You can find your nearest extension office here. In a recent thread requesting two lawngrass identifications, I compared the ligule, auricles, grains of the blades, etc. as best I could and determined one was Kentucky Bluegrass and the other was rough bluegrass. Another person thought the lawn might be annual ryegrass. We were both wrong. The gentleman took samples to his cooperative extension service, which identified them as tall fescue. Didn't look anything like tall fescue to me, but they are much more likely to be right than my guesswork. You can take the pictures and show us, but we can't guarantee positive identification. Sorry about thinking it was powdery mildew. It looks just like that, and I never saw water droplets look like that. Maybe it was the flash in daylight.

Head on over to your local Clemson Extension office and have a talk with your agent. Don't worry about your analysis being old -- especially if you haven't done anything to your soil. Other Key questions: What type of grasses are you trying to grow -- Centipede takes a totally different care regime than Fescue or Bahia... What is your soil PH What soil type do you have? Now.... Looking at my recent analysis -- those are all Lbs/Acre -- not PPM measurements... P looks really low K looks medium low Ca should be plenty Mg is probably OK My guess is that you are going to be using some sort of balanced "premium" slow release fertilizer with minor elements -- like a 10-10-10 slow release or a 17-17-17 slow release... But It is going to be totally dependent on the type of grass and your soil type. Thanks

Commercial mowers? Seriously? In my opinion, no homeowner should ever consider going commercial. There really is little to no point in doing so. I use an HRC-216 from Honda when I help my father-in-law with his landscape business, and while it is a great machine, it is way more than I would ever need for ~52 times a year. Also, when something does go wrong, they are very expensive to fix. My advice for the OP is to sharpen the blade on the reel he has now and get it working well. Maybe add a weedeater, probably electric, so you don't have to store gas. If the reel has a hard time with your type of grass then go with a cheap mulching mower, gas or electric. When you find yourself with a larger lawn, then consider a premium residential mower like a Super Recycler or Honda. What you want to look for at that point is a decent engine and non-rusting deck. Also, if you do not need self-propelled, don't get it. It adds to the cost and complexity of the mower and is one more thing that can break. Looking at your lawn, a large self-propelled commercial would almost be more of a hassle to use than something smaller and more nimble like the reel mower you have or a 19"ish electric. Also, the money you save could be put towards more landscaping. There are plenty of plants and such that are drought resistant. That would do far more to beautify your lawn than a mower.

mat2cam , First of all, welcome to GardenWeb if you're new! Secondly, glad to see someone posting from beautiful Charlotte! My wife and I grew up there and lived there up until 2011, and we miss it dearly. When we bought our house in Huntersville, I inherited a lawn that resembled your description exactly - the builder only cared about making sure the yard had "green stuff" growing, and didn't care if that meant grass or weeds. I also did not have a built in irrigation system. If I had it to do all over again, I would definitely have "nuked" the yard with Roundup (probably over two applications) and either brought in some decent sod or re-seeded. Here are some grass options and the pros/cons for the Charlotte region: 1. Fescue Pros: Can be maintained to look good year-round; can be found in seed and sod varieties; will have a higher percentage of matching what your neighbors probably have (if a newer neighborhood). Big Bonus: Fescue will do fine in shade, so it will be great for that shaded side yard you mentioned. Cons: Maintenance in the summer-time can be expensive and bothersome. Fescue requires A LOT of water during those hot Charlotte summers, especially if you have a newer house that has no shade trees to help protect it. Additionally, trying to sow it now could prove to be difficult, since I've read that it's best to put new Fescue in after the summer months (Sept/Oct). 2. Bermuda Pros: Once established, it is very hard to kill. It will spread very fast and loves all the sun it can get. Additionally, the newer Bermuda hybrid varieties are very drought resistant, which would be a big bonus for someone without an irrigation system. One more bonus: when the summer heat is really beating down, your neighbors' Fescue will be suffering, but your Bermuda will be thriving. Chances are, some of what you are seeing as "weeds", will actually be Bermuda grass that just isn't matching the Fescue. Cons: It will turn brown beginning around early October and not come back until late March; so your yard will appear dormant while your neighbors Fescue will be green and lush. Additionally, once introduced, it can be very difficult to get rid of it. 3. Centipede My father still lives in Charlotte and is obsessed with grass. He transplanted his entire yard with sprigs of Centipede that he found in various places in eastern NC. His yard looks outstanding in the summer time! It requires very little water, does not grow as fast as other grass types in the summer time (maintenance is much less for him), and has a unique shade of green that the rest of your neighborhood will find intriguing. (I'd only choose this option if you treat your lawn as a hobby or a project; if you're wanting to 'fix' your yard and move on to other projects, Options 1 or 2 may be best) One last note: Being in Charlotte, you can find all of the organic alternatives that dchall mentions in the less urban areas... so depending on where you are, that'd be Gaston County, near Carowinds, even Lake Norman where there are still some feed/grain stores around. Basically, the opposite direction of Uptown, where they will charge you $100 for a bag of fertilizer. Best of luck and we wish you the best!