Question
Hi, we recently purchased a Florida home that has all dead grass and lots of weeds. We were hoping you knew what steps we would need to take to get a healthy green lawn. Do we have to pull up all the dead grass or can we lay new grass on top of it? We have no idea where to start. We would like to do this ourselves without hiring a company if possible. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Answer
Bryan:

I will have to make some assumptions to answer your question.  You must be planning to lay sod.  You have sandy soil, not clay.  The weeds are substnatial and have already seeded in large part.

I would plow or till up the yard, then grade it.  Let the weeds dry up and rot onsite.  You may have to spray for the second growth before this happens.  My personal preference is to use compost to build the soil, If in sandy land, apply one inch thick over lawn area, till in, and rake to final grade.  Then, lay sod and water regularly to start rooting, then, several times a week until it establishes.

Use a high quality compost from a professional landscape supplier.  There must be several in your area.

It is a lot of work, but worth the effort to have a nice lawn.  You will have to deal with weeds for the first year or so.  So be prepared to spray and use pre-emergents at the right time of year.

Best wishes.