Well I don't think the lawn is *dead* maybe I need to clarify that. It just seems to be really slow to green up by comparison to those around it. There is definite green coming through, and after being out in it for an extended period of time, it does appear to be evening out (more of an equal mix of the two). As far as what type of grass I have- I do not know that. I assume it's a mix-- perhaps Kentucky, Buffalo and fescue??? Honestly I have no clue so I don't know why I'm even guessing! I have contacted the county to find out who to contact to send in samples to have this confirmed. Watering frequency has been difficult for me- the former owners I *think* installed their own sprinkler system and IMO it leaves quite a bit to be desired (they put leaker hoses on the same line as the regular lawn sprinklers but that's another story). I Spent a good portion of last Summer adjusting the sprinkler heads and trying to find out how often and how much water was needed. I had a very difficult time keeping my lawn green until I started watering 3-4 times a week and for up to an hour at a time which to me seemed excessive. My next door neighbor, by contrast, was only having to water 2-3 times a week, and for 45 minutes or so at a time (or so he said). I've still got work to do with the sprinklers for this year- maybe it's impossible but I'd like to get down to watering only 1-2 times a week and still maintain a green lawn. As for fertilizer- I only use organic/natural fertilizers. No pesticides or commercial companies came to our home last year. The fertilizer I have is Pro-Rich Richlawn. I believe I fertilized twice last year- once in May, and again in Aug/early Sept. Mowing height- between 2-3 inches depending on heat. In the early Spring I'll mow it shorter, but in the hot part of Summer I set the height higher.

There are some relatively low growing grasses that are sometimes sold as lawns that don't need to be mowed, but I think they grow a little too high for most people to consider them acceptable unmowed. So I think you're always going to have the problem that if you don't keep it mowed, it's going to get too tall. For now, your best bet is to try to control the weeds. If they're everywhere, you can just blanket the lawn with a broadleaf weedkiller, but it may be too late in the season for that, depending on your daily high temperatures. I think you're supposed to apply that stuff only when the highs are below 85 (maybe 80, check the label). That would be the case whether you're doing it your self or hiring it done. If you can't kill the weeds now, you'll have to wait until the heat breaks, unless you want to kill everything (grass included) and start over. If you kill the weeds after the heat breaks, you need to wait a few weeks before seeding, so you'll be cutting down on the time available. Before you seed, cut the existing grass as low as possible to give the seed a chance to get tall enough to survive mowing before you cut the first time. If you want to kill it all and start over, you can spray glyphosate in late July, then water a couple of weeks to germinate any weed seeds and spray with glyphosate again 3 days before you seed. To get the best results, use a slit seeder or core aerate to expose more soil to the seeds. After you spread the seeds, you'll need to lightly water 3x a day until the seed is germinated (probably 3-4 weeks). Then gradually cut back on the frequency and increase the duration until you're watering once a week and applying about an inch at a time (adjusted for rain and soil conditions). If you can't water regularly enough and can't count on late summer/early fall rain to do it for you, you can try dormant seeding, where you put the seed down when it's too late to germinate and it will germinate as soon as conditions are right in the spring. That may be in February (I forget what NJ winters are like; I have to do it in November here or the lawn will be snow covered in spots when other areas should be germinating). If you're replacing the lawn, you may want to consider getting premium seeds and going for the showcase lawn. Here is a list of custom blends of premium KBG by state. If you're overseeding into your existing lawn, you'll want to match its color and growth, which will probably be more like a good seed blend or mix from the big box store.

Weed b Gon Chickweed, Clover, and Oxalis Killer is different from normal Weed b Gon, so look at the labels. Walmart should have it. Since you're new to this, here's some general guidance... Basics of Lawn Care After reading numerous books and magazines on lawn care, caring for lawns at seven houses in my life, and reading numerous forums where real people write in to discuss their successes and failures, I have decided to side with the real people and dispense with the book and magazine authors. I don't know what star their planet rotates around but it's not mine. With that in mind, here is the collected wisdom of the Internet savvy homeowners and lawn care professionals summarized in a few words. If you follow the advice here you will have conquered at least 50% of all lawn problems. Once you have these three elements mastered, then you can worry about weeds (if you have any), dog spots, and striping your lawn. But if you are not doing these three things, they will be the first three things suggested for you to correct. 1. Watering Water deeply and infrequently. Deeply means at least an inch in every zone, all at once. Infrequently means monthly during the cool months and no more than weekly during the hottest part of summer. Do not spread this out and water for 10 minutes every day. If your grass looks dry before the month/week is up, water longer next time. If that does not work, then you might have to water more than once per week during the summer's hottest period. Deep watering grows deep, drought resistant roots. Infrequent watering allows the top layer of soil to dry completely which kills off many shallow rooted weeds. You will have to learn to judge when to water your own lawn. If you live in El Paso your watering will be different than if you live in Vermont. Adjust your watering to your type of grass, temperature, humidity, wind, and soil type. It is worth noting that this technique is used successfully by professionals in Phoenix, so...just sayin.' The other factors make a difference. If you normally water 1 inch per week and you get 1/2 inch of rain, then adjust and water only 1/2 inch that week. 2. Mowing Every week mulch mow at the highest setting on your mower. Most grasses are the most dense when mowed tall. However, bermuda, centipede, and bent grasses will become the most dense when they are mowed at the lowest setting on your mower. In fact there are special mowers that can mow these grasses down to 1/16 inch. Dense grass shades out weeds, keeps the soil cooler, and uses less water than thin grass. Tall grass can feed the deep roots you developed in #1 above. Tall grass does not grow faster than short grass nor does it look shaggy sooner. Once all your grass is at the same height, tall grass just looks plush. 3. Fertilizing Fertilize regularly. I fertilize 5 times per year using organic fertilizer. Which fertilizer you use is much less important than numbers 1 and 2 above. Follow the directions on the bag and do not overdo it (unless you use organics in which case you may overdo it without fear of hurting anything). At this point you do not have to worry about weed and feed products - remember at this point you are just trying to grow grass, not perfect it. Besides once you are doing these three things correctly, your weed problems should go away without herbicide. Next time you need a preemergent herbicide, get one that specializes in herbicide rather than one mixed with fertilizer. All that fertilizer is wasted (or worse) this time of year. Despite what the weekend TV commercials will tell you, your lawn should not be fertilized until late May. If you fertilize now it will need it again in May, so just skip the early spring feed. What is worse about early feeding is that it forces the grass plants to use up stored nutrients from their roots. Then if you don't feed in May you have a disastrous summer. I should modify my guidance with that tidbit. Zoysia seeds and spreads very slowly. V-e-r-y slowly. If you have bare spots in April it might not fill in until the following April. And where do you live?

In general centipede needs much less care than other turf grasses. One of the gurus that used to hang out here said, "drag an empty fertilizer bag over it once every 2 years." Centipede loves acidic soils, low water, and weekly mowing at a low height. Bermuda, on the other hand, would love it if you fertilized heavily once a month and mowed it very low twice a week at a low setting. If you fertilize it once a month, it will definitely need to be mowed twice a week. If you fertilize it like other grasses (3x per year), it will be a slightly yellower color and might not become as dense as it would with more fert. With those two paragraphs in mind, anyone you use to care for your lawn should be familiar with the requirements of the two. Watering and mowing are the same, but fertilizer requirements are completely different. Note also, if you were to care for this yourself, you only need to think about the front. The back is mostly a no-brainer.