How to Create a New Lawn

A lush, green lawn will change the whole look of your home.

Guests get their first impression of your house via your lawn. An old, dead and decaying lawn will make your whole home appear dull and dingy. When the damage to your yard is severe and beyond repair, you may need to start fresh by creating a new lawn. A new lawn allows you to completely renovate your landscaping and revamp your home's curb appeal.

Things You'll Need

• Concentrated weed killer
• Pump sprayer
• Soil tiller
• Rake
• Fertilizer
• Grass seed
• Seed spreader
• Lawn mower
• Aerator shoes
• Soil pH test kit

Instructions

1. Apply a concentrated weed killer to kill all weeds from the old lawn. Weeds will steal the nutrients vital for a healthy lawn and choke out the grass. Mix the concentrated weed killer with the appropriate amount of water as indicated on the weed killer instructions. Pour the mixture into a pump sprayer and saturate the weeds on a warm, calm day. Wait 14 days before continuing with the remaining steps.

2. Rent a soil tiller from a home improvement or tool rental center. Use the tiller to till the top 6 inches of soil. A soil tiller turns the topsoil -- and dead weeds and grass -- under and brings the lower, healthier soil to the top to prepare your new lawn for seeding. Once you have completely tilled the soil, use a rake to smooth out the soil. Remove large rocks and break up large pieces of sod. Dampen the freshly tilled soil with a water hose.

3. Spread fertilizer designed for seeding over the freshly tilled, damp soil. Fertilizer will increase the chances of growing healthier, thicker and greener grass.

4. Pour grass seed into a seed spreader. Begin at one end of your lawn and push the seed spreader slowly and steadily in a straight line. Turn the seed spreader around and push it directly beside the line you just seeded. Continue in this manner until you have completely seeded the tilled soil. Water the freshly seeded soil with a water hose. Keep the top 1 inch of the soil moist while the seeds germinate.

5. Keep your new lawn looking its best with regular maintenance. Mow the lawn when it reaches 3 1/2 inches and do not cut it shorter then 2 1/2 inches. Aerate the lawn to keep it draining properly by walking around the yard in a pair of aerator shoes. Perform a pH test on your soil regularly. The pH test will give you the results you need to find out if your soil is lacking important nutrients.

References

• Lawn Care Secrets: Build a Lawn
• All About Lawns: Giving Your New Grass the Best Chance of Survival
• Lawn Care Guide: Lawn Maintenance