Step-by-Step Seeding Your Lawn

Remove any other type of vegetation on your lawn by spraying a herbicide that contains glysophate. Walk back and forth across your lawn spraying the herbicide to achieve an even spread. It is important to remove any type of weeds or grass before seedling, because other vegetation competes with your grass seed for the soil's nutrients.

Till the lawn area and break up the first 6 inches of topsoil. Use a rake to grade the soil, so that there is a slight slope leading to the street to prevent your grass seed sitting in standing water.

Pour a starter fertilizer in a rotary drop spreader. Use a starter fertilizer that has a NPK amount of 5-10-5. Spread 20 pounds of starter fertilizer per 1,000 square feet. Water the area after applying the fertilizer to activate the nitrogen.

Pour half of your grass seed into your drop spreader. Push your drop spreader across your lawn in one direction. Put the rest of the grass seed in the drop spreader and apply the seed in a direction perpendicular to the original direction. The amount of grass seed you spread depends on the grass type. For example, Bermuda grass seed should be distributed at 1 pound per 1,000 square feet.

Cover the grass seed with 1/8 of an inch of compost. Push a lawn roller that has been filled halfway with water back and forth across the lawn to establish good seed to soil contact. Water the area thoroughly.