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Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/Reed Estabrook

Large areas of turf should be seeded with a drop spreader. Its flow adjustment should be set to deliver seed evenly at the coverage rate recommended on the seed package.

Installing a new lawn isn’t easy, but the reward you get from doing it properly is well-worth the effort! And once your lawn bed has been amended, leveled, raked and rolled, it’s time for the main event: seeding or sodding. Which method you choose depends a lot on the grass you want to grow: Not all turfgrasses can be planted from seed (many warm-season grasses, like St. Augustine grass, can only be planted with plugs or sod), and not all varieties of turfgrass are available as sod (which is particularly true if you want a mixture of grasses).

If you’re able to grow your turfgrass-of-choice from seed, that’s great news! While seeding requires some work, vigilance and patience, it’s far cheaper than the other methods. And when it’s done correctly, the resulting grass is highly reliable. Best of all, a seeded lawn tends to be very sturdy because it grows by rooting itself firmly into the seedbed.

Sow warm-season grasses in spring and cool-season grasses in late summer or early autumn, depending on your climate zone. The amount of seed you’ll need depends on the type of turfgrass you’re growing, and the appropriate rate will be indicated on the package (likely in pounds per 1,000 square feet).

Before you start seeding, make sure there’s no wind and that the soil has been moistened to a depth of about 6 inches by watering for several days before planting.