On Sun, 05 Jun 2005 16:56:35 -0400, Paul H. Smith wrote:

Thanks stubby. Do you recommend one brand over another? Scotts vs.
generic?

And do I need to aerate? Should I cover new seed with dirt or just sow
above ground and water like crazy?


As far as brands go, it's generaly all the same seed from the same fields.
Cheaper seed can have more weed seed in it... but as with everything, you
get what you pay for. I would suggest that you call your county extention
office and ask what types of grass is the best for your area.

With new construction, they tend to really compact the soil (what's left
of it that is) and they do the least ammount of prep to the lawn before
they lay seed/sod. Go out with your shovel and dig a few test holes in the
lawn area and see what the soil looks like a few inches deep. If the soil
quality looks poor, then the grass will do poorly. You will need a minimum
of 2 inches of high quality soil (four or more is suggested). If you have
hard pan clay or really compacted soil, then you should add the new soil
and till it in or otherwise the water will drain through the good soil and
run off along the clay. The grass root system will be short and tend to
dry out quickly.

--
Yard Works Gardening Co.
http://ywgc.com/resources.html