Most lawn disasters can be traced back to bad initial preparation. Soil might look like a carpet, but the grasses arc-living plants and deserve the same care and attention as the flowering plants that you add to your beds and borders. Grass seed needs the same tilth of soil and moisture levels to germinate as seed yielding vegetables or flowers.
The first job is to clear the site thoroughly and methodically of any rubbish, including rubble, bricks, and tree roots. Use Roundup to eradicate perennial weeds. Alternatively, smother them or dig them out. Where trees are growing right next to the lawn, think carefully about the shade they will cast, as grass grows best in a bright, open position. You might want to take some trees out entirely or saw off some of the lower branches to raise the canopy.
If yours is a difficult site, now is the time to think about the gradient of the lawn and also consider drainage. Most sites are only going to require the minimum of leveling out and this can be carried out by digging first and then raking, but where there are deep holes and an uneven surface, von might need to shovel soil about and perhaps even buy in some extra topsoil. Where soils are badly waterlogged, proper drains or soakaways may be needed.
Fortunately, the soil in most gardens will simply need digging. For autumn action, dig over in early autumn, as soon as the soil is workable after summer’s droughts, or during the autumn and winter to prepare for spring. Single dig the soil, so that the topsoil layer is loosened and turned over to a spade’s depth (spit). Do this by removing a trench first, so that you can get at the subsoil underneath. Don’t bring this up, but having turned over the top spit, fork into the bottom of the trench to loosen any hard pans of soil or solid clay, so that water can find its way through more easily.
Digging and leveling
While digging, take the opportunity to improve the soil under the potential new lawn by adding well-rotted garden compost to light, sandy soil, or grit to open up thick clay. Remove all weeds and large flints or stones painstakingly as you go along.
Digging early allows time for the soil to settle naturally but, in reality, few gardeners work this far ahead. Some won¡¯t have time to dig and might use a mechanical cultivator instead. If so, allow for repeated treading and raking to make sure the surface is firm and flat before sodding or sowing. This is a fun job, but can only take place when the soil is dry enough¡ªanother good reason not to leave preparation until the last minute. Tread over the whole site, making small overlapping steps and digging your heels in.
Having done this, rake over the top. Repeat again and again until the surface is firm (though not rock hard) and the soil won’t sink. This is a good time to grade the site and make small improvements to levels, using the eye as a guide. You might want the lawn to flow smoothly in a slight slope, following the lie of the land. What you don’t want are bumps and hollows. I have always successfully used my eyes as a guide, but should you want to be sure of an absolutely flat lawn, use wooden pegs and a spirit level in much the same way as for laying concrete.
