Question
Hello and Thanks for your help/advise.

I live in Dayton, Ohio and have a problem with my front yard's grass being thin. At the beginning of the year it seems to be doing decent, however as the year progresses it looks really bad. At this point in the year you can see dirt and thatch through the grass. I have been through company after company claiming to be able to make my grass strong with treatments of fertilizer. At this point I think I may just be wasting my money. I have 3 silver maples in the yard that shade it a lot. The first one is about 4' in diameter and about 30' to 40' tall. Second is only about 2' diameter but i would say its about 30' to 40' tall as well. The final tree is is only about 1' in diameter and  around 20' to 30' tall. I have debated removing the 2 larger trees but its quite expensive. I don't know if I need to actually remove them to just have nice grass, and the shade is nice on our porch. Would thinning out the tree and removing the lower branches to the ground help enough? I guess what I'm asking is the lack of light killing the grass or the nutrients that the trees take. I would love to go without removing them because of the huge cost, and since we don't plan to be in this house for ever. If it is necessary would I need to remove all of the stumps and root system to get good results? If so I can get estimates and plan to do this in the spring, so i can save up some of the large cost involved. If it goes to removing and considering their root system probably takes up most of my 20'x40' front yard should I just tear up the yard and start from scratch and lay new topsoil as well so it can be graded properly?

I know I bounced all over the place, so I hope you can follow this.

Thanks
Kyle

Answer
Start of with the mindset that you will not remove the trees and that you will try every cultural (things that YOU do) operation to have a lawn that looks well cared for. There is a popular saying that goes "don't let perfect be the enemy of good".
Let's examine the shade factor a little more closely. I imagine that at the beginning of the year the trees are leafless and the sun is at a different angle. As the year advances, the sun is directly overhead for a longer time and the canopies of the three maples might throw more shade for a longer time. Then towards the latter part of the year the angle of the sun changes, (maple)leaves fall and maybe other structures like the house get in the way. Removing the trees might still not solve the problem.
Setting the mower at a higher cutting height will help. The increased area of green leaves traps more light and compensates to give more growth.
You do not say if you fertilize and you might consider this. In the spring, use a high quality lawn fertilizer with about 50% slow release nitrogen. The last number (%K) should be at least half of the first number (%N). Find out if the grass is a tillering type. These send out many vertical shoots rather than horizontal runners. If it is, apply the fertilizer as early as possible after the temperature reaches 70 degrees round the clock. This will stimulate growth and tillering. Do not use weed and feed products. They are bad for the trees and if there is a mixture of weeds in the lawn, mowing once a week at a constant height will present a neat well-cared for "lawn". It is the 'tallness' of the weeds and their seed heads which hurts the eyes.  I know it is cheating a bit but you can save your trees and spend less on lawn care products. I am not familiar with the weather conditions in your area but follow a calendar which will keep things timely to take every advantage of good growing weather. You will do well. Just do and see.