How to Make a Yard Ready to Plant Grass Seed

Getting your ground ready for a new lawn is hard work but skimping on the preparation can result in a lawn that's always struggling, weedy, stressed by drought and subject to disease. For deep rooted, thick, healthy grass you need soil that's loose and moisture-retentive, high in organic matter, containing the right balance of nutrients and with the right pH for the grass you plan to grow. To create the best soil, you need to do a soil test, dig organic matter into the ground, loosen any compacted soil and add the right amendments.

Soil test kit or professional laboratory test results
Organic matter such as compost, bagged steer manure, peat moss or coir
Shovel
Rotary tiller
Garden rake

Instructions

- 1
  Do a soil test on the ground you plan to seed so you can add the right amount of nutrients such as phosphorous and potassium, and adjust the pH if necessary. Inexpensive test kits are available at garden centers, but be aware that these are less accurate and less detailed than a test done by a professional laboratory.
- 2
  Remove any perennial weeds such as dandelions or thistles, either by hand or with a weed killer that will not persist in the soil to damage your germinating seed. Annual weeds will be destroyed by tilling when you loosen the soil. Also remove any large rocks and debris.
- 3
  Spread a 3- to 4-inch layer of organic matter such as compost, peat moss or bagged steer manure over the soil with a shovel, then spread any lime or fertilizer called for by the soil test. Be aware of the need for extra lime if peat moss is used, since it makes the soil more acid. Till the amendments into the soil to a depth of at least 6 inches.
- 4
  Level the prepared ground using a garden rake, removing any rocks on the surface. You should end up with a a fine, even textured seedbed for best germination.

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