Question
cool season grass Buffalo,New York.(14223)..Mixtures of seed (red fescue,kentucky -blue,rye etc...?)This past fall I cleared a lot appox. 125 x 100.I brought in over 100cu.yds of top soil and had the new area "hydro-seeded". The planting was done in OCTober which was a little late I think ,for all the grass to germanated before winter set in. My questions mostly are about in what order and what products you advise to get the best weed-free and thick lawn..I'm worried if I put grabgrass killer down this early I might kill any seed that did'nt germanate from the fall planting. I'm also concered about weeds that might be in all that top soil I had trucked in..Please Help..Pat  

Answer
Good Morning Pat:
Hopefully your cleared lot will be in full sun. Grass does not grow well in shaded areas.
You are right about using preemergent weed killers on your newly seeded lawn. Except for siduron  (Tupersan), all preemergence herbicides for crabgrass will also damage germinating desirable grass seed. Siduron may be found as lawn starter fertilizer with crabgrass preventer. Siduron is safe to use on established and newly seeded Kentucky bluegrass, tall and fine fescues, perennial ryegrass and some cultivars of bentgrass and zoysiagrass. Siduron can be safely used at the time of or immediately following seeding of tolerant grasses. Two or more applications of siduron, 3 to 5 weeks apart are necessary if satisfactory annual grass control is to be achieved. This type of treatment is rather expensive. See the label for proper use rates on seedling turf.

Tupersan label instructions:
http://www.pbigordon.com/pdfs/Tupersan-SL.pdf

I would forget the crabgrass treatment this spring and concentrate on the broad leaf weeds that will be coming up. If you did not use sterilized top soil you will undoubtedly have these type of weeds. Control broadleaf weeds with products that contain active ingredients such as 2,4-D, dicamba, clopyralid, MCPP and triclopyr in various combinations. Most of these products require that turfgrass be "well established" or mowed at least twice before treatment. During this time, broadleaf weeds can compete with turfgrass seedlings and reduce turfgrass density. Spot treat the broadleaf weeds if there are not many of them. Be very careful of wind drift as these chemicals will kill all vegetation with broad leaves, including shrubs and vegetables.

One thing you must do this year is get a good dense stand of turfgrass. Proper mowing is important.
The two most important facets of mowing are mowing height and frequency. The minimum height for any lawn is 2 inches. The preferred mowing height for all cool season grasses is 2 1/2 to 3 inches. Mowing to less than 2 inches can result in decreased drought and heat tolerance and higher incidence of Insects, diseases and weeds. Mow the lawn at the same height all year.
Mow the turf often enough so no more than 1/3 of the grass height is removed at any single mowing. If your mowing height is 2 inches, mow the grass when it is 3 inches tall. You may have to mow a bluegrass or fescue lawn every three to four days during the spring when it is actively growing but only once every seven to 10 days when growth is slowed by heat, drought or cold.
If weather or another factor prevents mowing at the proper time, raise the height of the mower temporarily to avoid cutting too much at one time. Cut the grass again a few days later at the normal mowing height.
Let the grass clippings fall back onto the lawn, unless they are used for composting or mulching elsewhere in the landscape. If herbicides are applied to the lawn, do not use clippings in the vegetable or flower gardens. Keep them on the lawn. Grass clippings decompose quickly and provide a source of recycled nutrients and organic matter for the lawn. Mulching mowers can do this easily. Side-discharge rotary mowers also distribute clippings effectively if the lawn is mowed at the proper frequency. If mowed frequently, grass clippings do not contribute to thatch accumulation.
During the season, regularly check mowing equipment for sharpness and adjustment.
Sharpen rotary mower blades every fourth mowing, especially when mowing fescue or ryegrass lawns. A dull mower blade will shred and fray leaf blades instead of cutting them cleanly. The result is a brown, unattractive lawn.

I have given you some web sites that will help you get a great lawn in your area. Simply "copy" and "paste" to your browser and hit "go".

Lawn Care calendar for New York area:
http://www.cce.cornell.edu/counties/Rensselaer/Horticulture/Year%20Long%20Care%2...

Establishing a Lawn From Seed:
http://www.cce.cornell.edu/counties/Rensselaer/Horticulture/establishing_a_lawn_...

Turfgrass species: A DESCRIPTION OF GRASSES TO GROW IN THE CAPITAL DISTRICT
OF NEW YORK STATE:
http://www.cce.cornell.edu/counties/Rensselaer/Horticulture/new_page_4.htm

If you have further questions let me know.
Have a good Lawn!
Floyd McMahon