How to Grow Nice Grass

Choose a grass seed that matches your climate and the sunlight exposure of your yard. Certain types like St. Augustine grass, for example, grow well in salty coastal regions but can't handle cold winters. Other grass seeds do better in northern states.

Remove debris. Pull weeds and break up soil clumps. If you need to use an herbicide to kill weeds, do so several weeks in advance of planting grass seed.

Till the top 4 to 6 inches of planting area. Put topsoil into the dips to level the yard. Make slight mounds of topsoil against buildings to create a slope. This slope will carry water away from the foundations.

Spread an inch of compost and an inch of sand on top of the soil. This will make it more fertile and improve drainage. Thoroughly mix the nutrients into the local soil.

Apply a fertilizer that is high in phosphorus to the planting area. You can also use a blend made specifically for starter seeds. Set the broadcast spreader to the setting indicated on the fertilizer bag.

Disperse grass seed. Fill a hand spreader if you're seeding a small area. Use a mechanical spreader for large yards. The seed bag will specify how much seed covers the area.

Cover the seeds with a small layer of soil, using the back of a metal rake. Put just enough of the soil mixture on top to keep the seed in place.

Water the seed at least twice daily for 5 to 10 minutes at a time. After 10 days, water just once each day for 15 to 30 minutes.