Is there any way to establish a new lawn without rototilling? I understand the problems that tilling can cause, in terms of creating lumps and bumps. However, I already have lots of lumps and bumps and I clearly need some grading as well, to smooth out a raised bed that was formerly a perennial garden, and to deal with a small swale in the backyard. I am also planning on adding copious amounts of compost and/or topsoil, since I mostly have crummy sand left behind by builders.

One additional question--is there any point in adding compost this fall? The soil is terrible and I would like to start improving it, but as I said, at this point I would be mostly helping out the weeds.

1. Get a soil test.

2. Be aware that adding a finer soil (topsoil) over a coarser soil (sand) can create problems (including drainage) as the fine soil particles leach down and plug the spaces between the sand particles.

3. The best way to grade without causing too much soil disruption is to hire a box blade.

4. If your soil is 100% sand, roto tilling can be used to add amendments without causing much in the way of the soil settling problems associated with most other soils. I would only consider this if you are going to do a lot of grading.