Hey thanks a bunch for taking the time to give me some the feedback. I'll try Logan for testing next time since that's what everyone here send to use. What other details do they provide?

To answer your questions, the area next to the pool is where the planter came out of. I dug it out and filled it with a couple bags of topsoil. I kept it really wet for 2 weeks in the spring after putting down some seed but went to regular watering after that. The new grass didn't make it once it started to get hot. Maybe I didn't water daily long enough to allow it to establish better. It's just my wife and I and we don't splash much. LOL

I think area by the tree could be shade. The base of that tree isn't too close there. The soil in the backyard seems to be made up of a lot of gravel. I assume this may have been introduced when the pool was put in the backyard because we're actually on a slope. The front soil is mostly clay. There's a retaining wall at the back of the yard to make the yard level. I was wondering if that soil makeup allows the water to drain through too fast. Is that something I should be concerned about?

Thanks again.

People grow gorgeous lawns in sand, so drainage speed isn't a problem. Mine drains quite fast (silt and clay, but highly organic and properly balanced). Sand would just mean watering less in amount, but more often than other soils would require. Gravel can be a bit of a challenge, requiring very high levels of organic matter to hold enough water.

The pool was probably an establishment problem. You usually have to keep new sod/seed watered the entire first year at a higher rate than most people bother, but it might come back when the weather cools a bit. If not, that's the proper moment to seed anyway. :-)

Logan gives specific numbers to a lot of things that this only gives a general guide. Lacking a specific CEC and saturation percentages, there's not much work I can do with this.

Thanks for the additional feedback. If I renovate later in the year I'll be more aware to not let up on the watering. Especially since the entire turf is at stake and not just a little strip.

Based on what you said I assume adding a little sand for leveling purposes can only help then. What's the best path to increasing organic matter in sandy soil though? I use an organic fertilizer currently and mulch instead of bagging.

I've also read allot about shampoo and soybean meal here. Would either of those help my situation?

When the time comes, ask about watering--it's best to progressively step back. By next summer, it'll simply need to be watered just before it's thinking about wilting.

Sand for leveling in minor amounts is fine if you can't get a soil that resembles your local one.

Increasing OM...always a fun one. :-) Mulch mow, as you already do. Mow all your fall leaves. Take neighbors' leaves as long as their lawns don't have major weed and disease issues (weeds are less likely to spread that way than diseases, but I've seen it happen).

Organic feeding does help, but it's a slow process. Still, every little bit helps, and nobody's saying you need to reach the finish line tomorrow... Soy's a good organic feed and only about fifteen pounds per thousand square feet is required to feed the lawn appropriately.

Shampoo would loosen your soil and improve oxygen penetration (good for root growth) and soil softness (good for helpful soil fungi) over time. It's never a mistake, but it also isn't always necessary.

Thanks again for the additional feedback! You've been a big help with getting me on the right path. I'll start a new thread when I get closer to my renovation so I can get some feedback on my plan and ask a few questions. I think I'm going to try out the shampoo and see if it helps any too since it won't hurt.

One last question for now hopefully. If I increase the amount of OM feed I use should I reduce the amount of organic granular fertilizer I use and still shoot for about 1lb of N per 1000 sq/ft per year? Is the application schedule about the same?

That's a difficult question because it depends. My top flight year was 37 pounds of N per thousand square feet delivered 100% organically (well, OK, 97% as the winterizer around here has to be synthetic). That was also 1,300 pounds of OM per thousand square feet that year.

Done synthetically, I would have sterilized the soil and rendered it incapable of growing anything for a while. Since I did it organically, the grass went absolutely insane and required cutting two to three times a week. And we're talking Kentucky bluegrass, not Bermuda.

Most northern grasses really do like from 2-4 (fescue, rye) or 4-6 (Kentucky bluegrass) pounds of N per thousand per year. I apply around 1 pound of N per thousand on May 1, August 1, September 1, and October 1, then winterize at the correct time (usually Thanksgiving). That gives me about 5#/K/year, and keeps the KBG very healthy.

Really, half that would probably make do--and five times that is not going to be an issue (organically done).

Oh wow. 37 lbs is crazy. Good to know I can go wild a bit with the OM feed and not have to worry about much other than some extra mowing.

I did have my numbers wrong. I'm on schedule to do 4lbs N per 1000ft per year. Your schedule seems to be more weighted towards the fall so I'll keep that in mind.

Thanks again for the help. I'd like to nail down what kind of grass seed I want to use for the reno so I'll make a new post on that soon.

Michael - is there a reason you are letting those branches hang over the lawn? I'd trim them way back so you have full sun there. I had a section of lawn like that last year. I had some guys come in and trim the tree line way back, and that same section is doing very nicely this year.

Based on a suggestion I read I was waiting until the fall when the tree was dormant to have it trimmed. The same tree on the other end of the yard doesn't look healthy so if it's sick I didn't want it to spread it to the healthy tree. Maybe it's really not a big deal and I don't have to wait though. I'm not sure. It might be smart to do it before the reno.