Bare spots in lawn again

[Guv Bob]

Any ideas how to get these bare spots filled in again? Same spots, same places as last year about this time. Location is So Calif. No rain to speak of, but have been watering a couple of times a week.

Last year I spent a lot of time preparing the soil, raked in some peat moss & sowing perennial rye. Kept it watered and had moderate success. Now this year, it's mostly all gone and back like it was before.

In this photo, the foreground is near a water spigot and gets plenty of water from general use. The rest is all hand watered and is greening up in some places, all except the bare spots which doesn't change from week to week.

There is still plenty of peat moss and decent dirt.

[Drew Lawson]

FYI, peat moss is mildly acidic. Turf grass tends not to like acidic soil. Whether this is a part of your problem will depend on the overall soil pH.

My standard advice for all lawn problems is to rip it out and plant a garden. I develop more disdain for grass with each time I have to mow.

[Brooklyn1]

Peat moss only helps seed germination by holding moisture but adds little to nothing in way of nutrients for growth, plus it acidifies so whenever using peat moss for beginning a lawn you must add lime too... helps a lot to periodically test for proper pH and adjust as needed. And peat moss only lasts perhaps 6 months before it totally decomposses and washes away.

Your photo is really too small to show detail but to me, and having lived in SoCal for five years, it looks like typical lousy SoCal soil. To successfully grow lawn grass there you must bring in lots of rich topsoil, minimally 4", 6" is better. And then once every year you need to apply a good half inch of rich top soil as a top dressing. You need to aerate too. Growing good lawn grass is complex regardless where but SoCal is probably the most difficult area in the US, and no matter how much you try and whatever else you do without having an automatic irrigation system you are doomed to failure. When I lived on Long Island a lawn was difficult too, the soil was primarilly sand. Fortunately here in the Catskills I don't have a lawn growing problem my lawn grows too quickly and very thick. And I do absolutely nothing but mow, I mow ten acres of lawn every week... I never water, I never fertilize, I apply no chemicals whatsoever... the critters apply all the amendments. This morning it's pouring rain:

[Brooklyn1]

That would depend on the particular property... if you live on a postage stamp sized city lot you can do that. But I don't need a larger garden, my vegetable garden is probably larger than your entire lot.

I find mowing very relaxing with A/C, AM/FM Stereo, Power Steering, Cruise Control, etc., very comfortable:

[Guv Bob]

same places as last year about this time. Location is So Calif. No rain to speak of, but have been watering a couple of times a week.

peat moss & sowing perennial rye. Kept it watered and had moderate success. Now this year, it's mostly all gone and back like it was before.

of water from general use. The rest is all hand watered and is greening up in some places, all except the bare spots which doesn't change from week to week.

Wow! That's beautiful. Mine is about a 2 postage stamp lot, mostly 2-4 inches of topsoil with clay underneath. No sand and no natural drainage. Nothing with deep roots do well.