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Before you put down grass seed, you should cultivate your soil or add two inches of topsoil. You should also put down fertilizer at the same time as your seed to prompt healthy growth. Be sure to water after you put down grass seed, especially for the first two weeks.

The time you should wait before walking on new grass depends on whether you used seed or sod. If you laid new grass seed, it's best to wait about eight weeks before stepping on it, as new grass is fragile. For sod, it typically establishes itself in the ground in about two weeks. For heavy traffic, like driving a car across a new grass driveway, you might need to wait an entire season.

If it’s been a few weeks and you haven’t seen anything pop up, double-check your seed packet and make sure you didn’t miss any steps. Did they need cold stratification (putting seeds in the freezer and then transferring to water before planting)? Do they have an exceptionally long germination period? 

 If you’ve followed all of the directions closely, you may just have had a bad batch of seeds. (Sadly, it happens.)

No, it's not a good idea to put grass seed directly on top of dead grass. For successful germination and growth, grass seed needs good soil contact. To prepare the area, start by removing the dead grass using a shovel or a sod cutter. Then, loosen the soil, add soil amendments if necessary, and spread the grass seed evenly. This allows the seed to come into direct contact with the soil, promoting better germination and establishing a healthier lawn.