Complete fresh(ish) lawn start

[neonnblack]

Ok, i'm a complete lawn newbie. Now that that is out of the way ill explain my situation. I'm having my wedding in mid june of 2011. I just have some questions about where and how to start. Right now the yard is complete trash; over grown with weeds, old dead grass, a dog. I live in Reno, NV. The summer is mostly 70-100 degrees daily, with winter going down to 0. With such extremes in the weather and the current condition of the yard what would be the proper procedures for turning this around to be fit for a wedding next year. IS this enough time to complete my yard (i dont know the size of the yard exactly the lot is a half acre and the house takes up about half of it) What kind of grass should i be using(i plan on doing it from seed) what should i do to prepare the soil? Pretty much i would like a more step by step instruction on the basic process of starting a lawn. I'll be using most of my free time here on out to complete this. Any help and advice would be appreciated. Thanks for your time. If you have any questions just ask and ill answer.

[Steve]

Lawn care business tips

Are you looking to have your wedding in your yard? Alot of what you do will depend on how much you want to spend. Could you roto-till the property, add some topsoil and then lay some sod on top of that?

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[neonnblack]

Yes it will be in the yard.

I'm willing to spend what it takes to get it right.

Yes i can rototill, and the top soil/sod thing im unsure of. i didnt really want to lay any sod just start from scratch

[NewLeafca]

This is how I usually do it. It's not the only way but it does make a nice healthy lawn.

Step 1
Get some vegetation kill product (I use Roundup Extended control) and spray product on any existing weeds. This will kill all the way to the root, leaving no chance for reseeding. Wait the recommended days on label and then go on to next step.

Step 2
Use a rototiller to loosen the existing vegetation. You may need to do this several times to get it all. Rake up loosened vegetation and discard. Do not reuse any grass from troubled lawn.

Step 3
Test soil with a soil test kit available at any local garden center. You can also send soil away for free testing through your local farm extension.

Step 4
Add any soil enhancers needed and till into soil. Till deep into soil, about 4-6 inches to make it soft and pliable. Rake area with a landscape rake or back of a garden rake to smooth out soil.

Step 5
Choose a good starter fertilizer like Scotts Brand Starter Fertilizer. Spread on with broadcast spreader at rate indicated on bag.

Step 6
Use the same broadcast spreader to spread grass seed. A mix of blue, perennial rye and fescue grass seed makes a healthy lawn.

Step 7
Cover grass seed with soil about 1/4 inch deep. You can also cover newly seeded lawn with hay to keep grass seed in place if you like. Use a lawn roller and smooth out soil and hay to get a nice level lawn.

Step 8
Keep newly planted grass moist by watering daily. If soil dries out quickly you can water it twice a day until germination starts.

If you wanted to do sod you would prepare the soil the same way as in the first 5 steps. Then lay down the sod overlapping it 1/4 inch and smooth it out with lawn roller.