Seeing as it's 4/20, let's talk about weed(s).
Cannot eliminate dandelions. Have three fields bordering me. Will overseeding actually work? Have small front yard, if I buy a big bag (aka yards) of good soil and reseed will this actually choke out dandelions?
Battle to remove has been fought for 10+ years. I have one of those claw tools that removes them from the root but it doesn't work all that well. Plus my lawn looks like a weasel got at it.
Thanks!
Do you mean claw tool like this?
Dandy's are too persistent and if you have neighbouring fields, then the seed drift will be perpetual and you likely have a ton of dormant dandy seeds in soil already. They won't really be controlled by just overseeding and topdressing, but in conjunction with hand-pulling (and making salads with it) and aeration, it should work. In order to choke out the dandy's you need thick dense grass and aeration can help here if your soil is compacted, because dandy's can do very well in compacted soil, while most turf species suffer. To get the thick dense grass you have to do the other things mentioned and hand pull the weeds.
Be mindful of the type of grass seed you buy. From smaller local nurseries, you should be able to buy specific varieties and then make your own mix (ie bluegrasses, fescues etc). If you are interested to go this route,
here's a list of the most common Ontario turf species - don't use the bentgrass in there, but the other types are residential.
Some use corn gluten in early spring (re: right now) as a more natural pre-emergent style control, but be mindful that it also has an NPK of around 10-1-1, so it will also give a quick feed to mature plants if mis-timed in it's application and it also inhibits early root development for grass seeds germinating. It takes a few years to any measurable result w/ corn gluten, and that's in conjunction with other proper practices.
Simply put: handpull, aerate, topdress, overseed with the right species, water properly and mow higher once established.
And if you do only one thing here... Enjoy 420