Blaisen
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Fixing bad grass
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Ok in Jan after i get married, i'm moving to Ottawa, we have a house already but the backyard is awful.
It have tiny little ferns, weeds, these thorny weeds that hurt if you step on them without shoes! So i'm i going to have to dig it all up and reseed or is there something i can use to kill that stuff?
Only bonus is it already has a spot set up for a veggie garden, which is a must for me. I will just need to redo the border.
What do you guys think is the best to fix the yard so i can walk in back without shoes and socks?
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flutterbie
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Fixing bad grass
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If you can get it, Roundup works wonders on weeds. Once you get them killed, you can use a rototiller and rototill them under, and either lay sod or re-seed it, but I'd also make sure to lay down a bit of topsoil before re-seeding, that'll help keep the weeds under control a bit.
Hope that helps!
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n00berness
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Fixing bad grass
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I would spend the $500 and get someone to resod the whole thing.....start with a great carpet of grass....
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.Ayla.
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Fixing bad grass
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If the pokey things you are referring to are little round seed pod things with tiny spikes radiating off the edges (we call them burrs) make sure you get a type of weed killer made just for those. They can just about live through anything and are a pain to get rid of. After you have killed off all the weeds then rototill in some good mulch wait like a week and till it again. Rake it all nice and smooth then use a seeder to replant the grass. If you plant the seeds by hand you will end up thick and thin spots so a seed spreader is just about a must. Lightly rake it over and make sure you keep it well watered. I would call a few nurseries in your area and ask them what they reccomend for grass seed.
Also when you get your grass up and growing remember 1 good deep soaking a day is more beneficial to your lawn than 2 light waterings. The deeper you water the deeper the roots on the grass with grow thus protecting them in times of drought. light watering leaves the roots close to the top of the soil and more likely to be damaged.
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Blaisen
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Fixing bad grass
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I was hoping on doing it myself to cut the cost some.
I will try the Round up first.. thinking sod might be the best bet, but i will need to check the prices up there for seed vs sod.I am glad the backyard is small!
Thanks guys!
Ayla they are green.. same color of grass, dummy me goes walking out with no shoes and socks and stepped on one.BF was laughing as i had a potty mouth and yelling omg what on earth was that! Was hard to tell were they are lol. He is from that area and forgot to tell me watch out for the thorns!! Evil i say evil lol. I'm in Seattle right now, we dont have those kind of weeds 
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.Ayla.
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Fixing bad grass
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hmm wonder if its thistle? were they fuzzy looking leaves? thistle is evil to step on!
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Blaisen
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Fixing bad grass
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They might have been...all i know is they blended in with the grass.Thistles are nasty buggers could be in the same family as the evil Canadian weeds! 
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Synnah
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Fixing bad grass
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I know you have most of your answers already here but I really really strongly suggest a specialty weedkiller as well for the prickly things... and also, don't be in a hurry to get fresh sod down -- patience with killing off the nasty stuff will help a LOT in the long run 
When the time comes for you to put seed or sod down, don't be too discouraged if you come up with brown spots  those are just the pieces that need the extra special TLC
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bandifoof
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Fixing bad grass
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You can do the sod yourself too. My husband and I did it one year. Make sure the soil is loose when you put it down. For a normal type soil, tilling it twice like Ayla recommended is a good idea. We live in the southern US and our soil in our yard is hard packed clay, so we had a load of sand delivered and spread it evenly on top of the ground. We were planting centipede because that does good around here. Laying the sod isn't hard at all. Back breaking maybe, but not complicated
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Blaisen
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Fixing bad grass
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I just found out about 3 inches down was very hard clay . I will have my work cut out for me
I have to raise the veggie garden which will be easy..not even going to mess with that clay for the garden. Thinking if it is to hard i might have to pay for someone to put it in. I just hate paying a person for something i can do.
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Lady_of_Roses
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Fixing bad grass
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I know this is a really old thread, but you haven't moved yet, so I thought I'd chuck my two cents in. 
Get a Mantis Rototiller. I got the electric version (nice and quiet, but get someone to hold the cord for you while you work with it). Some of my neighbors mocked me at first, and then they saw how well it worked and were lining up to try to borrow it.
The Mantis broke up dirt so hard I couldn't get a pitchfork in it, even when I jumped up and down on it. It also chucked out rocks the size of softballs. The maintenance is minimal (at least with the electric version.) I really just can't say enough good things about the little tiller. You'll want to replace 2 screws in the handle, but that cost less than $1.
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