How to Install a New Lawn

Preparing the Soil

• 1

  Pull up the old grass with a sod cutter. Remove the turf to expose the soil.

• 2

  Grade the exposed subsoil with a landscaping rake. Smooth the soil and remove any large stones.

• 3

  Spread a 4- to 6-inch-deep layer of compost and topsoil on top of the subsoil. Add some sand to the mix to improve drainage if you live in an area that receives a lot of rain.

• 4

  Run a rototiller over the soil at a depth of 6 inches to mix the topsoil and compost into the subsoil.

• 5

  Fill a lawn roller about one-third of the way with water. Roll the roller over the soil to compact it.

Planting Sod

• 6

  Apply a high-phosphorous starter fertilizer to the soil. Lightly water the fertilizer.

• 7

  Lay strips of sod around the perimeter of the lawn area. Water each piece of sod that you install until it is soaked, then install the next piece.

• 8

  Place more strips against the strips around the perimeter, working toward the house. Cut the pieces of sod to fit, if necessary, so they fit directly against the strips on the perimeter. Trim away the excess with a utility knife or a trowel with sharpened edges. For irregularly shaped areas, such as flower beds, lay the sod in a straight line and cut away the excess after you have finished installing all of it.

• 9

  Continue installing the sod until the entire area is covered.

• 10

  Water the sod at least twice a day for about two weeks. Reduce watering to every other day for another two weeks. Apply enough water each time to keep the soil moist to a depth of 1 to 2 inches.

Planting Seed

• 11

  Apply a starter fertilizer to the soil with a 1-1-1 or 1-2-1 ratio of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Follow the label directions for application rates.

• 12

  Spread a heavy layer of grass seed onto the soil with a seed spreader. Make two passes when seeding the area, going side to side in the first pass and up and down in the second pass. Avoid seeding your lawn on a windy or rainy day, because the seeds can be blown or washed away.

• 13

  Cover the seeds with a 1/2-inch layer of topsoil. This protects the seeds from being eaten by birds or washed away by rain. Sprinkle the topsoil on the ground with your hands.

• 14

  Run over the seed with a lawn roller. Make two passes as you did with the seed spreader.

• 15

  Water the seeded area with a fine mist. Water the soil this way every other day until the seed begins to germinate, then continue for two more weeks. After that, add a day between waterings each week until you are watering the lawn just once a week. Stay off the grass while it is growing.

• 16

  Don't mow the grass until it reaches at least 4 inches high, then cut off no more than an inch. This allows the grass to establish deep roots in the soil.