We think that you have a very good-looking Alberta Spruce, considering it's age, size and location.
Is there a reason you think you have a fungal problem with the tree? 
Never spray anything until you have identified exactly what the issue is and made sure there isn't a better approach. Some chemical applications and conditions can cause other problems.

It is normal for many needled evergreens to have browning and dieback on their shady sides. That area could also be stressful because of reflected heat and limited root area from your home.

We think it is more likely that your tree could have spruce spider mites than a fungal disease. This page will tell you more about them and how to do a test for their presence: 
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/spider-mites-trees-and-shrubs/

We definitely don't think you should spray anything right now.
Do keep the tree watered when we don't get at least an inch of rain a week, which causes stress.
Here is our watering information for trees and shrubs: 
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/watering-trees-and-shrubs/


Christine

Thank you for the quick response.

Hello Pat,

Aphids would not generate any needle nests or clumps, but without a photo, it's hard to guess what insect you saw. Young bagworms do create tiny bags around themselves (a small caterpillar at that point), and spruces can be a favored food for bagworms, but we didn't see indications of this insect in your photos. If you find the mystery insects again, feel free to share pictures for assessment.

Yes, the bright green spots at the branch tips are young needles ready to emerge as new growth for the year. If they happen to not emerge more this summer, that's fine, since it's not typical for spruce to be putting out new foliage this late into the growing season (it's usually just one flush in the spring).

Miri

Thanks for your help.

If you have a cool-season lawn (mainly tall fescue, but also Kentucky bluegrass or ryegrass), the ideal time to aerate and seed is early autumn, generally in September. Additional tips for season-specific tasks can be found in the page Lawn Maintenance Calendar for Maryland Tall Fescue Home Lawns, which provides more detail and links to other lawn care information pages. For example, if you haven't had a laboratory soil test performed on the lawn in the last 3 or more years, now (or any time before seeding) is a good time to send in samples.

Miri

Is it worth while to fertilize at the same time as aeration and overseeding?

Yes, after receiving the results of a laboratory soil test, so you would know if applying phosphorus [P] as part of the fertilizer formulation (N-P-K) is needed (and in compliance with the Maryland lawn fertilizer law, since it should not be applied if the lawn soil is not deficient in P). Aeration afterwards might help to incorporate the fertilizer, but that's not really necessary, and you can instead aerate first, then seed and apply fertilizer. You could fertilize once upon seeding (September sometime, ideally), and a second time around 4-6 weeks later, as per the guidance on our Lawn Fertilizer Schedule page.

Miri

How often should we mow the grass after aerating, overseeding and fertilizing it? 

Mowing is determined by grass height, and the recommended mowing height is about 3-4 inches for tall fescue. Since you don't want to remove more than about one-third of the grass blade's height any time you mow (to avoid stressing the grass too much), when you mow will depend on how fast the grass is growing and what height it has reached. The Mowing or Grasscycling web page provides more detail.

New grass seed will need time to reach mowable height after it germinates and grows, so sometimes the lawn is mown slightly shorter than usual just prior to seeding, so it has more time to grow while the seedlings catch up.

Miri

Hi,

If the turf is over half weeds, it would be more practical and efficient to just renovate the lawn, which replaces the turf entirely with either sod (instant weed-free lawn, at least for a year or two) or seed. Otherwise, since that will be the most expensive option, you can spot-treat the worst weeds with herbicide this month, and then aerate, overseed, and fertilize (based on soil test results). Otherwise, focusing on weed killing this autumn can interfere with the timing of seeding, and depending on the weeds involved, some will die out over the winter on their own anyway, so only a pre-emergent in spring might be needed (when you wouldn't be overseeding, so there isn't a conflict).

Miri