How do I start a lawn?
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The lawn needs to be raked or tilled to loosen the top. Spread an appropriate seed for your area and cover with straw. Water often, especially until the seeds come up well and poke through the straw. Fall is the perfect time as weeds are dying back.
Get ready for some dirty work! Do you have a sprinkler / drip system in place? If not this will be the time to do so. I tore up my existing lawn in the back yard and started over this past spring. So so happy I did as now I have nice new fluffy grass!
https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-start-lawns-from-seed-2132204
https://www.gardeningchannel.com/how-to-start-a-new-lawn-from-scratch/
http://yardcare.toro.com/create/planting-a-new-lawn/starting-from-scratch/
is it just dirt already? It's a lot of work. Remove rocks.Rake the surface well. Break up the top soil using good sturdy long handled sharp pointed shovel(if it is dull or gets dull sharpen it with metal file)turning it over about 6 inches breaking up any clumps, Rake well again removing any more rocks.Level it out using a rake.Get appropriate seed for area(shade?-full sun?) spread seed evenly across surface(large areas you'll need a spreader) rake seeds into soil to cover them. water water water.Try to not make puddles because it will mess up how evenly seeds are spread. Many people use straw to cover seeds keeps birds from eating seed or seeds from blowing away....I don't recommend this because you'll have to remove it all when grass begins to grow. If you rake seeds into soil they'll be covered. Reseed any bare spots as grass begins to grow. you'll need to do spots by raking to loosen then plant seed then rake it in again.water water water. you can do it now in fall and seeds will sprout in spring but the lawn will probably be spotty. How big of an area are you doing? you'll need help if it's a good sized yard. you can rent a small tiller for gardens to turn over the dirt to get it done quicker and save your body the physical labor. wear good leather gloves for the hrs. of raking and get a good solid hard rake with wide rake and long tines.Begin cutting when it about 2-3 inches tall the more you cut it the more it spreads under ground and fills out.