May is a good time to take care of thin grass and bare patches in your lawns. It’s also a good time to deal with weeds before they can get out of control.

A good way to take care of all three problems is to use a weed / feed / seed mix. The fertilizer in the mix will encourage growth and replace the weeds. (Has anybody else noticed that dandelions are on a rampage this year?) The seed will fill in the bare patches and thicken your existing grass.

To create your own mix, buy a fertilizer that’s specifically mixed for use on lawns (these generally have a higher ratio of nitrogen than other types of garden fertilizers). Mix in a weed killer that is specifically for broadleaf plants like dandelions. And top it off with seed that matches the light level in your yard – Kentucky Bluegrass for sunny areas, Red Fescue for shadier areas. If there are a lot of trees, you can also get a deep shade seed mix.

Don’t be taken in by those ads for zoysia grass that promise a thick, lush lawn. Zoysia and
other warm season grasses just don’t grow well here.