Our back lawn is pretty bad and in need of TLC. Any advice and pointers would be appreciated. Got some?

Now that spring is here we plan to rake our yard first of all.....And when we're done it WILL be mostly dirt. We'll level it, and then....What should our next step be? What do we put down first and when can we do it? Then what? We heard you have to do it in levels and gradual...By starting with some crab grass....Then the seed we want for our beautiful lawn. But what do we use first, and in what order and when do we use it? Such as seed, fertilizers...water of course...grass seed.....Please help us out here. We spent a good part of last summer putting in a new patio to eleminate some of the yard...grass. Then we got an awning up. We even put up a fence. NOW we need to consentrate on the lawn. appreciate your help, advice and pointers. Thank you.Our back lawn is pretty bad and in need of TLC. Any advice and pointers would be appreciated. Got some?
After you have the lawn all raked and the soil loose you will need some starter fertilizer. What I would do is lay down your grass seed and then your starter fertilzer. Make sure you cover up the seed with the back of your rake. Next you need to water in your fertilizer. After that the lawn must be kept moist at all times. Make sure that you don't wash out the seed when watering. You should apply a mulch such as peat approximatesly a quarter of an inch deep. Really it's that simple. Germination should occur in about 7 to 14 days. After the lawn is established it should get about and inch of water per week. Make sure that you don't mow baby grass until the blades are at least 2'; high or you will kill them. Since you are planting in the spring you will need to be aware that your lawn in more prone to disease. Just watch it. For best results lawns should be reseeded in the fall, but it's a little late for that. You will be okay though as long as you pay attention to it. After you have a full lawn I would start it out right with the Scotts 4 step program. You only have to fertilize every 3 months and each bag is geared to a different time of year. ACE brand has a similar program, but in all honesty the Scotts has a better composition because each chemical is contained in a single pellet, while ACE's pellets are each a different chemical. Scott's provides a more even distribution.





Whatever you do, don't plant crabgrass! This is a weed! If you would be willing to tell me what region you live in I can tell you what variety of grass is good for you. I will give you a basic description, but I can tell you exactly if I know where you live.





Bluegrass: cool season, perennial grass that forms a beautiful, high quality, dense sod. Use in medium to low traffic areas. You will need more fertilizer and water. Full sun to light shade. Color ranges from bright green to a deep bluish green.





Fescue: Cool season grass, but adapted to other zones. Includes crossfire, revolution, creeping red fescue, and kentucky 31 fescue. shade tolerant, fast growing and has course blades.





Perennial Ryegrass: Cool season grass, fast growing, toughest and most wearable. Fine texture. High insect and disease resistance.





Bermuda: Warm season perennial grass. ';South's grass'; Grows in tropical, subtropical, and transition zones. used commonly on lawns and golf courses. Also on sports fields. Aggressive and hardy grass, stands up to high traffic.





St. Augustine: Warm season perennial grass. full sun to moderate shade. Needs to be planted by using plugs, sod, or sprigs.





Zoysia: Warm season, perennial. Slow growing, but aggressive once established. Grows in between warm and cool zone. Goes dormant and turns brown at first sign of cold weather. Shade tolerant in south, but needs more sun in the north.





If you have any questions you are free to email me. This all came from my yearly retraining manual in lawn and garden. Good luck!Our back lawn is pretty bad and in need of TLC. Any advice and pointers would be appreciated. Got some?
First, you want to install any other hardscaping (large rocks, stone paths, or other solid/ permantent fixtures) Then Mark out your flower beds and plant them. Then focus on filling in the remaining areas with lush grass.
One of the most helpful things to consider is what type of soil.


How is the drainage and how much work are you considering.





http://landscaping.about.com/b/a/042372.鈥?/a>





here are some suggestions...





good luck %26amp; bless