If you are not willing to water, that might explain why changing grass did not go well. With this in mind, hang in there. Keep your grass as tall as possible to avoid drought stress in the summer. When it gets really hot you might avoid mowing it at all. I fertilize with ordinary corn meal or alfalfa pellets on the federal holidays. I'm much further south than you are so I start on Washington's Birthday. Then coming up is Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving.

1. It's too dry here to core aerate and though that is not needed once on an organic plan, right now I think it's needed as a jump start. Do I have any other options? Use a soaker hose set on a trickle at the faucet. Leave it on day and night for a full week and then move it about 18 inches away from that spot. I start at the highest part of my yard and work downhill. After you have finished the entire yard, repeat the entire process two more times. That should soften your soil. This works by providing a good environment in the soil for beneficial fungi to grow. 2. My lawn has had some white/yellow patches the past two years, i previously treated with a fungicide, what options do I have organically? Apply ordinary corn meal at a rate of 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet. If you are worried about disease, repeat every two months. You might look for a Weed Hound tool at your local box and garden stores. It's about $20 and worth about $40.

There are several places that I know of where you can buy the grains. You usually have to have them order it for you, as they don't always have it in-stock. The first is Westwood Feed in Westwood. It is probably a 20 to 30 minute drive for you, but you can order once and fill your car with everything you need for the year. I was at another once, and after searching on Google a bit, I think it is Mikes Feed Farm in Riverdale. I think that would be closer to you. I find that the NJ feed stores don't quite compete on price with the feed stores in the more rural parts of the country, especially on corn gluten meal. Westwood Feed only stocks the commercial brand corn gluten meal, and they charge a bundle for it, yet their soy bean meal is moderately priced. Having experimented with organics a bit over the past year and watching others in my neighborhood, I have concluded that the fastest way (though not the most ORGANIC way) to get there is to cheat the first year and use a synthetic preemergent in the spring. Then you can breath a bit without all of the weeds and plan your attack for the fall. I didn't do that this year, and I paid the price. I am getting nice results from my overseeding, but I think the whole summer and overseeding process would have been easier had I used a preemergent in the spring. Going forward, I am going to use a preemergent as long as I still have bare spots in my lawn and any sign of disease (I moved in last September and have since found out that historically my lawn dies out in spots late every summer despite getting adequate water - I think it is some type of fungus). All of my other feedings are organic. Once the lawn comes in thick and the soil is amended properly, I will stop using the preemergent.

I think one of the reasons folks are reluctant to switch to organic lawn care is that they think it's going to be complicated. Or more expensive. It's not. Really, the only difference is that one stops using synthetic chemical products to tend to your lawn -- all other good lawn maintenance practices remain the same. 1) Focus on the soil. Aerate regularly to reduce compaction and topdress with a thin layer of compost to renew organic matter. I recommend this be done once a year, fall being my preferred season. 2) Mow high and often, removing no more than 1/3 of the blades at any time. Most cool season lawns should be maintained at about 3". This length will shade out weeds and conserve soil moisture, reducing the need for frequent irrigation. 3) Grasscycle -- use a mulching mower. Studies have shown that grasscycling or returning the clippings to the lawn does not contribute to thatch build-up....quite the opposite, it reduces it. A mulching mower (most lawn mowers can be retrofitted with a mulching blade if not present) minces up the clippings into a very fine consistency that filters down through the blades to nourish the soil and thus feed the lawn. This can reduce your fertilizing needs as much as 85%. 4) Water infrequently but deeply. Most lawns require only an inch of water a week and this should be applied in only one or two applications so reset any automatic sprinkler systems to reflect this pattern. Less frequent but longer watering periods encourages deeper water penetration into the soil profile and the grass roots will follow. Deeper roots increase drought tolerance and actually decreases the needed amount of supplemental irrigation. 5) Overseed as necessary to thicken the lawn. A dense, thick lawn will successfully outcompete weed development. Remove any existing weeds manually or exercise a bit of tolerance. A completely weed-free lawn is virtually impossible to achieve but the healthier your lawn is (by following the above practices), the less likely weeds will be an issue. 6) Fertilize when necessary with a natural product - seed meals (soy, cottonseed, corn gluten), alfalfa meal, or packaged organic lawn fertilizers. These are naturally slow release products so don't expect the immediate greening you see with the chemical products. The slow release also means they don't need to be applied often, once a season is usually sufficient. Fall is the best time, especially with cool season grasses. This helps to build nutrient reserves to take your lawn through winter and give it a good start in spring. Cool season lawns want to go dormant in summer so fertilizing much or too late in spring can be stressful and counterproductive so use a very light hand in spring. Warm season grasses can tolerate a spring fert application easier. And it may take a season or two to notice a significant difference but be patient........it will happen. And do follow the basic lawn maintenance practices followed above - if you adopt these religiously, you will find the need to apply any fertilizer to your lawn is greatly reduced. I haven't needed to apply any fertilizer in years by just adhering to these practices and grasscycling with nearly every mowing.