Hi Folks -

We just purchased a new house in December from an owner who had two large Newfoundland Terriers. As such, the lawn isn't in the best shape. In total the lawn is roughly 1.25 acres (house and driveway not included).

The four issues I need help with are:

1 - Dethatching: The thatch built up in the turf is excessive. It's so thick in spots that the lawn is springy/squishy, and there is no way fertilizer will ever reach the soil. My understanding is that generally dethatching shouldn't be done in the spring, but I don't see how I can avoid it. Thoughts?

2 - Dead Spots: I have lots of dead spots throughout the lawn, some of which are actually fairly huge (more like sections rather than spots). The dead grass and thatch are so thick in these areas that they form a blanket that can be raked to expose bare soil without any effort. The dead grass even comes up simply by tripping on it. I'm thinking that I should dethatch, scrape up the dead grass, and reseed.

3 - Weeds: The weed problem doesn't seem to be out of control, but there are some large spots throughout the property that seem to be infested with this red-leafed weed that seems to intermix with the turf. I've tried to identify it with no success and as such have attached a photo. Any help with identifying / killing / controlling it is hugely appreciated!

4 - Bumps: The lawn is really "bumpy" in certain sections. I've been told that this is caused by grubs, and that the only option to get rid of the bumps is to aerate in the fall. Is there anything else I can do to start smoothing it out now?

As a matter of pride, I'd like to get my lawn as nice as possible and am willing to put in whatever effort required to get it that way. Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks!!