A step-by-step approach to a thicker, healthier lawn.

Start with a good soil preparation. If you're starting a new lawn, you'll never regret the investment you make now in improving the soil. Grass grows best in a well-drained blend of topsoil, sand and organic matter several inches deep. Remove any hard packed snow patches and rake out old thatch to allow the grass to "breathe". Top up with peat moss, manure or topsoil.
Seed if necessary. As with fertilizer, buying quality grass seed pays off in a thicker lawn. Use a good quality mixture to patch bare spots, or spread overall late in fall or early in spring. Rake lightly to ensure the seed contacts the soil, apply Lawn Starter Fertilizer and water as necessary to keep the lawn from drying out.
Feed the lawn in early spring. A top quality fertilizer like Golden Vigoro 24-4-8 will ensure fast green-up and healthy growth for 10-12 weeks.
Control crabgrass (in Ontario). In early spring, apply a Crabgrass Preventer, with or without fertilizer, to control crabgrass as it starts to germinate.
Control broadleaf weeds. Weeds like dandelion, plantain, chickweed and others compete with grass for soil nutrients ... and they usually win. Use Weed & Feed when weeds are actively growing to solve the problem.
Water ... but only if needed. Don't be afraid to let the top surface of the soil dry out. This will encourage deep-rooted, stress tolerant grass.
Aerate if needed. This involves pulling plugs of turf and soil out, allowing the roots to breathe. It's usually done using an aerating machine, available at a local rental store. Repeat every 1-2 years in heavy soils, 2-3 years in lighter soils.
Feed the lawn in the summer. About 10 weeks after the spring feeding, another application of 24-4-8 will keep the lawn healthy, and help fight stress from heat or drought.
Control insects. White grubs, chinch bugs, leather jackets, ants, wireworms and many common insects could destroy your lawn if conditions favour them. Try this: cut out both ends of a coffee tin, sink it half-way into the lawn, and fill with water. If several insects make their way to the surface, apply a lawn fertilizer with Insect Control. (Safety tips: With all fertilizers that contain pesticides, you should read the directions before using and handle carefully. Avoid breathing the dust, and keep children and pets off the lawn for 24 hours. These products are not harmful when used according to instructions.)
Use the correct mower height. In spring set mower height to 2-2 1/2". In dry summer weather, let the lawn grow out a bit to shade its roots, say 2 1/2-3". In the fall, cut back to 2" to avoid giving disease a place to develop in the foliage.
Rake leaves so the grass can breathe. Chopped up, they make an excellent mulch for the garden. If they're not treated with insect or weed control, chopped leaves and grass clippings are also good in the composter.
Don't forget to feed in the fall - it's one of the most important feedings. For strengthening turf over the winter, a formulation like 12-3-12 which contains less nitrogen than a spring fertilizer, but higher potash levels If the fall fertilizer contains controlled-release nitrogen, it will stay put under the snow cover, ready for a quick start in the spring. It's available in Fall Weed & Feed as well, if you didn't get around to controlling weeds earlier.

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