Since you have KBG and not a warm season grass, I'm going to assume you're in the Salt Lake Valley/I-15 corridor somewhere more or less between Ogden and Provo.

I think you've made a few mistakes that are contributing to your pain. Fortunately, most of them are correctable.

The one uncorrectable mistake was adding 2-3" of topsoil before putting in the sod. That's a good short term idea, but it means that there's a big change in soil types and that can cause issues by creating a barrier of sorts. I called it an uncorrectable mistake, but I was being too broad in that. The mistake is uncorrectable, but I think you can minimize the effects (keep reading).

Another mistake I see is that you're overfertilizing by quite a bit. And you're fertilizing at the wrong times. Fertilizer makes the grass grow more. When grass grows more, it uses more water. What you want to do is throw out everything you think you know about fertilizer needs. Fertilizers usually give three numbers for percentages of nutrient (N-P-K). Most of the soil here is naturally high in both P and K, so if you're using chemical fertilizers, you want something like 21-0-0 or 46-0-0. And apply it at the recommended rate. But don't apply it multiple times in the spring and then again in the summer. Apply it once in September or October (depending on when it starts to cool off and we start to get rain). Then, once the grass has stopped growing, but while it's still green, apply the fertilizer again. Your lawn may stay green all winter. If not, it will start to turn green before your neighbors' lawns do. Only if the lawn absolutely needs it, fertilize once in the spring.

You don't mention whether you mulch mow or not. If you don't, you need to start.

Mow at the highest setting on your mower. This encourages root growth and also reduces water needs, since the ground is shaded.

If you are able, watch the lawn and only water it when it starts to show signs of stress. Don't wait until it starts to go dormant, but don't water too early, either. If you have small areas that are getting stressed earlier than the rest of the lawn, water those areas with the hose. These are probably not getting as much from the sprinklers. Water as deeply as possible.

From what I've read here, core aeration is a bargain around here. If I were you, I would core aerate in the fall when the soil is damp to a depth of at least 4 inches (whether from rain or watering). You're trying to punch through to the native soil. If you're planning to overseed, mow as low as possible before the core aeration. Give yourself at least 3 weeks before a frost for sufficient germination. This time, bag the clippings (compost them, but they'll be too thick to leave on the lawn).

Then overseed. After you overseed, spread a layer of compost if you can get it (many waste disposal sites have compost for low cost). Another option is to spread shredded trees. These are usually available for free from tree trimming companies. The drawback is that you need to take the full truckload. On the bright side, you probably want to spread a truckload on the lawn. You want a layer of at least 1/4 inch, but not more than 1/2 inch.

In the spring, repeat the core aeration and compost/shredded trees. If you do it early enough, you can reseed, but reseeding in spring is likely to run into problems in the summer heat.

Always mulch mow and mow high.

If there's a Starbucks on the way from work, stop and ask for their used grounds. Sometimes they're in a bucket right by the door. You don't need to buy anything; you're really doing them a favor by reducing their trash pickup costs. Toss the grounds around on the lawn. Coffee grounds are a mild fertilizer, but the main benefit is that they're adding organic matter to your soil.

The goal with the mulch mowing and grounds and the trees/compost is to get more organic matter into the soil. It will take time, but the clay will start to be more like the soil you added on top of it. It will also absorb water better, so you might be able to cut back from 4 cycles to 3. This is the part I meant when I said that the uncorrectable mistake could be minimized.

Over time, you won't need to core aerate, but you may need to do so every year for the short term.

You will need to add organic matter every year (or more often if you can manage).

And you thought YOU were long winded.

my grass gets stressed easily
my lawn was getting grayish brown
to eliminate the heat stress and brown

You don't describe any of those or distinguish between heat stress and brown. Are heat stress and brown the same in appearance? I need to know what you mean by these terms to be sure you know what they mean. The main reason I ask is I can't imagine a lawn in moist soil being heat stressed, and you added more moisture to it. It's a contradiction in terms and application. I think you're looking at a problem and trying to solve it with water when likely the reverse would be more effective. You also don't say for how long you run the sprinkler, but a spring lawn doesn't need water every 3-5 days, especially not an already wet one. Hope I don't sound chastizing. I really just want you to trust me as I try to invert your way of thinking because I suspect your lawn is being drowned and over fertilized. errrr Then your second mistake was following the Scott's program :)

Water and fertilizer are a deadly combination when either or both are over applied. Deadly because it easily causes disease that kills the grass, and it's possible you have a lawn disease by your description of so much brown/dead grass. I cannot be sure of that because you haven't described the dead areas or how the grass looks before it turns brown, but I do think disease is likely.

First, you need a soil test and to determine if there is disease present. Your local UtahState University Cooperative Extension Service will test both for you. Take them samples of both the dead (w/roots) and green grass (w/roots) for diagnosis. I don't know how much they charge for that. Call them beforehand so they can walk you through their sampling requirements for the soil test. It will cost maybe $20 more or less. The purpose of the soil test is to determine nutrient needs, including whether lime or sulfur are necessary to bring the soil pH into balance. The test results will instruct which of them you need, how much to apply, and application intervals. If you need help understanding the test results, refer again to the Lawn Care Forum. Someone will be happy to interpret it for you.

Next, you need a maintenance schedule, which you can find here. Scroll down to schedule outlined in red subtitles not far from the top. Begin at what point you are in the schedule (being that this is June and really nothing to do), but do apply the Nitron product now. Pay particular attention to the paragraphs on proper watering and mowing. Follow those to the T.

Overseed in the fall between mid August and mid September. If you'd like seed suggestions, refer again to the Lawn Care Forum. If you learn there is disease in the grass, it would be wise to try composing a blend that is resistant that disease espcially, so please make note of that when requesting seed suggstions. We on the forum can also offer suggestions for seeding methods if you would like.

Sorry, I didn't mean to write a novel LOL

The suggestion to contact the extension service reminded me that there's a free sprinkler inspection service available. They'll test how much water your sprinklers apply, check the length of your grass roots, test the water pressure and give you a customized schedule for your lawn.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sprinkler inspection

Thanks for the information! The grayish brown is when I can see my footprints in the lawn and they don't go away like it will in the lawn that does not need water. The brown lawn is mixed between the green grass that is alive. I think as it of thatch, so if I were to pull out all of the thatch then it would effectively leave 1/2 of my lawn alive and the rest thatch. When I move the blades of grass back to inspect my lawn the roots are shallow. Looking at a "core" sample after aeration proves that the roots are not very deep. That is why I think the lawn gets heat stressed, even in the spring. When I look at the "core" samples from my neighbors lawn, their roots are deeper which makes me think that is why their lawn stays green without water longer than mine. The lawn is green at first and then the tops turn yellow and then turns brown when it turns to thatch. I can take a picture if that would help.

Did you schedule on of the free sprinkler inspections yet?

Are you able to stop at any Starbucks to pick up the grounds? I don't think I'd go out of my way for them, but if there's a Starbucks on the way, it'll help add organic matter to the soil.

I think the biggest problem is that you used too much fertilizer and you used it at the wrong time. Don't fertilize again until at least mid September. If you're using chemical fertilizers, use something with 0 for the second and third numbers. We just don't need the P and K around here. And only fertilize at the recommended rate, not at 1.5x the recommended rate. Once the top growth has stopped (mowing season finished), fertilize again, the same way.

Next spring fertilize ONCE, probably in April or early May (again, with something with 0 for the second and third numbers and at regular rate). If it gets past Mother's Day and you haven't fertilized, skip it and wait until September. You don't want the lawn growing fast when it's hot and dry.

When you say that your roots aren't very deep, how deep are they? I suspect they're staying in the topsoil you brought in. Core aerating in the spring and/or early fall will help penetrate the "barrier" between the imported soil and the native soil. Especially if you follow it with an application of compost or shredded trees. You don't want to apply either more than about 1/4 to 1/2 inch or you could smother the grass.

If you're going to overseed this fall, mow as low as possible first and bag the clippings (mulch them back in at all other times). Then core aerate. Then spread the seed. Then apply the compost or shredded trees. To get the seeds to germinate, water 3 times a day for a few minutes a station (unless it rains). This is to keep the seeds moist so they germinate. Once they start growing, cut back to once a day, watering for longer periods. Then every other day, again watering longer. Continue spreading out the time between waterings until you're watering an inch once a week.

It may take a while to get to that point if the roots are not growing into the native soil. But I think that as you continue adding organic matter and core aerating, you'll see less of a difference between the two soils and this should become less of a problem for you.

I just called to schedule the sprinkler inspection. Thanks for that tip. My roots are approximately 1-1.5 inches deep.

There is a small coffee shack by my house, I planned on calling or stopping by this weekend at the latest. Other than the smell, how is the "man fertilizer" AKA the waste from the sewer treatment plant for adding organic matter?

How small of shredded trees should I get to spread on the lawn, the smallest that the dump will sell? I haven't been mulching the clippings so I will start that when I mow this week.

What do you reccomend to do about the dead grass in my lawn? Will adding organic material help decompose it or should I power rake in September?

What kind of grass seed mixture should I use for overseeding?

Thanks again for your time and help.

Let me know how the sprinkler inspection goes. I called once to schedule one, but was then out of town too much so never got it done.

Your grass roots are seriously deficient. It sounds like they're not even making it through the imported soil, unless that has settled quite a bit, in which case you've probably got grass that is not getting roots to go into the different soil. I think your plan to add organic matter will help minimize the difference.

I didn't know any of the sewage treatment plants around here made the waste available for lawns. Milwaukee sells it commercially and many people really like it. Others are concerned about the level of heavy metals in it. Depending on where you are, heavy metals could be a concern here, as well, especially with the mining in some areas.

For the shredded trees, you may be able to get them for free if you call a tree trimming service. If you go with the dump, compost would be better if they have that. If not, it's probably best to go with the finest, since you'll be less likely to get trash that way.

The added organic matter should help decompose the dead grass. Considering how low our soil is in organic matter, I wouldn't power rake unless you absolutely have to, since doing so removes organic matter. Core aerating will punch holes in any thatch you may have (and the heavy fertilizing probably contributed to thatch).

I'm the wrong one to ask about grass seed. I've been overseeding the past few years with native grasses, in an attempt to get a low water lawn. I wouldn't go with the drought tolerant seed you see at the big box stores, though. That usually tends to be K31 fescue, which actually does do pretty well in low water, but it grows faster, has wider weeds and tends to be clumpy, so it kind of stands out in the lawn.

There is a plant in the Syracuse area (Davis County) my neighbor put it in his flower beds and the first load was OK, the second had a terrible smell. They give the "man fertilizer" away and sometimes run out. Davis County sewer has an aluminum extrusion plant that dumps into the sewer, it contains aluminum, which helps absorb solids, the treatment plant adds aluminum anyway. Is this the kind of heavy metal you are referring to? We also sell our solution as fertilizer to Idaho (contains P & N & K)although I have heard it works well on lawns I never tried it.

As far as adding organic matl. will that build the layer up like a golf course does with their greens? Instead of the roots going deeper, add matl. on top to build the layers?

I use the medium shredded trees from the dump in the flower beds, it is good stuff. I wish my lawn grew like the flowers and shrubs.

I think the metals that are more problematic are lead and cadmium. My concern with aluminum would be if you changed part of the lawn to vegetable garden, would the vegetables then contain elevated levels of aluminum? Aluminum has been linked to Alzheimer's, although I don't know whether the there has been any proof whether it is a contributing factor or a result.

It's probably a good thing I wouldn't have a good way to transport from Syracuse to Farmington. My wife doesn't like the way coffee grounds smell when it gets hot, so I can't imagine what she'd think of the stuff from Syracuse. I wonder if the second load your neighbor applied was when it was hot out. That seems to increase the smell.

I don't think the OM builds up on the surface. What happens (or what should happen, anyway) is that soil microbes eat it and slowly work it down into the soil. Worms also come to the surface, grab a meal and go deeper into the soil, providing some natural aeration in addition to mixing the soil and OM and mixing the soil from different layers (not to mention the worm castings). They'll leave little bumps all over the lawn, but that's actually a good sign. So I think what will happen is that you'll create conditions that are more favorable for the roots to go deeper into the soil.

Is that the

I just reread the entire thread and I need to amend my advice on the power raking. Since you're planning to seed this fall, the power raking would probably be a good idea. You can save the stuff that gets raked up and compost it (reducing the amount you need to buy).

Do you know if the water is actually penetrating into the clay beneath the topsoil you added? I'm a little concerned that what is happening is that the imported soil is saturated and the clay is dry or at most damp, so you're drowning the grass, and that's why the roots are so shallow.

Mallory mentioned Nitron in her post. I've never used Nitron, but there's a product that seems to be available only in the intermountain west called Revive. It's available at Sam's in a dry form (along with dehydrated poultry manure), or in a liquid form without the dehydrated poultry manure at Wal Mart. It may be available elsewhere, but that's where I've seen it.

I would start a new thread for the best grass seeds. But I would first follow Mallory's suggestion on checking for disease, since that could impact the seed to use.

I have used revive 1 time. It helped green the lawn a little bit but I wasn't sure if it was more like snake oil than a help to the lawn. I figured the Fe (iron) caused the lawn to green up and wasn't sure about the rest of the ingredients. Have you used revive? Do you think it will help with the soil? The bag claims that it is only a temporary soil wetting agent.

It seems that the clay is getting moist, I need to dig down to see how deep it is penetrating though. Would a riding mower on the new lawn cause the roots to stay shallow? I got my lawn from the same place that my neighbors did about a week after them. And their lawn looks great. They also brought topsoil in from the same place and used the same mower. their roots are deeper, and their lawn stays greener longer in the spring without water. I would like to get to the point I only water 1 X a week and thats it. Any other suggestions? Thanks so much for your help.

I've used it, but I'm not sure how much it helped. My soil does absorb water better than it used to, but I've been mulch mowing for 10 years and I've been spreading grounds from Starbucks for a few years, too, so I don't know how much credit I can give to Revive.

Nitron has a lot of fans on the forum, or it used to, anyway. I don't see it as often anymore. There's another product that some people like called Aerify. Others say that baby shampoo will work just as well.

Baby shampoo will help the soil absorb wate better, because it's a surfactant/wetting agent. I think the main benefit of Revive, Nitron and Aerify is the surfactant/wetting agent. Since Revive is aimed at the intermountain west, it has chelating and sequestering agents (and thee iron you mentioned).

I can't see that the riding mower is causing the problems. I wonder if the over fertilizing and fertilizing in the summer may have kept the roots short. The reason I say that is that maybe you were getting too much top growth, and nothing was getting stored in the roots.

Since your neighbor started at the same time, added soil the same and mows with the same mower, I would ask about all the aspects of lawn care and try to see where you differ. It may be that what happened is that what you saw as fertilizer starvation was actually fertilizer overload.

I cut some "core" samples in the lawn today. I watered last night so I wanted to see the watering depth. The water is easily getting over 7" down so I think that is ok. There are a few small thin roots that have ventured down 3 + inches so that is a good sign. Most of the root structure is balled up on the very top, shallow at best but it looks more like a nest of tightly woven roots not digging in deep. Should I keep aerating the lawn to have the roots dig down and wait until the lawn is turning grayish color before watering? Baby shampoo is much cheaper than Revive (almost $30 a bag).

So to summerize everything so far.
1-Get the free sprinlker watering check(I left a message but no one has called back, will retry)
2-Start mulching my lawn
3-Continue to aerate in spring and fall
4-Add coffe grounds to lawn
5-Add compost, man fertilizer, etc. after aerating to add organic matter to the soil
6-Only fertilize in spring, fall and one last time right before the grass starts going brown (mid to late Nov), use only fertilizer with a high first number and the others as 0
7-get a soil sample test done