Lawns are a major part of most home landscapes. The three main reasons for lawns: They add beauty to the landscape They are used as play areas for sports such as baseball or football. They provide excellent cover to help control soil erosion.

When establishing a new lawn the present condition of the lawn has to be analyzed. Is there top soil? Is drainage adequate? Is the slope too steep to mow? If you are planting a lawn after something was just built there is usually a rough grade on the area– the rough grade is done by the builder to make sure the house or property does not get water in the basement.

6 inches of top soil is optimal when establishing a new lawn. The slope of the land should not be more than 15%. When preparing the area for grass seed it is important to remove rocks, big dirt clods. You want to plant the seed on a smooth firm surface.

A soil test should be completed before adding any soil amendments such as fertilizer or lime to see what the soil is missing before anything is added to the soil. Tests can be done by purchasing one at a garden center, companies will do this as well as extension offices.

A complete fertilizer with a high phosphorus content is recommended for establishing a new lawn. Controlled release starter fertilizer- is fertilizer that is released over a period of time. Controlled release fertilizer would be good to use. Fertilizer should be spread east west then north south on a lawn to get complete coverage.

Lawns can be started 2 different ways from seed or from sod (grass that has already been started) When selecting seed for the lawn remember the following: Percent germination- what percentage of seed will grow Inert matter- sand, pieces of seed, and other items that will not grow– these are undesirable. Weed seed- a weed is any plant that is growing where it is not wanted. Purity- the break down of the different seed by percentages.

Grass VarietyPounds per 1,000 square feet Tall Fescue6-8 Red or fine Fescue3-5 Bluegrass mixes1 ½-2 Bluegrass fescue mix2-3 Perennial ryegrass5-6

Seed may be planted by hand or with a mechanical seeder. Cover the seed lightly with hand raking Mulching or covering the area--- this is a very debatable topic some people prefer cover over the seeds while others claim it hurts the grasses ability to grow quick and readily. Water is very important in new grass. If it germinates and is allowed to dry out the seed will die.

There are some types of grasses in which seed will not work either the seed is not available or the seed does not produce plants that are true to type. These type of grasses need to be planted by spot or plug sodding, strip sodding, sprigging, or stolonizing. Most of these grasses are southern grasses used in areas like Georgia and Florida

Sod- consists of grass and grass roots in a thin layer of soil that is removed from areas in strips. It is then rolled and transported to the area to be sodded. Sodding is justified on steep slopes unless coverage is needed immediately.

Spot sodding or plugging- is the planting of small plugs at measured intervals. The closer the plugs are planted the faster the lawn grows. Strip sodding- is planting the strips of sod end to end in rows that are 1 foot apart. Sprigging- is the planting of individual plants, runners, cuttings, or stolons at certain spaces. Runners- sprigs of grass that are obtained by shredding solid pieces of sod.