Water the topsoil to help it.

How to prepare soil for sod without a tiller. Add soil as needed to level out the low spots, improve your soil, and to form a slope away from your house. Level the soil as smooth as possible. Apply a starter fertilizer at a rate of 1 lb.

Prepare your clay soil for sod by tilling and adding. After you work it in, it will fully transform your garden. Approximately 4 inches of topsoil spread over the area gives the roots plenty of soil.

Dig up and dispose of tree stumps. Work two inches of topsoil into the top six inches of soil with a rototiller. Remove large debris from the lawn area, including rocks, branches or construction scraps.

Add peat moss or compost if needed to improve drainage. Loosen the soil at the bottom of the hole you just dug with the tines of a garden fork. This will kill the grass and weeds beneath and soften the area.

Smother the area designated for planting. Most lawn care specialists generally use a number of different methods. Here’s what you need to know.

Till the top 6 inches of soil using a power tiller. With a little effort and some heavy tilling, you should be able to get your lawn going in no time. How to aerate without a tiller there are a bunch of tools that are designed to aerate the soil without tilling.