I been doing this for a few years now
Some recommend aerating with a machine but, in my experience, it brings weed seeds up. Believe it or not... I used to spray shampoo on my lawn through a hose-sprayer and it worked better (Google it)
3 simple rules to maintaining a lawn
- Water deeply but infrequently. 'Deeply' meaning water for long periods of time at once (1 hour per section works for my lawn) and 'infrequently' meaning only when the lawn seems to need it (7-10 days, unless it's extremely hot). Watering for only 10, 15 or 30 mins at a time doesn't get enough water to the grass roots and encourages weeds. Watering should be done in the early morning or late evening.
- Mowing - Cut using the highest setting on your mower, especially when it's hot. This encourages a thicker lawn. In the late fall, you can lower the setting on the mower.
- Fertilize regularly - I use all organic fertilizer except for a synthetic with high nitrogen in late fall. Grab some Milorganite (about $13 per 36lb bag @ any Lowes or HD). It's organic but unlike Scotts or the others, it will NOT burn your grass if you apply too much. I know lawn fanatics who apply it 3+ times per month. Set your spreader on the highest setting and just spread it until you've covered the whole lawn. My lawn is 7000sq ft. and I use 3-4 bags per application.
Best applied with rain in the upcoming forecast so it can be watered in.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/36-lb-Organic-Nitrogen-Fertilizer-100048741/100618523
http://www.milorganite.com/en/Using-Milorganite/Application-Rates.aspx
General mix for killing weeds - covers almost all common lawn weeds. You'll need 2 applications spaced 2 weeks apart.
- 1 oz
Speedzone
- 1 oz
Ortho Weed B Gon Chickweed, Clover and Oxalis (CCO) killer
- 1 TBSP
spreader sticker (allows chemical to adhere to weeds better)
- 1 gallon of water in a 1 gallon sprayer (double each item for a 2 gal sprayer)
This is what the lawn looked like when I bought my house in 2008. I didn't really do anything for almost 2 years because I had no idea where to start. The 2nd pic is from fall 2012.