Things You Need to Plant Grass

Weed Killer

• The best way to start a new lawn is by ensuring a clean slate with no competing plants. This requires the complete removal of all grasses and weeds in the area where you intend to plant grass. Manual pulling or cultivation with hoes is possible in small areas but spraying with a nonselective herbicide containing glyphosate is more efficient for large areas. Glyphosate kills any plant it touches, leaving the area free of vegetation.

Soil Tillage

• Loosen or work the soil to a depth of about 6 inches. Work small areas with garden forks or shovels, breaking the clumps of soil as you go. Larger areas require a tiller. This motorized device uses rotating tines to work the soil. Several passes through the area may be necessary to break apart all dirt clumps. It's possible to rent a tiller, although many home gardeners own one. Other options include multiple passes with an aerifier, a machine that removes plugs from the soil. A vertical mower grinds up these plugs.

Seed Spreader

• A drop spreader dispenses a set amount of dry material, seed or fertilizer as you push the machine across the ground. Make two passes at right angles to each other to avoid a possible striped pattern or uneven application. Drop spreaders are also available from rental outlets. Seed small projects by hand by simply tossing small handfuls of seed onto the ground in as even a pattern as possible.

Hand Tools

• A garden rake is essential for any sort of garden or lawn project. This tool levels and smoothes the ground after tilling. You can also use it to remove grass clippings or thatch from the ground level of the lawn. Other tools include a garden hose to water the grass as it begins to grow, shovels for moving dirt as necessary and hoes to remove weeds.