>>Regarding Iron: As so many blenders use inexpensive iron oxide or oxysulfate as their iron source, typically granular iron is a waste of money Unfortunately many fertilizer products have these ineffective iron sources added so we pay for it and move on! If you're looking for color from Iron, consider the foliar applied liquids or look for granular products containing iron sulfate, iron sucrate, or iron humate. The sources of nutrients including Fe are always on the label, so check it out and see what's being added. Tru dat. Although iron oxide can be useful if you're looking at the very long-term, you're not going to get much immediate green-up. If any. Iron oxide is most available in very acidic conditions, which shouldn't describe our lawns. I do like Milorganite. The source is iron sulfate and iron chloride (one of the few times I don't mind a chloride, although I can't say I'm completely happy with it). It even seems to work on moderately alkaline lawns, and at 4% it's a pretty good hit of iron (which is, after all, a trace element). There isn't a thing wrong with foliar iron applications, and I keep iron sulfate and ammonium sulfate on-hand for just that purpose. With my slightly gimpy shoulder (ah, advancing age), it really only gets done once per year at this point, at the end of the growth season. It keeps the lawn dark green all winter. I don't generally recommend most chelated sources of iron unless pH is in an appropriate range for them--generally 7.0 to 7.7, depending on the chelate. Above that, they're much less effective. Below that, they're really spendy when a standard source would do just as well.

It doesn't look like a disease offhand, but it still could be one that just can't dominate in your lawn (which is gorgeous, by the way!) Bees and other ground-living insects don't generally cause too much trouble with the lawn as they're not interested in it. Most likely, the bees are scoping the territory for clover (which you don't have) as they like it. Try taking a long-handled screwdriver and probing into the soil there to the full depth. Do you feel a rock? It almost seems like the grass there just isn't getting enough water. Another question is how easily the screwdriver penetrated. Not easily? Your soil could be a little compacted--check other areas for comparison, the entire lawn could be. If so, the shampoo method will help you out here. If there's no rock, it could be an example of greasy soil. One quick and easy thing to try that won't hurt anything: 1) Add about 3 tbsp shampoo (or dish soap like Dawn would be just fine in this case, just don't use an antibacterial soap) to 1 gallon water. 2) Water that spot thoroughly with the mixed soapy water. Use the entire gallon on one spot, allowing it to soak in thoroughly before adding more. This does take a bit, but we want to break up any hydrophobic bio-oils in the soil and wash them deeper. 3) Irrigate as normal. 4) Check back for new growth in a week or so, and re-try the screwdriver there. Easier? It should require a little less force.

What is the horsepower rating of the mower? A mulching blade would work great IF you have enough power. 4-6hp and you are probably fine, less and it's a tough call. Thatch buildup, wet grass, or trying to mow too much at one time can significantly hamper mowing. A sharp blade is also key as a dull blade will slow down in the grass and rip instead of cleanly cutting. I know when I dethatch and then mow my zoysia center-strip of lawn that is VERY thick the difference is night and day. Before the dethatching I have to mow 1/2 the width of the deck or it tries to stall, after dethaching I can mow the entire width of the deck without a hiccup.

You'll definately get larger clumps faster if you don't thin them. However, a lot depends on the type of grass you've sown. If it's a grass with distinctive characteristics, like color, you may want to grow plants from individual seeds, and select for the strongest characteristic representation. In other words, if you sow Blue Fescue, and grow clumps from multiple seeds, there will be blades within the clump which are more or less blue in color. You also need to be careful how you do the thinning. If you just cut off the blades of some Fescues, they'll grow right back, with more blades than before.