I manage lots of trees in estates where manicured turf meets the trunks of trees and I have no real control of chemical regimen involved with the golf-green perfect turf. If properly applied weed and feed damaged trees, I wonder how golf courses would ever have any. I am no advocate for these kinds of dicot free turf management systems, but on the bright side, all those chemicals free the lawn of stink and tarnished plant bug nurturing broad-leaf weeds. TPB jumps from the weeds to the trees every time you mow. Intense turf management also controls grubs which should reduce Japanese beetle problems as well. I'd still keep those people off my property and lawn. Also, establishing trees should definitely have a mulched grass free ring around the trunk for rapid growth.

Massachusetts, I have concerns that your lawn doesn't have all the problems you might think. If this grass was growing OK the first year of your ownership, then possibly due to poor maintenance it has been allowed to do badly. First off are you sure the grass is dead. Many types of turf die --at least, they go brown--in fall and through winter. They often come back when the spring rains revisit. Yes, its best to grow grass in the fall when there is less competition and the coolness of fall lets the grass grow well...but who wants to wait through a summer without trying to bring our lawns back in spring. So, rake the lawn well. Do it first east/west then north/south. Remove any debris including any grass you pull up. What does come up isn't worth the effort to try to keep it down. Open the soil so that seed can make good contact with it. Where you have some moss growing, this raking will remove it and open it up to sunlight. If there is any barrier to the area receiving sunlight, try to improve it. Whether you think the lawn needs aerating or not I leave to you...me, after two years, I don't think the lawn has impoverished itself to the extent that compactness has resulted and needs aerating. A good stiff raking might suffice. Grass seed. Whatever type you choose...buy the best you can afford. I suggest for your zone 5 area....a combination mix of 40 percent Kentucky Blue, 40 percent perennial ryegrass and 20 percent red fescue. This makes for a tough grass that stands up to summer heat and winter cold. Do fill in any depressions prior to and lay down 1/2" to 1" of good topsoil/compost/composted cattle (or sheep) manure. This gives the soil something the seed will want to grab hold of. You might wish to put down a "starter" type fertilizer with the seed to help it germinate fast and build strength in the resulting turf. You may wish to roll your lawn lightly to help the seed make good contact. Do as you must to bring the seed along....sprinkle to keep it moist---and increase water as the grass comes. Do read further on how to seed a lawn. I have reservations about scalping a lawn --at least, cutting it so low that sunlight penetrates the soil which possibly bakes it. I'd rather keep the organic matter whatever is there in the soil. Scalping will just help the ground drain moisture away from that much easier. Its the spring snowmelt and rains that will bring this lawn back. I think the overlayering of compost/topsoil will help make the seed want to grow. This overlayering should be followed annually for the next 4 or 5 years each spring. This will build goodness into the soil and make the returning grass want to hang around.

It is possible your 'normal' watering is key to this. Most people water wrong, so I consider 'normal' to be wrong. If you are watering every day for 10 minutes, like most people do, that isn't right. At this time of year in your area you should be watering no more than once every week or two and letting the soil surface dry out all the way before watering again. In fact it seems to me I was reading on another forum where people living in your area have not watered yet this year. I think you definitely need some fungal control. If you want to use chemicals you'll have to identify the disease first. Yes, I know that is why you're here. If you want to try an organic approach, you do not need to identify the disease first and you can get going now. Without knowing what it is, I would first spray with milk (any kind at all) from a hose end sprayer set at 3 ounces per gallon. Second I would apply ordinary corn meal at a rate of 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet over the entire lawn. Corn meal is an organic fertilizer that will not interact with any other fertilizer you have used or might use. Between that and the milk you should see improvement in 21 days. Organic solutions usually work but, unfortunately, they are not overnight cures. Of course for fungal diseases, even the chemicals don't cure it overnight.

Well, now that I know what to look for, I can assure you that there is many an internet source on the control of the sod web worm. It looks like a multi-pronged approach here is the ticket, some species of grass have some species of fungus that web worms don't like, (found that here) and pretty obviously, here at ground zero, that includes western wheat grass, and that they're susceptible to Bt - mow short, spray, and leave as long as possible before mowing again. There are contradictory management ideas on dryness / moisture. Re the soap thing, there is a way, they say, to use some diluted stuff to make the little guys come out of their silken tunnels as a verification tool, but if it's too strong, then it kills them. I think my first trial with this was too strong. I now have some very clean thatch, though.