Question
I moved into a new house in 11/06 that had new sod put down and was growing for about 1-2months.  We had a lot of rain and the the sod grew very tall/bushy and very green.  I had a lawn care company cut it 2 times before the winter came.  All winter and currently the grass looks brown/yellow with a little green to it. Is it dead or dormant? and now that it is spring what can I do to green it up quickly?

Answer
I know you spent a ton of money on that sod, Joseph.  And I don't blame you for being worried.

So, let's turn to the Iowa State Plant Pathology Department, which answers your question, "Spring is Here, But Why is My Lawn Still Brown?"
(http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/1996/5-3-1996/brown.html).

"If the lawn was started from sod, it may not have established in some spots and these spots winter killed."

You described your lawn as brown/yellow.   Were these uniform brown/yellow everywhere?  Or were these patches of brown, patches of yellow, patches of light green?  Is there ANY healthy green grass growing down there?

Go over and see if you can pull out clumps EASILY.  Then check the roots.  What do you see?  Clumps?  Roots?  Any surprises?

You mentioned that the lawn care company "cut" the grass twice before winter.  Did they just mow, or did they put down "winterizer" or "starter treatment" or some other powder or product before it got cold?  Fertilizing grass too late can be the kiss of death.

But your grass is not brown.  It's "yellow" and "brown" and even "a little green".  Sprung just sprang a few days ago.  What kind of grass was in that sod?  What side of the street are you on -- the North Side?  Are you comparing your house to the lawns on the South Side of the block?  What do the neighbors' lawns look like?

Finally, when did that Sod get laid out?  It was down I assume before 11/06, is that correct?  When?  Did that grass have a chance to harden off?  Are you sure it was not fertilized?  If it was fertilized, when?

Inquiring minds need to know this stuff before they can give you a good diagnosis.  rsvp and thanks for writing,