You probably have a Kentucky bluegrass (KBG) lawn, so unless there are really large areas with no living grass, it should fill in the bare spots.

Watering every day is not a good idea. You end up with roots that are very shallow and your grass will be more prone to developing thatch. You're also more likely to get more weeds because the watering schedule provides perfect conditions for germinating the weed seeds.

Gradually cut back on the frequency of the watering and increase the duration until you get to the point where you're providing an inch of water every week and providing it all on the same day. That will help your grass develop a deeper root system.

Mowing high (3.5-4 inches, usually the highest setting on your mower deck) will also help the grass be healthier. It gives the grass more surface area for photosynthesis and also shades the soil a bit, reducing the need for water and helping crowd out weeds.

You should also mulch mow when you mow. Mulch mowing doesn't contribute to thatch and may even help get rid of it. It returns nutrients and water to the soil and adds organic matter.

Hi tim01824 and welcome to GardenWeb. I don't think you're going to like what bpgreen has suggested; however, it is the combined wisdom of the ages as compiled here at GW for the past decade. What he is suggesting is different from what you read in the magazines, books, and what you hear from the experts, but it is what works for the home owners that write in here. It is becoming more common to see people writing in here to say, "I finally raised my mower and WHAT A DIFFERENCE!" We have also seen, "I started to follow the 1-2-3 cultural practices and all my weeds went away. My neighbor's crabgrass grows right up to my lawn and stops at the border!" Bpgreen has the 1 and 2 laid out for you with watering and mowing. Number 3 is fertilizing. I fertilize with organic fertilizer on the federal holidays because they are easy to remember. I live in the pretty deep south so I start with Washington's Birthday. Next is Memorial Day (coming up), 4th of July, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving. If you use Scott's, you can skip the 4th of July because the chemical stress on the grass in the heat is too much.

Daily watering is the single reason you have thatch (again, wisdom of the ages). A one-time app of too much fertilizer will not result in thatch. As you start to cut back on watering frequency, watch the grass carefully. Your roots are very shallow from the daily water.

I generally do not go by weekly watering. My general rule of thumb is to water very deeply only if my grass starts to wilt. The timing can vary wildly depending on the weather. When it's over 100*F, it's every 7 to 10 days if I don't get much rain. Mostly, I water every 2 weeks during summer. Sometimes, I get drenching rain. Sometimes, I don't. This also benefits trees better as well with very deep watering. It has to be slow soaking type though. Half inch per hour is ideal in most cases. I like to try 2 inches every 2 weeks but it's probably not practical because I live on rocks. It may not also be practical for sandy soil either. For clay soil, it will work very well with organic program.

Watering method seems to be the most misunderstood part of watering lawn. Pretty much every neighbor seemed surprised when I tell them that I water every 2 weeks on average.

2 inches at one time? What type of soil do you have? I would think that amount of water would just be a waste, as a lot of it will go far past the root zone.

You shouldn't use synthetic fertilizers after early April in your area. Most fertilizing should be done in the Fall. The plants will store the nitrogen as carbohydrates over the Winter. When the temps get right, your grass will green up and begin to grow.

tarheel, in his area he probably still has dormant grass in early April. What is your rationale for fertilizing that early and not later after the spring flush of growth?

2 inches at one time? What type of soil do you have? I would think that amount of water would just be a waste, as a lot of it will go far past the root zone.

If you have mycorrhizal fungi attached to the roots, then they penetrate much deeper than the formal roots of the plants. The fungi pick up water from great distances and deliver it to the plant roots.

First off, I was specifically referring to synthetics. I use SBM and Milorganite throughout the Summer.

Fertilizing with synthetics during warm to hot weather means that fertilizer will still be feeding in July and possibly August. I don't need to explain why that's a bad thing.