NOW is the time to sow grass from seed, when the soil is warm and moist. You need to prepare the soil by digging over the area well and removing debris, big stones and perennial weeds. A tined cultivator is a good idea for breaking the soil's surface.

Next, rake the soil and create a seedbed by walking over the soil on your heels, which will help firm the surface. Rake the soil again to level off the area and allow the soil to settle. After three to four weeks, pick off any stones which have worked their way to the surface.

A couple of days before you sow the grass seed, add some granular fertiliser such as Growmore over the whole area and mark out the area into square yards or metres, using string or bamboo canes as markers.

Weigh out the seed in a cup or container to cover each square metre or yard. Shake the seed level and mark the level on the outside of the cup. To make spreading easier, you can add sharp sand to the seed, but make sure you mix it in well and mark the new level on the container. From then on you can dip the cup into the seed and fill it up to the line to know that you have another square metre's worth.

Broadly cast the seeds one way and then another. If you sow too thickly, it will result in patchy germination, while not sowing enough will mean you have to resow.

When you have finished sowing, lightly rake over the area and water well with a fine spray.

When the new lawn is 5cm (2in) high, cut it with a rotary mower down to 2.5cm (1in) and rake up the clippings carefully. Do this for the first four cuts.

Grass comes in all shapes and sizes - you can have luxury, general or utility and shade mixes.

Take advice from your garden centre on which will be best for you.

Converted for the new archive on 25 January 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.