How To Clear Land For A Lawn

Establishing a new lawn requires a lot of preparation. In fact, the more you prepare the site by clearing vegetation and preparing the soil, the faster your new lawn will become established and the more thick and lush it will grow. Begin to clear the land for a new lawn in late summer for seeding or laying sod in early fall, which is the ideal time to establish a new lawn.

Step 1

Pick up rocks, trash or any other debris in the planting site.

Step 2

Remove existing grass, weeds or perennial plant materials from the new lawn area. Begin several weeks before seeding or putting down sod. Use a rototiller to turn the soil under two to three times at 10- to 14-day intervals, with the final tilling the day before planting. This will snub out existing vegetation and also any weed seeds that sprout when they are brought to the surface from tilling.

Step 3

Dig out and remove any woody bushes, shrubs or large perennial plants. Use a shovel and remove as much of the root system as you can to prevent them from regrowing. If necessary, use an ax to break up the roots for more easy removal from the ground.

Step 4

Regrade the site, if necessary, so the land is level and free of high or low spots. Use a shovel to remove soil from the higher areas and add it to the lower lying areas. Fill in lower areas to slightly above the level of the surrounding soil so that it is level after the newly added soil settles.

Many homes have large pieces of land attached to the property that are left in an unusable state. If you are in this sort of situation you can transform this waste of land into a useful lawn. Clear the land of any garbage and litter. Drive a shovel into the ground around the woody plants you are removing, in order to remove the roots. You should try to get as much root out as possible to avoid unwanted plants from growing in after you plant your lawn. Use a trowel to remove large groups of weeds with extensive roots. Turn the existing surface of the land with a rototiller. This will create aerated fresh soil. Turn the soil with the rototiller a second time, two weeks after the first time and a third time two weeks after that.