No, there is no heavy machinery that I use on the lawn. I do have a lot of thach and have a manual thather however I am considering renting one from home depot. What type of grass do I have, is it a mix of bluegass and fescue?

No, there is no heavy machinery that I use on the lawn.

I believe that was an attempt to be facetious. It's one of the common examples (herds of animals on the lawn is another) for the cause of soil compaction used by the ill-informed to discount the possibility that soil could otherwise be compacted. In actuality, as little as 4lbs of pressure per sq. in. can result in soil compaction. Short of having your soil density/texture tested and then employing a penetromter, the only guide is observation for signs.

I do have a lot
of thach and have a manual thather however I am considering renting one
from home depot.

It's possible, but unlikely on sod less than 3 years old. Before you spend the time, money and effort and the stress to the turf, check for thatch by taking a 3' wedge from your lawn so you can see the cross section. Thatch will be a layer of organic material above the soil that is greater than 1/2" thick. Google thatch images for comparison.

What type of grass do I have, is it a mix of bluegass
and fescue?

It appears to be a KBG/fescue mix. Use this.

It would appear that proper fertilization, watering and mowing practices are all you really need. (a soil test wouldn't hurt)

so I should not overseed? Those yellow spots are dead grass, should I just reseed those areas?

You could spot seed those dead spots, but you should try to match the turf type (call the sod farm you used and see if they kept records) or it could stand out like a sore thumb when it comes in. Only a couple of spots (like in that one corner) look very large. You could rake them to expose bare soil prior to seeding. The rest of your lawn looks quite good and if the close-ups are indicative, the KBG should spread and fill-in any of those basketball sized holes by the end of next May.

For KBG, you should give it a pound of N now,, the beginning of October and then a fast release pound (46-0-0) once it stops/dramatically slows growing (Thanksgiving?) as a winterizer.

I used Scotts Step 3 (32-0-4) with 2% Iron in the middle of July. Can I use this fertilizer now and then iat the beginning of October, and then use Scotts Step 4 in November, if not, than what product would you recommend?

I will call the landscaper who placed the sod, but I don't know if he will know/remember. If he can't than I will purchase a high quality blend of KBG and fescue (any brand recommendations are welcome)

Thanks

Without a soil test, we can only guess if your soil has any deficiencies, although the vast majority of your turf looks very good. Scotts isn't a good option (unless there is no other option). Applying Herbicides or pre-emergents combined with N isn't good because one of them is being applied at the wrong time. (see my recommendations for when N should be applied--in addition, one pound should be applied June 1.) It was not a good idea to apply fertilizer in July. The grass doesn't need it and it only stresses the turf--that may be a factor in creating your dead spots. Secondly, Scotts loves to add sulfur to their fertilizers. That's fine if you need to lower pH or a soil test shows a S deficiency, but eventually it's going to add to soil acidity. However, as you have Scotts Step 3 on hand, go ahead and use it for your September 1 (now) feeding.

I suggest you check with garden centers, Feed and Seed stores, or John Deere Landscapes/Lesco for your fertilizer. See if they carry or can get you Urea (46-0-0 or something like 37-0-4. Otherwise, in spite of the sulfur, you can use Sotts Step 4. Next year you can use Milorganite for June 1 and Sept 1 feedings. To help KBG spreading, apply a fertilizer with phosphorous and Potasium. A triple (10-10-10, 12-12-12, 19-19-19) or a starter with a double digit second and third number. This will be most beneficial once soil temps drop and rooting is occurring. The October feeding.

I can just about guarantee that the landscaper wont know. Ask him where he bought the sod and call the sod farm. Different cultivars of grass can differ significantly. Whatever you buy, get certified or one with 0% noxious weed and 0% other crops. If you find what was used, Google "Hogan Seed" they are reasonable priced suppliers of quality seed and can help you try to match your seed.

Btw, push a screwdriver into a couple of those dead patches and then into an area of healthy grass and see if there is any difference in effort needed.

i will get my soil tested. I Weed B Gone Crabgrass Control killed my grass because it turned yellow after I used it. The fertilizer talk sparked my memory that I have this. Maybe I should use this instead of Scott's.

I just did a soil test for PH using HoldAll Soil Test Kit. I used Dasani water instead of Tap and took soil from where the grass was dead. PH color points to pH 6.5 (Slightly Acidic). Doing a Niteogen Test but need to wait until soil settles in jar first (anywhere from 30 minutes to 24 hours, depending on soil) and will post results when available.

EDIT:. Screwdriver goes in with very little effort in all areas of lawn (even where dead grass is)

I was referring to a professional soil test from a lab like Loganlabs.com, Brookside Labs or even UMass or the University of Delaware. :)

The home tests aren't accurate and give very little information.

The screwdriver test is a good sign, unless it's been raining.

The JG would be ok for the Sept or Oct feeding (except you want P and K for your Oct feeding this year--see above). Because it is a slow release (coated) it wont work well at all for winterizing.

Just to follow up with some cliff notes:

1. (SEPTEMBER-NOW) JD Fertilizer

1. Possibly Dethatch (I can do it manually since I
   don’t have a lot of turf)

1. Rake dead spots (perhaps apply a little top soil
   to make it level with turf)

1. Spot seed dead spots (KGB/Fescue mix)

1. OCTOBER -
   N in that contains phosphorus and potassium

https://www.amazon.com/Howard-Johnsons-7137-12-12-12-Fertilizer/dp/B0039BUAS4

1. NOVEMBER Urea (46-0-0)

1. APRIL – Pre-Emergent Herbacide Prodiamine 65 WDG

1. JUNE – Milorganite

1. SEPTEMBER – Milorganite

1. Continue as above

What do you suggest to do to control weeds that grow during
the summer (if the pre-emergent is not 100% successful?

If I choose to dethatch, I guess it would not hurt to over
seed entire lawn since I only have 1,800 SF, would there be any harm in over
seeding?

Yep, pretty much with a couple of tweaks. When using organics (like Milorganite, apply a week or two earlier than the dates given for synthetics. If your lawn is filled in next year, you probably wont need the phosphorous and can just use your JD for the October feeding. If you have problems locating 46-0-0, use a fertilizer with the largest percentage of fast release N as you can find.

Oh, and you don't need to add any soil unless you have a low spot/hole.

Make your last mow of the year at 2-2.5". otherwise never mow below 3" the rest of the year and the higher the better.

EDIT: Sorry I missed this.

What do you suggest to do to control weeds that grow during
the summer (if the pre-emergent is not 100% successful?

I use WeedBgone Max and WeedBgone OCC with good success. I mix them together in one sprayer. Follow directions.

If I choose to dethatch, I guess it would not hurt to over
seed entire lawn since I only have 1,800 SF, would there be any harm in over
seeding?

No harm. Go light where the lawn is already well established.

Good luck.

They have this at lowes, it says for garden and on the back label it does not say anything about lawns. It's a 12-12-12 but there is not setting for a Scott's edge guard spreader or any spreader for a lawn. Is this good for October?

Nutz. Lol. That should be fine.

Let's bring Lucy in because there is a little 'splaining to do:

Spreader settings for a fertilizer product are based on (1) Prill size (the diameter of the little beads of the product) and (2) the percent of the controlling nutrient content in the product. (this is the highest of the three numbers, X-X-X. For most products this will be N, the first number.) Although lawn nuts shoot for one pound, in most cases this will result in less than one pound of nutrient per 1k sq ft. in most do it yourself homeowner aimed products like Scotts. They like to play safe. For instance, Scotts Turfbuilder 32-0-4, 12.5 lb. bag for 5k sq ft. = (12.5/5)X.32 will result in .8lbs of N per 1k sq ft.; or Milorganite 5-2-0, 36 lb bag for 2.5K sq ft = (36/2.5)X.05 will result in .72 lbs of N per 1k sq ft.

Moving on. Prill size. Most products come in a standard prill size. You need to determine if the prill size of the triple 12 is the same as the Scotts or JG. Take a palm full of the triple 12 and a palm full of the Scotts or the JG and compare. Keep in mind that due to the manufacturing process, there will be some prills slightly smaller than the majority and some larger. If prills of the triple 12 are very similar, proceed on.

% nutrient. Determine the amount of triple 12 nutrient that will be applied when using the Scotts or JG product spreader setting. As an example, using Scotts Step 3, Scotts recomends using the 3.5 setting for the Scotts Edgeguard spreader and the 12.5 lb bag will cover 5000 sq ft, so...12.5/5 = 2.5 lbs of product will be spread over 1k sq ft at a 3.5 setting.

For triple 12 (if prill size is the same) that means using a setting of 3.5 will result in 2.5X.12=.3lbs of N and P and K being applied to to 1k sq ft of lawn. At the 3.5 setting you will need to make three passes to apply .9lbs/sq ft of N, P and K---about as close to the 1lb of NPK as you are going to get. HOWEVER, as you are applying the triple for the purpose of applying Pand K for root growth and as root growth is maximized when soil temps are 55 to 65F AND as P binds very quickly and its availability is thereby reduced, you may want to divide the three apps and spread them out over the month of October for maximum benefit.

WARNING: The fact that a setting of 3.5 results in 2.5 lbs of product does NOT mean that a setting of 7 will result in the application of 5lbs of product.

There are are number of methods to calibrate your spreader: Google "spreader calibration". Too much work and/or mess for me though.

Just put the spreader on a low setting and go back and forth over the area until it's all applied.

I verified with the sod farm that they use Jonathan Greene 100% Kentucky Blue Grass. I did a quick search and this looks like the only JC KBG being offered:

http://www.jonathangreen.com/product/sod-maker-kentucky-bluegrass-blend-grass-seed.html

That's good news. Often, the best they can do is give the cultivars used and leave it to you to source them and blend or mix your own. Having the source of the already blended and available seed is great.

@Tom: Hi Tom. I also have KBG in northern NJ. I think you are way overthinking the over seeding thing. KBG apparently doesn't over seed well, meaning if you are planning to broadcast seed over the lawn without scalping everything then you won't have good results. From what I can tell you have several small divot sized patches of dead grass. The great thing about KBG is that it will spread quickly and fill in those areas. I wouldn't try to match the grass type just to fill in some bare spots. In fact, your existing lawn will probably grow in and take over the new KBG seedlings the first spring anyway. KBG doesn't grow much in its first year.

I've had dead spots here and there over the last 3 years and you'd never know it now. Another guy in the forum has KBG that fills in a trash can sized dead area in 3 months.

If you need to dethatch after 1 or 2 years then something is seriously wrong. I think you are going to stress the (still new) lawn unnecessarily by dethatching.

It is highly recommended to get a soil test from Logan Labs, and then post your results in this forum. People here will analyze the results and help you get your soil in good shape.

Oh, last thing... this fall get all the leaves you can find and mulch mow them into your lawn. Leaf matter is great for soil structure. Plus, you'll never have to rake another leaf again!

I agree with Daniel. THere is just not a lot you really need to do for your lawn at this time. If you have a KBG/Fescue mix then the KBG will fill in. If you have dead spots from weeds dying and/or Fescue dying in the summer, great, let the KBG grow in there naturally. If you overseed with a mix the Fescue will grow great and take hold faster. Then next year it will die again. Letting the KBG fill in those areas is the reason for the mix.

The shampoo,molasses, pre-emergent should still be done to help your lawn. Everything else just seems a bit much for your situation tbh.

UPDATE:

I had my irrigation system fixed and have a 2nd Generation controller with 4 zones and full coverage. The installers said the soil is excellent and is "Sandy Loam" and based that I am relatively close to a river, that I may never need to aerorate. I wanted to wait to overseed / fertilize until I fixed the irrigation system.

Here is the important thing: We noticed GRUBS in the front yard and none in the back yard. There are not ALOT but there are some and I saw them. Perhaps they are also killing my front yard? The products to kill grubs at home depot say to use them from spring until mid august, it's still 85F plus here day time, can I use them, if not, what will kill these grubs?

Picture of my soil type below: