Looks like I don't live to far from you and was having the same problem. I read a bunch of sites, books, etc... to no avail. I heard Clark Howard say it was actually cheaper to hire a service to handle the chemicals so I searched around got a few estimates and have not looked back. If I get a single weed in the yard, I call up the company and they take care of it. I have a half acre and it is mostly grass and pay $200.00 a year for all the treatments. I love it! I never have weeds, dead patches etc... Just have to water and cut. Oh and I was spending more than 200 a year for fertalizers, lime, week killers etc.... so in my case Clark was right .