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Hi @hanley11, welcome to the community. We look forward to seeing how you can transform your garden.
The Bunnings D.I.Y. advice How to grow grass from seed should be a great resource for you. I will also add the video below.
Have a look and then come back to us with any specific questions you might have. You should also include more detail about your garden, including where you are based, what kind of soil you have, and how much sun the lawn will receive. That will really help out members provide more specific and useful advice for you.
Many thanks,
Jason
Welcome to the Workshop community @hanley11. Great question, I'd be happy to assist.
One of the most important things to consider in creating a new lawn is preparation. The lawn will only ever be as good as the soil which it is planted in. You have mentioned your soil is a bit hard, I would consider using a Cyclone Tubular Steel Lawn Aerator to remove cores and aerate your lawn. This will open up the solid ground allowing nutrients, water and roots to penetrate.
A great option then would be to spread 30mm of Scotts Lawn Builder 25l Topdress Mix And Underlay over the entire area. Use a rake to work this material down into the cored plugs.
Fertilising is also essential, with Yates 15kg Dynamic Lifter Turf Starter making a perfect option for the initial seed growth period. That would then be followed up after 3 months with Scotts Lawn Builder 4kg All Purpose Slow Release Fertiliser for sustained growth. A fertiliser spreader is a great tool for ensuring an even spread of the fertiliser and lawn seed.
With the new seed being laid, it is important to make sure the soil does not dry out. A short watering in the morning and evening will ensure this doesn't happen. You may also like to look at wetting agents if water retention or run-off is an issue.
We look forward to seeing you establish your new lawn. If you need further assistance or have other questions, please let me know.
Mitchell
Hi @shapi,
That really depends on your soil's quality and how much moisture it can retain. Seeds like to be kept moist, and if you're using budget soil and it's predominantly uncomposted bark, you will have a hard time keeping the seedlings alive. See the image I've posted below, which illustrates the difference between budget and premium soil. A topdress is typically quite loamy with finer broken-down and composted particles similar to premium soil. If you use high-quality soil, you could plant your seeds directly into it, and I'd suggest seed starter fertiliser to boost them. Blended compost soil sounds very similar to premium soil, so you could use budget soil for the underlayer and a premium on top.
You could use slightly less than 30mm of topdress, but that's a good amount allowing the tender roots of the seedlings to get established before penetrating down into the lesser-quality soil.
Please let me know if you have further questions.
Mitchell
Thank you so much for your prompt response. I will take your advise 
