Every 3 months is sufficient. Try spraying unsulfured molasses every time you fertilize to speed up the process. It may take 2-3 years to see full effect of organic program. My preference is soybean meal but it's not widely available. Alfalfa pellets is fine. I try to apply alfalfa pellets on unmowed lawn before the storm to soften up the pellets then mow them down. The more you do, the faster the process. Like speading humates and kelp meal once a year if you can afford them. You just have to be patient. It's not exactly quick fix but worth the wait.

Sorry to disappoint you coody, but my lawn is only the worst if you define worst as having the fewest weeds, greening up sooner in the spring and staying green the latest in the fall. If that's how you define the worst, then yes, mine is the worst. I'm not sure what would cost less than my approach. I spend 0 on fertilizer, I spent $20 a few years ago on the weed hound and nothing on weed killer since then, and I spend less on water than my neighbors, even those who have the "cheaper" unmetered untreated water (and they also have even more weeds due to the seeds in the untreated water. I'm always looking to save money. What do you suggest I could do to save more and still keep my lawn as the one that stays greenest longest?

Thank you for your reply. Trust me, I'm not using a lawn company anymore. I was planning on doing it myself but it was recommended by a family member that I use a lawn company. Now I know that was not a good choice. I actually spoke with a service manager today and he told me they would replace my sod if it dies.

Rains all the time until it stops. Then it doesn't rain all the time until next year. Is that about right? I'm going to suggest that you're watering too frequently when it is not raining. My experience in the desert-adjacent, full sun, 90-degree days, windy part of Texas is that, following the rains we typically get in May, I might not water again until July. If it rains in July, I'll wait weeks until the grass tells me it needs a drink. Last year, a drought year, I watered 5 times (if I remember right). Whereas you water 8 times a month in an area which is much cooler and likely more humid with better soil. Here's what I repeatedly say about watering. Water deeply and infrequently. Deeply means 1 inch all at one time, not split into fractions to cover a time period. You can measure 1 inch by placing tuna or cat food cans around the yard and timing how long it takes YOUR sprinkler system to fill all the cans. Remember that time because you'll use that every time you water. Frequency depends on many factors including high temperature, cloud cover, shade, soil, grass type, mowing height, wind, humidity, and maybe some other factors. By far the most important factor is daily high temperature. With temperatures below 70 degrees F (I can convert to C if you like), water deeply once a month. With temps between 70 and 80, water once every 3 weeks. With temps between 80 and 90, water every other week. With temps from 90 to 100, water deeply every week. With temps from 100 to 110, water every 3-4 days. That is a guideline. The main point is that if you water deeply, you, on an island in the cold part of the Pacific, will NEVER need to water twice a week on a schedule. Mowing. Whatever grass you decide on, mulch mow at or near the mower's highest setting. Grass mowed at the highest setting grows deeper roots which can capture water, and nutrients, from much deeper in the soil. Whooo's a gooood dog!!! You might have trouble reestablishing the lawn if the dog is young and playful. The yellow spots in the lawn might be due to her peeing all in one spot. Female dogs are more known for that, so I'm making that assumption. Organic fertilizer, 1 to 3 times per year will help to process the urine so you never see yellow spots again. Morph mentioned using soap on your lawn. Here's some background. Many people think they have compacted soil for some reason. I think they have been told by their parents, neighbors, newspapers, YouTube, and all sorts of sources that you have to core aerate every year. Compaction is caused by squeezing the air out of the soil when the soil is saturated with water. Livestock producers experience compaction when they leave their animals out in a saturated pasture. That is a lesson they learn quickly - designate one pasture to move the animals to when it rains so you don't ruin all your land. When you see animals sunk in the soil around a pond, they are compacting the soil. Homeowners, by and large, don't have that situation. Generally it is poor practice to mow the lawn after it rains, so if you follow that advice, chances are you aren't going to compact your soil. Also don't play games when it's saturated. Still homeowners report compacted soil. I think what they have is hard soil, not compacted. Hard soil is caused by a reduced population of beneficial fungi in the soil. That can be caused by lack of organic fertilizer, lack of water for months at a time, or saturation for months at a time. Core aeration punches hundreds or thousands of holes in the surface. Supposedly those holes will open the soil to allow air in and cure "compaction." The soap approach, specifically a liquid soap like any clear shampoo, takes a biological approach. Shampoo is a surfactant that allows water to infiltrate much deeper into the soil and set up the perfect environment for beneficial soil fungi. The temperatures are moderated by the moist soil, evaporation is reduced, and moisture is better controlled. In that environment the fungi will open up trillions of pores in the soil allowing air and water to pass in and out of the soil. With your situation of continually moist soil, I'd see what it takes to get it to dry out. I'd stop watering once the rain stops and see how long the grass seems good. Never mind how hard or dry the soil seems - just watch the grass. If your roots are shallow, it might only last a week before the grass looks poorly. If you practice deep and infrequent watering, the roots will grow deeper and the grass will go much longer before looking dry. My wife used to want to water every time the soil felt hard. It took me a long time to break that habit. Anyway, the application rate for shampoo is 3 ounces per 1,000 square feet (roughly 100 ml per 100 square meters). It makes no difference if you accidentally double, triple, or quadruple the amount you apply. You can't hurt the grass or soil with soap. I applied baby shampoo in 2012 and when I moved out in 2015, the soil was still great. So it is up to you. Spend 50 cents on shampoo or spend $75 to rent a core aerator. Try the shampoo first.