How to Use Potting Soil to Seed a Lawn

Achieving the optimal lawn sometimes requires seeding over bare spots or over the entire yard area. Choose a grass type that will grow in your climate conditions. Make sure that the soil's pH is within the proper range of your grass type by conducting a soil pH test. Most lawns cannot absorb nutrients from the soil beyond a range of 6.0 and 7.5. By using potting soil that is high in nutrients and that has a pH range of 6.0 to 7.0 when seeding, you'll get your yard started on the right foot.

Tiller

Grass seed

Seed spreader

Lawn mower

Herbicide

Choose a time in the early spring to seed your warm winter grass or in the late summer for cool season grass. Till the lawn area with a tiller. Make sure that you break up the first 3 inches of topsoil. Remove any rocks, weeds or other vegetation on the surface of the lawn that can impede grass growth.

Apply a 1/8-inch layer of potting soil over your yard. Till the yard, so that the potting soil is well mixed with the native soil.

Spread your seed with a seed spreader for large yards or broadcast by hand for smaller lawn areas.

Apply another 1/8-inch layer of potting soil to top-dress your yard. Water the seed thoroughly.

Water the grass twice a day until it grows to 1 inch. Then, cut back your watering to once a day. Mow your grass when it grows beyond 3 inches. Start a once-a-week watering routine after you have mowed your grass three times.

Apply preemergent herbicide a month after you sow your grass seed.

Avoid taking off more than a third of your grass blade when mowing to prevent harming the roots.