Clueless homeowner!

[Trishiowa]

My husband and I bought our home 4 1/2 years ago. It was new construction and our "dirty" is basically clay. Our side yard and the back closest to the house was sodded originally. The back yard was hydroseeded, and it has never really filled in. We have over seeded it a few times without much improvement. Here are some pictures...we have no idea what we need to do but we were thinking about aerating and overseeding this weekend. Is that a good plan or do we need to dethatch? Fertilize? we are clueless and we have two little kids so we want a yard we can play in but doesn't take a ton of maintenance.

Here is the backyard, far away and then up close.
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m175/trishiowa/IMG_2664.jpg
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m175/trishiowa/IMG_2666.jpg

Side hard far away and up close
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m175/trishiowa/IMG_2667.jpg
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m175/trishiowa/IMG_2668.jpg

Any assistance that you could offer would be greatly appreciated. We don't have a lot of money to spend but we really want to get this under control.

Thank you!

[All Season Bill]

Well it appears that a good weed and feed is needed. I see dandelions and the grass looks weak. You'd be surprised how a little fertilzer can thicken a lawn.
Yes I suggest either an aeration/overseeding or maybe skim some top soil over all that clay and see if you can get some grass going.

I also see some dark clumps of over fertilized grass...usually from some doggy doo.

P.S. That tree looks so lonley in the middle

[Trishiowa]

I blame my husband for tree placement. :)

How long after the seeding should I wait before the weed and feed?

Thanks for the reply!

[Smallaxe]

I blame my husband for tree placement. :)

How long after the seeding should I wait before the weed and feed?

Thanks for the reply!

Trees are long term... that placement may be perfect in 5 - 10 years, depending on its effect on what you want for long term goals.

'Weed n' Feed', is really starting to irritate me... What are you attempting to accomplish with - "Weed N' Feed'???

I would kill the broadleaf weeds with spotspraying a broadleaf weed killer and - then - overseed with a compost topdessing...

If you are building an environment for children to play in - that - is the safest way to go... and the most successfull ... IMHO...

*Save the fertilizer for the benefit of a decent turf...*

[All Season Bill]

um. I think I sort of said that