Question
I live in Bristol,RI near the Atlantic ocean. I have a small lawn, about 7500sq. ft.All the side and the rear of the lawn in dying because, I think, of too much shade. I have 32 terminal oak and hickory trees in the rear lawn, with some locust and sassafras thrown in. I've used True-Green for a number of years and am working on my lawn myself for the last few years. I fertilize, do not use pesticides because at least weeds are green,add lime, cut the grass at the highest setting my tractor can go, aerate once or twice a year, added gypsum to loosen the soil, and  overseed in the spring and fall with shade seed(Scotts, Lofts or Lesco), and the grass looks great in May and June but by Fall it's very thin and bare. By November, there is just a lot of dirt and not much grass. The cycle starts again in the spring. I know the trees are a problem with shade, but the person next door to the north gets all my shade and his lawn is ok. I've lived here for 31 years and have cut down 11 trees, but as soon as I open the canopy, the other trees start growing toward the sunlight and eventually close the canopy again. Any different ideas will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
                      Chuck Martin

Answer
It sounds like you are doing the right thing. The only suggestions I have is to reverse the process.

- choose seeds which are known to do well in shade. These are fine fescues (chewing, hard, and creeping red). You can buy special premixed shade mixes, but do not buy any which has more than 15-20% of either perennial ryegrass or kentucky bluegrass. The absolut majority should be the fine fescues above.

- have a soil test made to test pH. Fine fescues grow best at a relatively acidic pH level (5.5-6.0). Do not automatially lime. Have pH level tested first.
Your county extension office will do it via mail order at a nominel fee:
http://www.uri.edu/ce/publications/

- I would establish the lawn in 2nd half august instead of spring. young immature grass plants can have difficulty surviving hot summer months (much more challenging than a cold winter). If established in spring when plenty of sun is available the grass gets used to a lot of sun. The cultivars in the mix which likes sun the most germinate first and crowd out the others.

If you instead sow seeds in 2nd half august when the shade cover is pronounched the seeds which do well in such conditions will germinate and dominate. Next spring these seedlings will grow thicker and larger, and chances of having a nice dense lawn the following summer is even better.

You can obviously sow seeds this spring but I would then reseed next august.

The advantage to reseed in august is also the warmer soil temperatures. grass seeds germinate fast and the seedlings establish well in warm soil (which is the case right after summer). Once the seeds have germinated, the seedlings grow best, however, in the cool month of fall. The other way around, seedlings which germinate late in spring (because the soil temperatures are initially cooler from the winter) will germinate right before the hottest months which is a no-no for most cool season grasses.

Therefore, plan on sowing your seeds in 2nd half august.
Use a fertilizer when sowing your seeds, but do not add lime at this time (lime interacts with fertilizer. lime also temporarily raise the pH level at the soil surface which is not good for seed germination). Have a soil test done as soon as you can this winter, and if there indeed is a need for lime, then put same on in early spring or late winter, but not at time of seeding.

When you sow, make sure you have good soil/seed contact. this can be done by loosening the top of the soil with a rake or de-thatching machine. Then spread grass seeds and fertilizer, and walk on the lawn, or rent a landscapers roller. You must then keep the top of the soil consistently moist until germination. This can be done by watering frequently, but shallowly such as 3 times daily for 15-20 minutes until germination.

After germination gradually increase the time between watering and the amount of water you apply. In 4-6 weeks after germination you should be watering infrequently (once weekly) but deeply (for 2-3 hours at a time). Avoid shallow, frequent applications once the grass has been established.

In future, fertilize your lawn in september, november and late spring (may). The last application of the year (november) should be after the top growth has stopped, but before the roots go dormant. The timing may sound a bit tricky, but really it is not. If you mow the lawn weekly in late fall, then wait until you have not had to mow two weeks in a row (usually between halloween and thanksgiving) and then fertilize. This application will help buildup the carbohydrate reserves in the roots, which will help ensure survival during next summer season.

In summer, water the grass weekly by giving it one deep soaking per week. Avoid frequent shallow applications. Also, DO NOT fertilize the lawn during hot summer months (months of june through august).

When it comes to leaves, you must make sure they are removed promptly in fall. This is especially important during the first year, but also every year after that. Blowing the leaves, instead of raking, causes less damage to turf.