Early autumn is the ideal time to sow a new lawn while the soil is still warm but a bit damp.  You can buy seed mixes which are tailored to suit different types of garden.  There are ones for drought, shade or any kind of lawn.  I use them all the time doing lawn and yard maintenance and can thoroughly recommend them!

Prepare the soil by removing stones and weeds and roughly leveling it.  Clean it up the best you can then rake it.  Firm the soil up by walking over it, then rake it again.  A couple of days before you want to seed add a granular fertilizer to give your lawn a good start.

Mark your area out in to meter squares using canes and string.  Then shake the seed box to mix it all up.  Weight out your seed mix so you have approximately 50g per square meter of ground.  If the type of seed mix you have says something different then go with that.

Split your meters worth of seed in two and scatter half in one direction, then take the other half and scatter in the opposite direction.  Then lightly rake the area over and water.  This will give your lawn the most even finish.

It’s important not to let the area dry out until the grass is well established.  Seeds are very susceptible to drought so keep an eye out for the weather.  If you find birds eating your seeds then you can spread netting over the area to protect it.  This will also stop any curious cats or other animals from walking all over your newly sprouted lawn.

Once the lawn is at least 2″ high you can begin mowing it.