Question
I just purchased a home in NJ and the backyard is dirt, weeds and very few 2inch patches of something that looks like grass.  I don't have the money to sod the lawn, so I need to seed a new lawn.  How do I get started and what steps should i take to ensure a healthy lawn for my 2 year old to play?  

In my front lawn I have dead grass (past owners installed sod), how can I revive the front lawn or do I need to start over like the backyard?

Thank you for any advise

Answer
1. Rake the yard free of any loose debris.
2. Using herbicide spray existing weeds and wait 10 days to ensure that all weeds are dead.
3. Rent a small roto-tiller and loosen the top couple inches of soil in the area you intend to seed.
4. Select a seed type based on your sun and location relevant to temperatures and climate. Some seeds need 6 hours of sun others do better in shade. Consult your local nursery or home store where you intend to buy the seed.
5. Apply the seed at the rate recommended on the bag using a spreader (rent or borrow if you don't own it, not worth buying).
6. Cover seed with loosely had applied wheat straw. This should be  alight covering not like mulch but just enough to resist washing and retain some moisture for seed to utilize.
7. Apply a seed starter fertilizer. Water immediately.
8. Water lightly every day that it doesn't rain for the first ten days...seed should start in 7 to 10 days.
9. After seed breaks, only water every couple of days for about another 10 days. If it rains you don't need to water that day or the next if soil is still very wet.
10. 30 days after applying seed you should have nice lawn ready for first cut. You may need to reapply small amounts in areas that were missed or get washed away or eaten by birds etc.

Best of Luck

Sean J Murphy, LA

Amenity Architects
www.amenityarchitects.com
Southeastern Engineering
www.seengineering.com