By Susan Banks
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette In my neighborhood of Brighton Heights on the city's North Side, there are two schools of thought on lawns. Mow it once in a while, when the fast-growing clumps hit mid-shin, or obsess over every single blade of green.

We have one gentleman who, not satisfied with his already lovely lawn, tore it all out last fall and started over. This year, his lush carpet of green has already been trimmed, mowed and fussed over before most of the neighbors have realized that it's time to haul the mower out of mothballs.

My own lawn, to put it bluntly, is a disaster. A year of construction, two dogs and very little fussing have resulted in a yard full of mostly ground ivy. Although I may never attain the weed-free, emerald beauty of my neighbor's turf, I realize a nice-looking lawn definitely adds to the overall appearance of the house and landscape.

So what to do? Rip it up and begin again or renovate what little exists?

	Darrell Sapp, Post-Gazette One of the ways to help a lawn recover is to aerate it and then overseed it. Click photo for larger image.

Because April is National Lawn Month, we decided it was a good time to seek the advice of a professional.

Enter Mike Kmetz, operations manager for TruGreen ChemLawn. His company does sod work, seeding and lawn renovations, as well as a wide menu of other garden services, such as tree and shrub care.

Mr. Kmetz says he approaches each property the same way. He looks for the most economical way for the homeowner to get results. In my case, renovation was the choice. Due to the proliferation of ground ivy, a pernicious weed, slit seeding was recommended simply because it puts more seed into the soil than core aeration, a second option.

A slit seeder is a contraption that cuts slits into the existing turf at about 2 to 2¹/₂ inches apart while simultaneously sowing seed.

The goal here is to get grass growing so that it will begin to choke out the existing weeds.

A core aerator cuts apple-like cores out of the yard, about a half-dozen per square foot, and then the lawn is over-seeded. Because Pittsburgh is so hilly, it is not always possible to run a slit-seeder, in which case a core aerator would be used. These services are priced on an individual basis, taking into account the yard size, difficulty of the terrain and condition of the existing turf, and it can run from less than $100 to well over that.

If the grass had been full of thatch, which is a layer of decomposed plant material between the soil surface and the green vegetation, neither of the above options would have helped because thatch inhibits grass growth by not allowing the seed to root directly into the soil. Then a total renovation -- meaning back to the dirt -- would have been recommended.

Total renovations, by seed or sod, can be hard on the budget, with prices ranging from $600 to $1,000 per thousand square feet. And sod, far from being a quick fix, presents a whole list of maintenance problems of its own.

ChemLawn uses a variety of grass seed, depending on sun exposure, foot traffic and what already exists in the lawn. The goal is to match the new grass as closely as possible to the existing lawn -- sort of like matching paint.

Once the slit-seeding is finished, the homeowner must keep the turf moist. Initially, a light daily watering, sufficient enough to moisten the seed, perhaps 10 minutes per section, will do the trick. Once the grass sprouts, deeper watering is required.

Deep watering requires the homeowner to put down an inch of water once a week. A good way to judge this is by placing a pie plate in the area being watered. When an inch of water accumulates in the plate, watering is complete. (In the event of drought, either continue watering regularly and deeply, or cease watering completely and allow the grass to go dormant. Light watering encourages grass roots to migrate to the surface, making the lawn even more subject to damage.)

Because my lawn is being re-seeded, the regular lawn maintenance, with applications of pre-emergent weed control can't be done because they'll also kill the sprouting grass seed. The company will adjust the maintenance schedule accordingly.

Normally, says Mr. Kmetz, a regular lawn service contract with his company will encompass about five applications a year, including weed control, pest control and fertilizers. Prices of these applications are based upon square footage. Customers may also choose to have additional work done, such as core aeration, slit-seeding, lime or grub control. The company also will do one-time fertilizer or pesticide applications, although regular customers do get priority.

If you are unsure about handling chemicals, or don't like them around the house, a lawn service may be your best bet. All lawn-care employees, for ChemLawn and other companies, are required by the state to be trained and licensed to dispense pesticides and herbicides.

ChemLawn employees also are required to attend regular seminars on lawn care to keep up with new developments.

In recent years, there have been a lot of questions about the safety of lawn chemical use around pets and children. ChemLawn recommends keeping everybody, pets included, off the lawn until it is dry, generally about two hours after treatment. If you are opposed to any type of chemical usage it also offers a Natural Nutrient Program, which consists of fertilizer applications only.

However you decide, the best defense against insects and diseases is keeping a healthy lawn. It's getting the healthy lawn in the first place that can be the trick.

Note: Core aerators and slit-seeders are available for rental at many rental agencies and box stores. It is possible for homeowners who have lots of spare time and energy to renovate their own turf by following the steps above.