There are two conditions that your yard may be in when it comes time to plant your lawn.  You will either need to plant an entirely new lawn or just redo an existing lawn.  The process is much the same but there are a few differences.  First you should evaluate your situation and then decide what you should do when planting your lawn.

Let’s begin with a lawn that just needs to be filled in.  There are simply some places that have gone bald or are a little thin.  The best way to handle this is to aerate the lawn and over-seed.  A core aerator removes plugs of dirt from the ground, creating a hole.  Some aerators that you can buy merely push a spike into the ground and are not as good as a core aerator.  Look into renting one if you don’t want to buy.

First, mow your grass as close to 1” high as you can.  This will slow the growth of your existing grass and will allow the new grass less competition for resources.  Now aerate the entire lawn at least twice.  Depending on which aerator you have it will create holes 2-8 inches apart.  If there is any space larger than 6” when your finished, go over it again or the grass will be thinner in that area.

Accurately measure your lawn; much depends on that measurement, and start spreading seed.  Most professionals use 350 pounds of seed per acre when planting a lawn.  That equals out to about 8 pounds per thousand square feet, so make certain you have enough.  To be sure you get even coverage get a seed spreader.  You don’t want to go to all the work of planting a lawn and have it be patchy, so get one any way you can.  Spread one half of the seed in one direction and the other half in the opposite direction to further ensure evenness.

Next drag something with a bit of weight to it behind your mower.  A board or a section of chain link, anything really.  This will push the seed into the holes and break up the plugs to cover them up.  Put down a starter fertilizer now, or do it before you begin but it needs to be done.  In a month you can fertilize again when the grass starts turning yellow to pale green.  You can also start mowing at this time.

When planting a lawn from scratch, you’ll need to prepare the ground. You will want to make sure you control pests. If you live in a warm climate like Florida you will know pest control in Florida is an ongoing process. Controlling Chinch Bugs in Florida lawns is work. Till the ground, lay fertilizer and seed just like described above.  Now cover the lawn with straw, covering about 50% of the soil.  Soak the lawn right from the start and water it enough to keep it wet.  Another option is buying sod but that can be very expensive.  Remember to water and fertilize when planting a lawn and you’ll have lush, green grass in no time.

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