On May 2, 2:00*pm, "Bob F" wrote:

snip


Nothing you can do other than re-sodding is going to fix it in a hurry. Over a
period of months, overseeding, fertilizing, and regular deep watering will make
a big difference. Lawns do a lot better with a little food. Also, mow it LONG.
Perhaps as high as your mower will go. This helps it grow better, as the leaves
gather more sun, and the roots will grow better, and the ground will be shaded
so it needs less water. Plus, it just looks greener. Mow regularly. If you wait
too long, you take off too much leaf, leaving mostly stem, and the grass
suffers.

When putting in new seed, rake the surface so the soil is loose. Sprinkle the
seed evenly, and rake it lightly to cover the seed, or sprinkle a little soil
over it. Roll it gently, or tamp it down with your feet, so watering doesn't
float the seed to the surface. Then keep it moist until the seed has sprouted.
This means don't let it dry out, even once. A sprinkler on an electronic timer,
set to sprinkle for 5 minutes several time a day will really help here. All it
needs to do is get it moist - don't over water it. Once it has sprouted, then
you want to water much less often and much heavier, so that between waterings,
the roots grow downward towards the deeper moist soil.

Some top notch advice above, you readers of this NG. I can only add
that you may have a university extension service or similar, that
could have insights specific to your area. Good luck, it's going to be
a lot of hard work.

Joe