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.

First off, thank you for your response. I was not aware that Fescue grew the way it does. Regarding your questions, please see below: My basic problem is *extreme* dryness and what looks to be dead grass over a large part of my lawn. When I simply drag my foot across this dry/dead area, it basically disintegrates and falls apart. It does not look dormant to me at all. So basically a good 50% of my lawn is dry, gray, drab, dead, and unsightly. I water on average twice a week for approximately 20-25 minutes per session. I use a water gauge to make sure I'm not going over an inch a week. Admittedly, I haven't been as dedicated to the watering since my lawn has basically turned it's back on me. My own twisted form of revenge, I suppose :) I am very careful about my mowing. I mow high to ensure that I'm not damaging the grass too much. I mow about once a week. But since it's been so dry here, I've only had to mow about twice a month. I fertilize early in the spring with pre-emergent (Scotts Turf Builder, I believe) and again mid-summer with another Scotts product, Turf Plus. My lawn is border-line immaculate during the spring and early summer. But then it just gives up on me. Maybe I'm not doing something right? I've made my lawn pictures "public" via my Picasa program. If you're comfortable clicking on the link below (I promise it's nothing malicious), you'll be able to see what kind of shape my lawn is at this time. Perhaps you or another expert might be able to share some insight based on what you see? http://picasaweb.google.com/thompsonrobertj/LawnPics# Thanks again for the assistance. I desperately want to bring my lawn back to life. It's quite embarrassing! Here is a link that might be useful: Bobby Lawn Pictures

I'm not sure explaining shampoo one more time will be less confusing. You spray shampoo on the lawn and then water a full inch of water. In 2 weeks you do it again. As long as you use at least 3 ounces of shampoo per 1,000 square feet, you're doing it right. Technically your soil is not compacted - it is hard. When you soften it with the shampoo it will become soft to walk on every time you water and will get hard again in a week (or weeks) before you water again. I hear the crabgrass in the north is still in full swing. Spraying it to kill would be a waste of time and money, because it is about to die any day now. Crabgrass only lives when the soil and air are warm. You can rent a dethatcher and that will remove it. Other tools that will remove it are a power rake, slit seeder, or any other tool with vertical cutting blades. Set the cutters to go down to ground level. This will shred the crabgrass so you can blow it away or rake it up. Then put the seed down and start watering. You don't need straw or any other gimmicks. Crabgrass is the result of a combination of things. One is thin turf. You are addressing that with your seeding this fall. Great!! Another is the soil being moist for too long in the spring. If you water ever day, or it rains every day, then the crabgrass seed will germinate. If you water deeply one time and let the soil dry out for a month or at least several weeks, the crabgrass will never get started. Also it helps to mow your grass at a high setting on your mower. I like the highest setting but others swear the middle is good, too. Tall grass grows deeper roots to resist drought. And tall grass shades the soil so weed seeds don't get enough sunlight to grow.

The concept of a "winterizer" fertilizer is really a misnomer because not very long ago the synthetic fertilizer manufacturers and sellers were advising people that used them to not fertilize later than Labor Day. What feeding the Soil food Web now will do is give the plants a food to store so those plants are ready to grow when spring soil temperatures tell them it is time. About now you should be feeding your lawn with a good source of organic plant food. keeping in mind that soil temperatures lag behind air temperatures by quite a bit and the Soil Food Web will still be busy in a good, healthy lawn long after the air temperatures drop below freezing.