I'm having trouble finding the area of this thread where the OP asked for advice/lectures on what he/she ought to do to meet someone else's ideas about sizes and stewardship of their lawn. I find it a bit presumptuous to assume that people only use organic sources because of your ideas about what is "environmentally-friendly". Some of us choose to use organic sources to feed the lawn in a manner that utilizes the Nitrogen Cycle through a healthy soil biology and soil chemistry. Joepyeweed, I notice that you did not ask for the OP's location. A prairie would be just as out-of-place ecologically in a location that naturally is forested as a lawn would be. Please also note that a well-maintained lawn will produce significantly more Oxygen and process more CO2 when mowed at 3.5"-4" than a lower-density collection of prairie items. One size does NOT fit all, even when it comes to ideas. While David and I share an interest in organic sources to feed lawns, I prefer a high-input regimen and he prefers a low-input one. We respect each other's opinions and trade ideas on another forum - all without tsk-tsk drama. Keep going, Bucks -- what you're thinking of doing is definitely possible.

Apply a pre-m to perevent weed seed germination (use tupersan or tenacity if you want to overseed). Apply an N fertilizer monthly (starter fert can be used) as during the first year, a new lawn needs plenty of food. Water regularly when there is no rain. Spot spray any existing weeds with WBG or if you overseeded use Tenacity untill the germiated grass has been mowed a couple of times. Winerize at the end of the year and then use standard schedules for fertilization starting next year.

His advice appears sound. Conventional wisdom is that for a lawn that has gotten a Fall heavy application of fertilizer that enables the grass to store up resources to survive the Winter and get a head start in Spring, the following year the first application of fertilizer should be made between mid-May and June. Where there has been no Fall application, it is commonly advised that an application of slow release fertilizer be made once the grass begins to grow in the Spring to help make up for the stored resources that the plants are lacking. As your neighbor points out, excess N will promote top growth at the expense of healthy root growth. My guess is that he is advising against using a pre-emergent because many contain a high amount of quick release fertilizer which should be avoided this early in the year. There are pre-emergents that contain no N which you can apply, for peace of mind, if you have any concerns about weed preasure, and later, after the first mow, apply N as he recommended. If you haven't had weed/CG issues, a pre-emergent would be totally your call. No sense spending money unnecessarily.

bizbu2000, you're going to have to unlearn the bad watering habit. If people in Phoenix only need to water once a week, then one inch, all at once, is all you should need for a week or more. Seriously! Put out some cans and time how long it takes to fill them. That day is day zero. Then watch the grass for signs of wilting. You can't know how deep your roots are at this point so watch the grass. Completely ignore how the soil feels. It can dry up all the way and the grass can remain nice and fresh looking for many more days. As soon as any part of the lawn looks wilted, water again for the same length of time you timed with the tuna cans. That time is going to be your guide from now on, so memorize it. My time is 8 hours. Your time will likely be less than that. Some people can fill the cans in 20 minutes in a high flow system. Anyway, go back and watch the grass again. It should go longer without wilting the next time and longer still the next time. When you water if you get runoff before the time is up, stop watering and allow the water to soak in for 30 minutes. Then resume watering. You might have to stop and start several times to get the full inch into the soil. If that happens, write back. Then you would be dealing with hard or hydrophobic soil which is a different issue. That lawn looks a heckofalot better than most lawns we see here. Once you get the watering right, and once Mother Nature stops helping you out, your weed pressure will subside considerably. Weed seed needs continual surface moisture to germinate. When you stop giving continual surface moisture to them, they stop germinating. Again, water only once a week in the heat of summer. As the temps cool down, back off to watering once every 2 weeks and then 3 and 4. And always water for your memorized time. If you get help from rain, then reset your calendar to day zero and watch it. If you got 3 inches of rain, the grass might go for a month not needing more water. If you got 1/4-inch of rain, you might need to supplement with 3/4-inches of your own.