Follow these simple steps for a beautiful, healthy and trouble-free lawn.
- Clear the site of all building materials (wood, cement, bricks, etc.) as well as any buried stumps, rocks, stones or other debris that are any larger than 2 inches in diameter.
- Rough grade the entire area to eliminate any drainage problems on the property. This would include sloping the grade away from building foundations, eliminating or reducing severe slopes and filling low-lying areas. A tractor mounted blade and/or box are most often used for rough grading, but if the area is small, it can be done with hand tools. The rough grading, will probably uncover more debris that should be removed.
- Initial tilling to a depth of at least 2 inches, should be completed prior to adding any topsoil or soil amendments. This will control most annual weeds, alleviate subsoil compaction, permit a bonding of the topsoil and improve root penetration as well as air exchange and water movement.
- Add topsoil to achieve a total topsoil depth of 4-6 inches, after firming. The topsoil should be a loamy sand, sandy loam, clay loam, loam, silt loam, sandy clay loam or other soil suitable for the area.
- Test soil for Ph and nutrients to determine if any pH correcting materials or nutrients are required.
- Apply fertilizer to correct any deficiencies following the product’s recommended rate. To avoid root injury to new turf grass, the fertilizer should be raked into the top 3-4 inches.
- Finish grade the entire site, maintaining the rough grading contours and slopes, with a tractor-mounted box blade for large areas or a heavy-duty rake for small sites.
- Roll the area with a lawn roller one-third of water to firm and settle the surface. Low spots should be filled to match the surrounding grade surface. If time permits, allow area to settle further with rainfall or by applying irrigation.