How to Plant Grass on a Sloped Area

Till the top 1 inch of soil in the area to be planted. If the soil is poor, add a layer of fresh topsoil before planting. Prepare the soil as early in the season as you can get it started after the frost, but during a few weeks when there isn't likely to be a heavy rain.

Wet the soil until it is damp, but not flooded. You don't won't to start little rivulets flowing down the slope.

Broadcast the grass seed variety you've chosen over the hillside starting at the bottom and working your way back and forth to the top. Plant 4 pounds of grass seed for every 1,000 square feet of surface area. With a garden rake, stir the seed into the soil with a back and forth movement. The rake should leave horizontal lines in the soil across the face of the hill, not up and down.

Lay sod in evenly spaced rows starting at the bottom of the hill and working your way to the top. Use the garden rake to dig a little recess in the tilled soil to set pads of sod into. Stagger the spaced pads of sod as you go up the hill so that water flowing down the hill doesn't have an unblocked path straight down the hill.

Cover the planted slope with straw over the planted parts or with strips of open mesh burlap, cheesecloth or mesh cloth from your area nursery or gardening supply store. The cloth helps hold moisture close to the grass seedlings and prevents dirt from washing away. Remove the cloth once the grass seedlings are 1/2 inch long.

Water the hillside daily in the morning if the weather is dry. If you get natural rainfall skip watering until the soil begins to dry out. Keep it moist, but not wet or the seedlings may not germinate. Water in the morning using a fine mist applied by hand or a drip or soaker hose so the water doesn't puddle on the surface. Lay the soaker hose horizontally across the hillside and start watering from the top to the bottom to prevent the lower sections of the hillside from being saturated.

Fertilize the planting according to manufacturer's directions. Consult your local agricultural extension agent to find out what fertilizer works best for your type of soil. Your county agricultural agent can test a small soil sample from your yard to help determine the best fertilizer for your particular soil.

Mow the grass once it is filled in and 1 1/2 inches taller than the height at which you normally mow. Mow again when the grass is no more than an inch taller than mowed height. This reduces the size of clipping and prevents matting, which may inhibit new grass growth.