You might try misting it in the afternoon heat. I assume you are giving it a full inch when you water, right?

How old is the grass? Did you seed it this spring or last fall?

Compost can help as a micro mulch for the soil. Be sure to sweep it down so the grass blades are on top of it. Grass blades that get buried under compost will die.

It is/was getting the 1" of water but with the grass being so thin, it dries out fast. It is a new planting (Fall of 2015) and the soil is rather sandy but the builder put 4" of topsoil down.

I was thinking about a compost layer, would that be the best approach? I'm ok with it being dormant but don't want it dead. Its the KBG blend from seed super store.

Thanks

You have a ton of that baystate stuff right? A thick layer like DC said might help with water retention. Worm castings do that as well if you can't get real compost. When I have dry spots, I like to dump a nice heavy layer of dry Microlife (similar to your baystate, but not exactly) as a moisture holding "micro mulch" like DC mentioned, then I gently hand water that spot water for a few minutes. Just don't use so much that it smothers. That's the joy of organics--Have a problem? Drop a handful!

1 cubic yard of compost per 1,000 square feet will cover it well. I use a push broom to bring up the grass more gently than a leaf rake.

Can def dump the baystate there or my local garden center has "organic compost" I can get for $48 a yard. I don't mind doing either. Got a preference?

Compost. Too much Bay State will cause a massive explosion of fungi, and that's also way over the double normal application that's the real maximum for the stuff. Do that and you risk killing the lawn.

Sounds good, I'm going to measure out the affected area and see how much I need

@gle2011: Out of curiosity; how long do you have to wait between Milorganite applications?

Weeeellll.... Two weeks in normal rainfall at normal application rates, sort of. That's if your soil is up to speed on processing the stuff, the weather is compatible (not cold and, as noted above, either irrigated well or getting rainfall), and the soil or grass requires it.

Once a month would be a more normal interval, but most northern grasses won't require feeding that often. The only reason to do it is to improve the soil (there are others, like filling a dead space, but that requires some work otherwise).

Really, application in late May, early August, early September, and early October will more than cover a northern lawn's needs for the year.

Thanks Morp,

I am using it to improve the soil.

Thanks again.