it made it look like she had mange. Spraying the straw with malathion will help kill off anything that will hurt your pets. This prolly doesn't even apply to you, I don't know if you have dogs or not lol. It really sucks though so I'd hate to hear about it happening to you or anyone else So I figured I'd throw it out there
Lots and lots of mulch. Get a buddy with a truck. Get some mulch, cover that grass up. Go to a recent construction demolition site, pick up some boulders. Artfully place the boulders around your yard and surround with mulch. Plant some trees and ferns around as well. Maybe a nice vegetable garden box. Grass is for suckers. If you're going to spend that much time on something growing in your yard, make sure it's edible once it ripens.
I pay a service to come out and fertilize and kill weeds, but there's only so much they can do. If you can get rid of the grass completely like GT said, then tear that shit up. It's not worth the hassle.