I need some lawn care advice.

Put your garden fork in the grass, maybe a quartre way and edge it out. Repeat all over. Then water it. It should bring up all the dead parts of the grass, then rake it, then sprinkle on new grass seeds.

Not to sound like an endorsement, but I have used Scott’s Turfbuilder system with much success. Don’t forget to aerate your lawn and drop some new seeds appropriate for the environment (i.e. shady, full sun, etc.)

Seriously, I just saw on Regis and Kelly that some lawn expert said to use cornmeal on dandylions. Just sprinkle a little on them and they will never come back. I’m going to try it in the back yard where my dog hangs out. I won’t use chemicals back there. For the rest, I use weed and feed. Its time consuming, but seems to do well over time. You will have to keep it up every year.

Molasses and water, sprinkle it on your lawn and you will have an absolutely beautiful lawn. You can get this molasses mix at a gardening store and its all natural.

Rumor is cornmeal for dandelions and nematodes for getting rid of grubs. I’ve never personally tried either but I might give the corn meal a shot just to see what happens.

Another good way to get rid of dandelions… eat them! (1, 2, 3)

@wonderingwhy I’m buying the cornmeal today and trying it. It can’t hurt. Even if the dog eats it.

The perfect lawn is a bad idea. Dandelions are good, particularly in salads. In order to get rid of the below street-level grubs, you will have to use a lot of toxic stuff. A slightly rough lawn is nice.

Regular mowing will keep it presentable.

@gailcalled What about the cornmeal? Have you tried it, or know anyone that has tried using it and if so, does it work?

Ask the guy at Home Depot; you can do it, he will help.

@chyna: I love my weeds. I love the grubs. I even love the Flickers that are systematically destroying my cedar house in order to eat the larvae of the borer bees who are also burrowing inside the cedar.

Today I saw a Great Blue Heron in my pond and a 10 minute clear sighting of the pileated woodpecker. Both thrilling.

@gailcalled The Great Blue Heron must’ve been beautiful. You are so fortunate to live where you do and to experience all of nature. Although I have it on good authority that you don’t always appreciate the nature that Milo brings in the house as presents.

@chyna: Better a dead mouse on my kitchen rug than the entire family living under the hood of my car and eating the insulation.

The house of a young friend of mine burned down several weeks ago. A mouse had chewed through the insulation in the kitchen wiring. Poof. Nothing left.

I bumped into my closest neighbor this afternoon. He had seen a healthy red fox running around; and later Milo came flying out of the woods at the speed of a cheetah; he ended up in a tree and was looking around with a frantic expression. I could see nothing; but still, I talked him down and escorted him into the house.

I haven’t read the answers above, so forgive me if I’m being repetitive.

I worked for years at two different lawn care companies, and here are some things I learned along the way:

In the long term:

The very best defense against weeds is to have a lush, dense lawn full of grass. Aerate your yard and over-seed it w/ grass seed. Make sure you keep it watered until it has a good hold. Continue to seed the yard in spring and/or fall, every year until the yard is dense with grass. It’s important to use the right seed for your conditions, and your local cooperative extension agent should be able to tell you what to choose. Use a slow-release, balanced, organic fertilizer in the spring and fall. Proper mowing is vital! Keep your blade sharp and set at 3 to 3½ inches, don’t mow wet grass, cut no more than ⅓ of the grass blade off at a time, and leave the clippings on the lawn as often as you can stand it.

In the short term:

I’m afraid that there is no effective organic weed control yet. If you have a yard full of dandelions, your best bet is to let a lawn care company come out and do a blanket application or two of liquid weed control. The good news is that once the product is dry, it can’t be rubbed off or washed off. At that point, it is in the plant. Barring allergies or extreme chemical sensitivity, it’s fine for children and pets once it’s dry. On a hot day, that could take as few as 20 minutes. If the dandelion problem is less severe, any responsible lawn care company won’t do a blanket application, and will spray only the weeds that exist instead of the whole lawn.

As for grubs, it depends on the extent of the infestation and the timing of the treatment. Again, your local cooperative extension agent should be able to direct you. While talking with them, ask about the soil in your area, and what amendments might be needed to improve it. Lime or sulfur are probably the most common, to adjust the pH level one way or another.

@augustlan: I haven’t read the answers above, so forgive me if I’m being repetitive.

Oh, the horror, the horror.