New yard...need help!

[Black_Thumb]

Hello friends. My lovely bride and I just bought a new home in northeastern Tennessee. We moved here from southern California (in the desert). In California, it was so hot where we lived that we had astroturf installed rather than try to grow grass in 120-130 degree heat. Now that we are in Tennessee, I have one solid acre of grass that I would like to fertilize and turn into a beautiful yard. I have no idea how much fertilizer I'm going to need. Would the amount required be mostly tied into the nitrogen content of the fertilizer or do I also need to factor in the phosphorus and potassium? About 40 years ago, we used 10-10-10 in Minnesota where I grew up but the yard was much smaller.

I noticed that I also have weird looking weed (or perhaps another strange looking grass species). Should I use Weed-n-Seed (or whatever its called) for the entire yard or what?

What about hydro-seeding? Is that also a method for fertilizing or just for new seeding of soil? My friend's husband had a hydro-seeding business but I never got a chance to talk to him about how that all works.

Anyway, I hope everyone is having a great start to 2022. Have a most excellent week.

Mike

PS: Forgot to mention that we are in zone 6B/7A, if that matters for fertilizer.

 

[Marck]

Lawn fertilizers are mostly nitrogen and it is this nutrient that is the primary measurement.

There is an often-quoted rate of one pound of Nitrogen per 1000 square feet of lawn, so 43.5 pounds per acre, but start first with significantly less and then observe how your lawn behaves. If your lawn looks green and full enough, then that is enough Nitrogen. Excess Nitrogen beyond that will only lead to nutrient run-off and additional mowing. You can always add more later or the following year if it does seem insufficient.

Please post a picture of the lawn and the weed you are curious about. Trying to maintain a monocultural lawn of only lawn grass, can be an uphill battle with labor, money, susceptibility to disease, and environmental degradation being some of the casualties.
Consider the aesthetic and environmental benefits of a multi-species 'tapestry' lawn. One with various species of grass and low-growing wildflowers growing together providing visual interest, food for pollinators and other benefits. Just like a regular lawn, a multi-species lawn can be mowed to any height desired. You might think of it as a style that combines elements of a lawn and a low meadow.