I haven't noticed any difference between dithiopyr or prodiamine effectiveness as I've used both in alternate years. Both seem to work pretty well. Ymmv. You should get opinions from others on that (post that question on the regular lawn forum or talk to a reputable feed and seed store rep.) I haven't been impressed with granular mesotrione (the AI in Tenacity) It just doesn't work nearly as well as spray application on bare soil (which gets good results), but you can't get the spray into the soil when the turf canopy is in the way. P.S. Looking at your picture. I'd ask the neighbor what they are using as it appears there is a distinct lack of poa in their lawn defined at the property line. or am I mistaken? This post was edited by yardtractor1 on Thu, May 15, 14 at 15:51

I hope the OP did something because this situation sends up HUGE red flags everywhere. My folks are getting older and we have had some conversations about how they want things handled when they are too old to make decisions for themselves. I am grateful that they are willing to discuss this beforehand. I have read everything I can in order to acquaint myself with giving them suggestions about the best/worst ways they could go about this. Here is a good book I found at the library: "The Retirement nightmare-How to save yourself from your heirs and protectors". I am posting just one example of how you can have your life turned upside down if you don't make arrangements for a trustworthy family member (or friend) to be able to care for you before something happens. "In the first chapter of THE RETIREMENT NIGHTMARE, I give an example of this egregious fact drawn from the pages of The Los Angeles Times (November 1997). Glen Hawkins, 89, had bicycled two miles from his Orange County home in Leisure World, California, to confer with his investment counselor. Once there, he was told that the $380,000 in his account was no longer his to control. A professional conservator had been assigned to manage his financial and personal affairs. As Mr. Hawkins soon learned, he already owed almost $1,200 in conservator and attorney fees. How could this be? A social worker at Glen Hawkins' retirement community had filed a petition for an emergency conservatorship over Mr. Hawkins, claiming that he was too ill to attend the required hearing and too addled to understand the legal proceeding. Glen Hawkins had harmed no one, and he clearly was not a danger to himself. He had planned to live out the rest of his golden years in his Leisure World condominium. Unfortunately, his wish to be left alone had led him into dangerous new territory--territory that is made unsafe by the legal reality that each state in America feels free to intrude into the lives of its elderly in ways that would be unthinkable if the objects of its intrusion were young." Read the section titled "Freedom lost" as well. A link that might be useful: www.retirementnightmare.com/q06.htm

For most people (up until we get ahold of them) there are 2 reasons for core aeration: one is to soften the soil and the other is to prep for seeding. Neither of those are good reasons for core aeration. If you have hard soil the solution is to spray on a cheap surfactant. If you are seeding, then that never was a good reason for core aeration. Similarly annual core aeration simply because your neighbor does it, or because your yard guy wants to make his winter boat payments on time, or because your parents did it, or most other reasons, are not good reasons. Grass seed sprouts best on top of the soil where it makes good contact with the soil. In Nature the best seed grows in the hoof prints of grazing animals. We try to simulate that by scattering seed on top of the soil and then rolling it down with a water fillable roller. If you already have a lawn, then the roller effect is not as great because the mass of turf will help keep the roller off the soil. Simply walking on new (unsprouted) seed is as good anything. Most people don't overseed KBG because KBG is one of those grasses that fills in thin spots by itself. Unless those thin spots are in the shade, it should be pretty dense. If you're trying to 'densify' grass in the shade, then that's a lost cause. You'll need a different ground cover or convert it to flowers. If you have thin KBG in the full sun, then lets talk about that.

The grass appears to be Kentucky Bluegrass(KBG). KBG will spread on its own via rhizomes if provided with the conditions it needs to thrive. From the pictures, it does not appear that it is necessary or desirable for you to seed. Overseeding KBG is often a futile endeavor, as it takes long to germinate (up to 3 weeks) and it has a hard time competing with the already established grass. Also, Poa A germinates about the same time as KBG (they are in the same family after all), and so it will be tough to control the Poa A since it will germinate right along with the bluegrass. Plan of action: - Do nothing but weed control via spot-spraying until mid-August. - Fertilize mid-August using a nitrogen rich fertilizer at a rate of 1 lb N/thousand sq ft. - Apply pre-emergent early September to stop the Poa Annua. You may need to re-apply late fall, read the bag instructions. - Apply 1 lb N/thousand sq ft mid-September and mid-October. - Apply 2 lbs urea/thousand sq ft mid-November as winterizer. - Mow the bluegrass as high as your mower will go until summer is done. - Drop your height of cut to 2.5"-3" in the fall to encourage spreading. - At the beginning of fall, pull plugs of grass from healthy areas and transplant them into the bare spots. They will spread and fill in. This should get your lawn in good shape by next spring. I hope dchall comes along with the watering mantra, you will need that as well. Uh, I just noticed you used the S word. What are we talking as far as direct sun, how many hours a day? KBG likes full sun.