Keep your expectations realistic and give it a few weeks based on your plan
- Mow evenly with a mower
- Figure out if the yellow grass is thatch or fungus
- If it’s thatch, use a proper rake to dethatch
- Set up a watering schedule
- Get rid of weeds
- Think about overseeding and using fertilizer
Or…
Just strip it and start fresh
@Wyn
Sorry to jump in, but my lawn is looking a lot like the person who posted this. Can I overseed now or is that just a fall thing?
Graydon said:
@Wyn
Sorry to jump in, but my lawn is looking a lot like the person who posted this. Can I overseed now or is that just a fall thing?
It depends on the grass type and where you live. In Ontario, Canada with Kentucky bluegrass, I can overseed in late spring and might still be able to do it until mid-June if the weather is cool enough
@Wyn
Be careful with that. Especially with KBG since it takes a while to germinate. It’s great grass but you need to have perfect timing and some luck with the weather
Drew said:
@Wyn
Be careful with that. Especially with KBG since it takes a while to germinate. It’s great grass but you need to have perfect timing and some luck with the weather
I was in North Carolina and asked a lawn care store about KBG. The clerk reacted like I just said something outrageous. I ended up laying Emerald Zoysia sod instead
@Wyn
I really love Canada. My wife is from there.
It was amazing. Now it’s so expensive though
Is she from Ontario by any chance? My wife came back with a bunch of stories from her last trip there.
@Wyn
How can you tell the difference between thatch and fungus?
Hollis said:
@Tristan
I’m picking this up from a Google search. Could you tell me what a good lawn watering schedule is? Once a day, every other day, once a week?
It really depends on your soil and environment. You want to water deeply and as little as you can to help the roots grow deep. That could be once a week, twice a week, or if you live in a sandy area like I do, maybe daily during the hottest parts of summer 
Overseed, mow, fertilize, weed, water
Mow every week. Water enough. Use a simple granular fertilizer now. Re-fertilize and spot treat weeds when the weather cools down in the fall.
Mowing and watering will really improve things, turfgrass does well with these conditions.
@Tristan
I’m picking this up from a Google search. Could you tell me what a good lawn watering schedule is? Once a day, every other day, once a week?
@Tristan
I just realized after reading this that I live in the UK where it rains all the time, that will probably keep my grass okay? 
A sandy high desert sounds like a nice place to be though 
Hollis said:
@Tristan
I just realized after reading this that I live in the UK where it rains all the time, that will probably keep my grass okay?
Yeah, in places with a lot of rain (like the Midwest here in the US), it’s common to not have irrigation and let the lawn go dormant during the hottest parts of summer. Since the UK is mostly green hills, you should be good
@Tristan
If the advice is to water ‘As little as possible,’ does that mean I should water only once in a lifetime or just never? Is that really what you meant?
Mow it regularly. At least once a week if not twice. Get a stiff garden rake and remove all the dead materials. Your lawn probably won’t fill in by itself, so you’ll need to know what type of grass you have and add seed to any empty spots. If you decide to seed, you’ll have to figure out how to water it, whether that’s a timed sprinkler or manually watering multiple times a day until the grass is long enough to have been mowed a couple of times.
@Flint
Sorry for asking, but why is regular mowing so important beyond just making it look nice?
