1. Prepare the soil.

The soil must first be tilled by plowing and disking, or by using a rotary tiller. The ideal seedbed is composed of soil particles from pea to marble size, to create a good lodging place and protection for the seeds. A common mistake is to work the soil too finely, so that after watering the surface tends to crust over and dry out quickly.

2. Add topsoil only if it is needed to fill low areas.

Top soil that is trucked in often contains large amounts of weed seeds, including some that can not be selectively controlled. So it’s usually best to work with the soil you already have.

3. Level the area.

After tilling and removing any large clods, the area should be leveled. Assuming that a general leveling was done previously by the contractor, this can usually be done using nothing more than garden rakes and other garden tools.

After 6 weeks fertilized same day with Scotts. Not fertilized same day.

4. Seed and fertilize the same day.

The grass seed can be spread using either a drop or rotary spreader, using the setting indicated on the seed package. It is important to fertilize the same day with Scotts Starter Fertilizer to get the seedlings off to a fast, strong start. It doesn’t matter which you apply first.

5. Cover seed ... and mulch if necessary.

To cover the seeds, simply drag the back of a leaf rake, or any lightweight object such as a door mat, lightly over the area so that no more than 1/4 inch of soil covers the seed. On sloping areas, or to reduce the frequency of waterings, the area can be lightly mulched with straw. The tendency is to mulch too heavily, however. Only a small amount is needed, so that the seedbed is clearly visible through the mulch.

6. Watering is critical.

Keep the seedbed constantly moist to start germination. Water often, rather than deeply. Only the top inch of soil needs to be kept moist. Once germination starts, keep the area moist until the seedlings are well established.

7. Early follow-up.

Begin mowing as soon as the seedlings are about 1 1/2 inches tall. Do not mow when soil is so wet as to allow the mower to damage young plants. If weed seeds that were in the soil start to grow, do not use a weed killer until the young grass plants have been mowed four times.

8. Long-term follow-up.

As soon as the new seeding is established, the lawn should be started on an Annual Lawn Program for best results.