Getting started with an incredibly weedy lawn

Just moved into a new place with about a 50m sq. lawn out front, and about 150m sq. out back. I grew up taking care of gardens and lawns, but never inherited such a mess of one. Bermuda grass, dandelions, moss, daisies and clover galore here, as well as several low spots that desperately need levelling. I would like a lush lawn in front and back with a meter-wide strip of flower bed around each. I just don't know where to start, though. I've read a lot of things, and have seen a million different recommendations, but I just don't know what's best. I'm ready to get to work though, so if this isn't the season to jump in head first yet, what can I be doing to prep for when that time comes?

Thanks very much!

 

It's just going to be hard work i'm afraid..might aswell start now by getting those weeds out of the ground, scraping out the moss and applying fertilizer and get it ready for seeding.
We've had a window of oppertunity here in the north west, the weather has been just right, warmish with plenty of lovely wet weather. So I prepared my lawns over the last couple of weeks and the seeds have germinated now, the weather forcast is the same for the coming week so hopefully It will get a good start before we have any hot weather.
I spent a solid week weeding and scraping and the lawns and they looked like the surface of the moon!
It's been a lot warmer and drier in the south so if you live in the south I'd just start doing the hard work now and apply the seed when the wetter weather arrives later in the year.
Good luck

 

Hey, I have no problem with the hard work--it's actually very relaxing for me to get away from a full-time job and full-time Ph.D. and do something mindless.

I'm in Northern Ireland, so the weather over here has been quite similar. I just want to clarify what you mean, however. It seems to me that you're recommending selective weeding, as opposed to ripping everything out and starting over. When I said in my previous post that I was confused about what to do, it was more because everywhere I had read recommended starting from scratch in situations such as mine, only differing in their approach. If you don't mind, what are the benefits of selectively weeding the garden over going back to a clean slate (whatever the method)?

Thanks again.

 

Hi Brennon

It's a tricky one because of the time, expense, preparing sowing/turfing new lawns against restoring an old lawn.
It depends I guess how good you want it to look in the end. My lawns get used by the granchildren so a decent hard-wearing lawns will do for me. If I wanted showpiece lawns I'd start from scratch and reseed it. If you think it's feasable and would be commited yourself to maintaing a new quality lawn then go for it.
I'd just say though that even the worse looking lawns can be made to look very nice after the initial graft.

Cheers Rob.

BTW I've photo'd my lawns tonight and will do again in the spring and i'll put the photo's on here :thmb:

 

Alright...and by "initial graft" you mean weeding the patches that need it (which really is the whole thing in my case ), and reseeding those patches?

Thanks again,
Brennon