Okay, so the first thing you should decide is whether you want to start a new lawn or simply work on an existing lawn.  Of course you will always get the best results if you are starting a new lawn from scratch with the idea of tilling up and preparing the area for your grass seed.

We feel that tilling your seed bed and starting from scratch is always the most effective method for seeding a lawn.  Why is that?  Existing plants and vegetation in the same bed or within six inches of your seed bed can keep your grass from establishing correctly by consuming sunlight and plant nutrients from the soil in the vicinity.  By preparing your site in advance you optimize your chances for the best rate of seed establishment and germination.

We realize, however, that most lawn owners already have a well-established lawn and simply want to enhance or thicken the density of their turf’s sod and help reduce weed and other unwanted vegetation populations.

If you are not going to till your soil or spend a lot of time preparing your seed bed then you are going to do what we call “overseeding”.

Five steps to overseeding your lawn:

1. Mow your lawn to the shortest height possible and remove any and all extra clippings.  We suggest you remove extra clippings with a metal rake since this will also loosen your soil in preparation for the new seed.
2. Aerate your soil.  This can be done with either a liquid soil aerator or by simply using soil aeration spike shoes.  You need to aerate your lawn from north to south and then east to west for the best results.
3. Broadcast (sow) your seed in an even and uniform manner by hand or with a cyclone seed spreader.
4. Aerate a third time, after you have sown your seed, to help with better soil coverage.  Lightly step on the seeded areas or alternately use a lawn hand roller to make sure the seed makes firm contact with the soil for best germination.  If the seed just sits on top of the pre-existing grass and does not make good contact with the soil underneath it will not germinate properly.
5. Water and fertilize as normal and maintain healthy mowing practices and in no time at all you will have a fuller, greener, more beautiful lawn.

So, you do want to plant a new lawn on properly prepared soil?

Three steps for tilling and planting a new lawn:

1. Till the area to be planted until you have fine or loose soil with very little soil compaction.  Once the area is properly till you can level the ground by raking or dragging something over the surface to make it smooth and level.
2. Broadcast (sow) your seeds by hand or with turf grass planter or slit seeder.  After your seeds have been sown drag the back side of a rake over your seed bed until most of the seeds are lightly covered with soil.  Try not to get your seeds any deeper than 1/4 inch or the seedlings may not be able to break through the top soil.  Be sure to plant at the correct seeding rate for your grass seed.  Seeding rates should have been provided with your seed package or at the point of purchase.  You can blanket your seed bed with a light covering of Pete moss or straw to help with erosion issues and to keep water from evaporating too quickly during establishment.
3. Water your seed bed daily until germination occurs. Adjust the amount of watering based on the amount of rainfall in your area.   Apply fertilizer as needed throughout the growing season, and stay on a healthy mowing schedule.