Grass and Bamboo: HELP!!! HAS MY LAWN BEEN MURDERED???, 1 by LnKann

LnKann wrote:
My lawn seems to be dead. I planted a new lawn with a mixture of perennial seeds this spring and have enjoyed watching its growth all summer. I have not added a fertilizer since I planted it nor did I add any weed killers (we have large families of toads and turtles that use our ditches as birthing grounds or living quarters). I've watered often, using less and less water as the grass established itself. I've only cut the lawn three times this summer- waiting until it was five inches tall before each cutting. I've removed most of the thatch, keeping small amounts but removing large clumps that might suffocate. About the second week in September, the day I cut the lawn, I noticed the blades were entirely brown. My first thought was "not enough water", so I watered. We also received a three-day rain spell... water didn't help. We did have a few bald spots that I re-seeded in early September. THOSE spots are nice and green. My husband thinks it will come back in spring... I am less certain. I think that if drought was a problem it would have sprung back by now and that since new seedings are still green at this point in fall, we should expect the same from the more established batch. Does the fact that it's new seed affect its dormancy time? Should I reseed? If so, when should I do so?