Lawn, Establishing

A successful lawn should result from these steps…

A soil test will help you begin to establish a beautiful lawn.

If you're planning to establish a new lawn, have a soil test made. Your county agent can tell you how. Information from the test will be used to prepare the lawn area before planting a selected grass.

Follow these steps when establishing a new lawn:

• Clear the area of all stones and solid materials and till the area to a depth of three to four inches. Make sure the soil is well pulverized.
• Establish the grade of the lawn and smooth the surface by raking it or dragging it.
• Broadcast recommended amounts of lime and fertilizer evenly over the area, and re-till it to a depth of two to three inches.
• Choose a suitable grass. Consider the amount of shade, competition from trees and the maintenance requirements of recommended grasses.
• Plant the chosen variety. If you are seeding grass, split seed into two lots and seed in a cross-directional manner. If the grass is to be plugged or spriged, plant plugs or spriys on six- to 1 2-inch centers.
• Keep the right amount of water on the new grass until it's established.
• Once the grass is established, mow at proper height to reduce weed competition and to encourage grass to spread.

For more information on establishing a lawn, contact your local County Extension Office.