If your lawn has brown spots, bare spots, or is thinning, it may be time to reseed it to achieve a lusher, healthier lawn. Reseeding, or overseeding does take some preparation and planning, but can improve your curb appeal, your home’s value, and even your relationship with your neighbors.

Timing: Although you can reseed at almost any time of the year, the grass needs adequate time to get established before winter. It should be done several weeks before the first frost, but after the scorching heat of summer, which can be tough on lawns.

Preparation: Before you reseed the lawn, you must first remove all the weeds, debris, and dead grass from the area by manually pulling weeks or using weed killer. If you use weed killer, be sure to follow the directions which should specify how long it will take to be effective, before you reseed. Next, loosen the soil with a hard rake. For extremely compacted soil, you may need to rent a machine to aerate the soil, which removes small plugs of dirt and turf. This allows water and nutrients to better penetrate the soil and nourish the roots of your lawn.

If there is excessive thatch, which is dead grass and roots, you may need to rent a power rake or dethatcher to remove the dead material. If this is too daunting or physical a task, most lawn care companies offer aeration and dethatching services. Lawn experts recommend performing this maintenance on your lawn every few years to ensure a healthy foundation for your lawn.

If your soil is in extremely poor condition, you may need to add some compost or new soil to prepare it for new grass seed. This will also depend upon the type of soil you have and where you live— consult your local nursery or garden center for advice on the type of soil you have. In some cases, a complete lawn “renovation” is in order, which entails completely killing the existing lawn, tilling the soil, flattening the area and reseeding from scratch.

Reseeding: Once the soil has been prepared, you must choose your grass seed. You should use a seed that is similar to the grass that is already in your lawn, and is appropriate for your zone. This will prevent unsightly spots where one area may be greener or have smaller blades than another. Scattering the seed by hand is sufficient, but if you are reseeding an entire lawn, it is better to use a mechanical spreader to ensure even coverage. Set it for three to four pounds per 1,000 square feet.

Rake the seed into the soil so it makes good contact with the soil. If it is lying on top of existing grass, it may not sprout, and may become the neighborhood birds’ next meal. If birds are likely to be a major problem, you can cover the seeded area with weed-free straw or hay, or about a quarter inch of mulch. Some garden care centers recommend applying a starter fertilizer to the lawn after reseeding.

After you reseed, it is important that you keep the soil moist by watering it twice a day. The grass will germinate in about two weeks. Once the grass starts to grow, mow it. The ideal length for grass is two to two and a half inches, as opposed to closely cropped grass. This encourages deeper rooting, which is especially important with new lawns.

While your new lawn is getting established, avoid heavy traffic—try to keep pets and kids off it until it is strong and healthy. Be sure to maintain your newly refurbished lawn by mowing regularly, applying weed and feed, and keeping it watered during droughts or hot weather.