Home Lawn

1. Cleanup. The first step is cleanup. Remove all construction materials such as scrap lumber, gravel, concrete, mortar and brick chips, shingles, and other debris.

2. Drainage. When the planting area is clean, check drainage patterns and runoff of surface water. Check the soil for compacted areas by inserting a 6-inch knife blade or screwdriver. The blade should slip into the soil with minimal effort. If great effort is required to push the blade into the soil, it is mostly clay or is compacted. Clay soils must have surface drainage since water movement through the soil is too slow for good grass growth.

Compaction is often caused by the heavy equipment used by contractors to move soil. (The soil is squeezed together by the weight of the machinery.) Grass roots cannot penetrate the compressed layer, and the root zone is limited to the soil above the compaction. The problem can be relieved by an aerator if the compaction is near the surface, or it can be relieved by a chisel plow or deep-tined aerator if the compacted layer is more than 3 inches deep.

Identify low, wet areas that need correction for proper drainage. Drain water away from the house and toward the street. Do not channel water onto the neighbor’s property. Water can be directed by constructing shallow drainage ditches or swales or by constructing subsurface drainage ways.

3. Slope and grading. The slope of your property is important. A 3 to 5 percent slope is ideal. Lots that slope more than 20 percent will be difficult to mow and maintain. If your property poses a difficult situation for grading and drainage, ask for help from a licensed landscape architect or nursery person. A small cost to correct these problems is money well spent. You will have a lawn that drains well and prevents erosion. This helps protect the house and foundation from structural damage caused by soil settlement, erosion, or water.

4. Save topsoil. When grading is needed, be sure to stockpile the topsoil for later use. In most cases, the top 3 inches should be stockpiled as topsoil. After the rough grading is completed, the topsoil can be spread and made ready for planting.

5. Soil test. The next step is soil testing, an important step in establishing a new lawn. Many soils in Mississippi lack the proper amounts of nutrients necessary for establishment and development of turfgrasses. The soil testing can be conducted by the Soil Testing laboratory at Mississippi State University. There is a minimal charge. Ask your county Extension agent for soil sample boxes and instruction sheets for sampling. The benefits of soil testing are discussed under “Fertilization” in this publication.

6. Correct nutrient deficiencies. Use a fertilizer spreader to distribute the recommended amount of fertilizer and lime before soil preparation. This will ensure the materials are worked into the soil during soil preparation. This procedure encourages deep rooting of the new grass seedling.

7. Prepare soil. Immediately after you spread the fertilizer, prepare soil for planting. This involves disking or tilling, followed by harrowing or hand-raking to the finished grade or slope. You are now ready for planting.