Sounds like you need some serious first aid for your soil. It is okay to use lime and fall fertilizer but adding some organic matter such as Tagro or Milorganite or if you have some fine screened compost or quality topsoil you can really improve your hard soil. Aerate first to poke holes into the lawn area. Then spread the organic matter on top. Still use the fertilizer and the lime. In spring these amendments will start to soften up your soil for a healthier lawn all year. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti