yournamehere

Ah - you're in that "transition zone" - too hot for cool-season grass and too cool for warm-season grasses.

90 degrees is too hot for fescue (especially with no shade). But, then again, fescue doesn't produce thatch. So - it's probably not fescue. Does it turn brown in the winter? If so, it's probably bermuda.

My advice would be to go to Home Depot and buy a couple of de-thatching attachments for your mower and use them - just getting rid of the thatch might improve things. If not - I'd Roundup the whole yard; wait a week; and then till it all up - add some sand and organic matter if you can (I know you said money was an issue), and seed the lawn with common bermuda (it's probably the cheapest seed you'll find). Clay soil usually means acidic, so, like someone else recommended, add some lime. If you get anything other than very mild winters, the bermuda will go dormant during the winter, but will come back in the spring. And bermuda loves heat and sun. Make sure to fertilize at least twice during the growing season. If you want, you can overseed in the winter with either tall fescue or ryegrass, if you want a green lawn year-round.

Also, if you can afford it - while the soil is all tilled would be a great time to install an automatic sprinkler system - it will save you money in the long run (because of its efficiency) and a helluva lot of work in the years to come.

Good luck.

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