A healthy, green lawn is an ideal framework for your garden and home environment. If you are tired of battling with your present collection of green material... always uneven, always browning out, always in need of pampering... perhaps it is time to start again from scratch.
To have a successful, easy to maintain lawn it is important to have the right ingredients from the start... a well balanced soil and the right mixture of grass... you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear!!!
Have your soil tested. Your Vigoro Certified Dealer will supply you with a sample bag with instructions and send them in for testing on your behalf. You will then receive the test results plus recommendations on what to do. If there are deficiencies or imbalances in you soil, it is much easier to correct them prior to establishing a lawn or any vegetative cover. For example: If the soil is "acidic" then applying limestone prior to seeding or sodding would be the recommendation. Be sure to mark on the test form that you are starting a new lawn.
Remove any green material (weeds or the existing lawn). If this is an area with no previous lawn (i.e.: a new home) then you can easily remove any weeds with a rake or hoe since there should be no perennial (well-established) weeds present. If you have a lawn/mixture of green material already present, then you will need to resort to a more aggressive approach. Killing the existing green cover may be done by either spraying, suffocating or physically removing the plants.
If you choose to spray, then use a chemical called glyphosate. Glyphosate will kill any green material it touches but will become inert (biodegraded) when it hits the soil. After 7-12 days you will notice that everything will be dead.
Cover the area with black plastic or straw so that no sunlight reaches the plant material. It will take more time to completely kill the plant material... check under the cover after two weeks to see if the plants are dead. Remove the plastic when the area seems to be plant free.
If the weed problem is not too extensive and there are no perennial weeds (such as twitch grass), then physical removal can be very effective. Use a hoe if the weeds are shallow rooted, or use a garden fork for more established weeds. Weeding is much easier and more satisfying when the ground is moist... after a light rain or after irrigating the area for about 30 minutes.
Add any soil amendments recommended by the soil test. (i.e. limestone, additional potassium). Dig in (or till) the amendments as well as compost, manure, straw or the dead material after the spraying or suffocating. Mix to a depth of 6-8 inches. N.B. Organic material such as compost, manure or straw will help the structure and overall health of the soil.
Rake the soil level and remove as many stones as you can. Grass will grow over small stones, but larger ones can be hazardous.
Apply Premium Vigoro Starter Fertilizer 18-24-12 at 2.5kg/100 sq.m (5lb/100 sq.ft.) using a fertilizer spreader. the high phosphorous content will encourage root development and increase the early success of the lawn. Young roots require fertilizer placement close to the surface. Using a leaf rake, lightly scuff the surface of the soil to mix the fertilizer into the upper portion of the soil.
Sprinkle the seed over the surface of the soil at the recommended rate (check bag for this). If you are unsure of which type of grass seed to buy, purchase a sun/shade mixture. This blend of grasses will thrive in their respective desirable environments... the shade-loving grass will take over in shady areas. A "nurse grass" (perennial rye grass) is usually included in the mixtures. This germinates quickly (about 6 days) and will prevent the soil from eroding until the other grasses become established.
Using a leaf rake again, lightly scuff the surface to cover the seed. Seed-Soil contact is the most important thing!!!
Keep the soil moist... water every third day for 30 minutes (unless rainfall occurs). Try to stay off the lawn for the first 3 weeks. Don't worry too much about weed invasion since they should disappear once mowing begins or they can be sprayed at a later date. Mow for the first time after 6 weeks.
Buy fresh sod... order it ahead of time if you have a substantial quantity required. Unroll the sod onto the prepared bed. Place sod pieces snug to each other and complete the jig saw puzzle which will be your new lawn. It's very satisfying.
Roll the sod after the pieces are lain. This will remove air pockets and ensure good soil contact so the roots can grow into their new environment.
Water well for the first few weeks... 30 minutes every third day (unless rainfall occurs). Check to see if the sod has taken by pulling up from the center of the sod piece. After 2-3 weeks, the sod should resist the pulling, since the roots have found their way into the soil. Sod is usually one type of grass (several varieties of Kentucky bluegrass, so will generally thrive more in sunny locations than in shade.
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