Sowing grass seed in fall

by Skye

Hi Doug,

I read your Fall Lawn Care page and you mention sowing grass seed is a good way to thicken up the turf for spring.

I'm wondering how exactly do you sow the grass seed: Just sprinkle it on the lawn by itself? Or do you mix it with topsoil (or add topsoil after spreading?)
And: do you have to prepare the lawn beforehand by raking or just spread the seed as is?

I'm sure you can tell I've never sown grass seed in the fall before and I appreciate your help in answering my beginner questions. :)

Doug says a spreader is the best (you can often borrow them from garden centers or they're inexpensive to buy) because it puts the grass seed on evenly.

And I just put it on - spread it. No topsoil, nothing else. But I do water it in afterwards to try to get it down to ground level so birds and ants don't eat it all.

You can rake if you like (and it's a good idea) but I never do because I'm lazy. :-)