How to Prepare Soil for Grass Seed: Step-by-Step for a New Lawn
Kill old growth, test pH (6.0-7.0), grade 1-2% away from the house, till in 1-2 in of compost, add starter fertilizer, firm, sow at species rate, mulch, water.
Posts by A. Bashar
Too Much Grass Seed? What Happens and How to Fix Overseeded Patches
Too much grass seed gives crowded, weak seedlings and damping-off, not a thicker lawn. Rate tables by species, how to spot over-application and how to fix it.
Different Types of Grass in Your Lawn? How to Identify and Remove the Unwanted Ones
Tall fescue clumps, rough bluegrass, bermuda or zoysia creeping in? ID table by colour, habit and season, plus which ones no selective herbicide will remove.
Seed that never came up, or a lawn that will not thicken? A symptom-to-cause table and extension-backed fixes: soil temperature, seed depth, sun, pH, grubs.
Screwdriver and penetrometer tests, then core aeration (2 to 4 passes) or tilling 4 to 6 in with compost. Why gypsum and sand fail, seed rates, watering.
St. Augustine vs Bermuda vs Zoysia vs Fescue vs Buffalo Grass: Which Lawn Grass Is Right for You?
St. Augustine, bermuda, zoysia, tall fescue and buffalo grass compared on shade hours, drought, wear, mowing, nitrogen, cost and cold, with picks by region.