2torial #0834:
Learn2 Reseed a Lawn (continued)

Prepare the ground

Whether you're repairing brown spots or an entire lawn, your grass needs good ground to stand on. Follow these steps for preparing the best surface:

Remove weeds. Dig up the weeds or kill them with an herbicide. If you use an herbicide, make sure you follow package directions. A nontoxic approach is best for the soil, the water table, and you.

If your lawn is hopelessly overrun, it may be nececessary to kill the entire lawn and start over. If this is the case, apply the herbicide to the whole lawn. Be sure to let the herbicide dissipate before reseeding, or it will kill your new lawn as well. Check package directions to see how long the herbicide will last before it wears down.

Mow the existing grass. Cut the grass to 3/4 to 1 inch (2 to 2.5 centimeters) in length. This will help the fertilizer, seed, and water reach the soil.

Remove dead grass. Whether you're replacing the entire lawn or filling in brown spots, you need to remove as much of the dead grass and fresh clippings as possible to help the fertilizer, seed, and water reach the soil. Use an iron rake to pull up the old grass. Fortunately, you don't need to remove the dead roots.