I'm trying to figure out how I should handle my lawn in the next couple of weeks. It's a new lawn, sod in front seed in back last fall and has filled in fairly well in most areas. However, it does not seem to be growing very fast in some areas and the green grass is intermixed with brown stalks. These brown stalks seem to be the stalks that went to seed earlier this spring. Here in Chicago, we've had a hot June (80s and low 90s) but have gotten decent rain in the last few weeks (about 2 inches or so). I've read a lot of info on here and try to follow the advice (cutting grass high, watering 1" once a week, mulching).

Anyway, I'm wondering what I can do to green-up and jump-start my grass? I was going to spread soybean meal but I'm a bit concerned that I may have develop fungus issue. I noticed some sort of weblike substance down at the base of the grass along the dirt. Should I spread a mixture of soybean meal and corn meal? If so, at what rates? Thanks in advance for the advice!