Explore · How-to
How to actually do it
Step-by-step methods for the hands-on parts — preparing the ground, sowing, and caring for creeping thyme, with the timing and the failure points that trip people up. Covering lawn removal, sowing, care and troubleshooting across every species.
🛠️
How-to
prep soil · sow · care
Where to start
Converting a lawn is mostly two jobs: getting rid of what's there, and establishing what's next. The guides below start with removing your old lawn, then sowing and overseeding, then plant-by-plant how-tos for every species we cover.
Browse the full how-to library
Every step-by-step guide on the site, grouped by lawn type. Start with a plant you are considering, or jump to lawn removal and overseeding under the general methods.
Clover lawns
- Best Clover Lawn Mix: How to Choose for Your Lawn
- Clover Lawn Care: Seasonal Schedule and Maintenance
- Clover and Ryegrass Lawn Mix
- Common Clover Lawn Problems and Solutions
- Common Microclover Lawn Problems and Fixes
- Does Microclover Fix Nitrogen? The Fertiliser-Free Lawn Explained
- Frost Seeding Clover into Grass
- How Fast Does Microclover Germinate and Grow? Full Timeline
- How to Choose Strawberry Clover Seed
- How to Mix Clover with Grass Seed: Complete Guide
- How to Plant a Clover Lawn Mix
- How to Plant a Clover Lawn: Complete Guide
- How to Plant a Red Clover Lawn
- How to Plant a Strawberry Clover Lawn
- How to Plant and Care for Red Clover in a Lawn
- How to Repair Patches in a Clover Lawn
- Microclover Lawn Timeline: Year 1, Year 2 and Beyond
- Mixing White Dutch Clover with Grass Seed
- Overseeding an Existing Lawn with White Dutch Clover
- Preparing the Ground for a Clover-Grass Mix
- Red Clover Lawn Care Guide
- Should You Soil Test Before Planting Clover?
- Starting a New Clover Lawn from Bare Soil
- Strawberry Clover Germination Time and Temperature
- Strawberry Clover Lawn Care Guide
- Strawberry Clover as Living Mulch for Eco Gardens
- Weeds Taking Over Your Clover Lawn: How to Manage
- When to Plant Clover and Grass Seed Together
- When to Plant White Dutch Clover
- When to Plant a Clover Lawn
- White Dutch Clover Lawn Care Guide
- Will White Dutch Clover Grow in Shade?
- Year-by-Year Clover Lawn Care: What to Do When
- Yellow Clover in Lawn: An Identification Guide
Creeping thyme
- Can You Grow Creeping Thyme in Shade?
- Can You Walk on Creeping Thyme?
- Creeping Thyme Not Spreading: Why, and What to Do
- Creeping Thyme Seed Germination Time: Honest Answer
- Creeping Thyme Spacing: How Far Apart to Plant
- Creeping Thyme Turning Brown or Woody: Diagnosis
- Creeping Thyme in California: Zones 8a-10b Planting Guide
- Creeping Thyme in Georgia: Zone 7-9 Planting Guide
- Creeping Thyme in Illinois: Zone 5-6 Planting Guide
- Creeping Thyme in Indiana: Zone 5-6 Planting Guide
- Creeping Thyme in New York: Zone 4-7 Planting Guide
- Creeping Thyme in Pennsylvania: Zone 5-7 Planting Guide
- Creeping Thyme in Winter: What to Expect and What to Do
- Do You Fertilise Creeping Thyme?
- Do You Mow a Creeping Thyme Lawn?
- Does Creeping Thyme Choke Out Weeds?
- Fragrant Paths: Thyme That Releases Scent Underfoot
- How to Plant Thyme in Paving Joints and Gravel
- How to Plant a Creeping Thyme Lawn from Seed
- How to Replace a Lawn With Creeping Thyme
- Is Creeping Thyme Deer Resistant?
- Is Creeping Thyme Invasive? What the Records Actually Say
- Is Creeping Thyme Safe for Dogs and Cats?
- Overseeding Creeping Thyme Into an Existing Lawn
- Watering Creeping Thyme: The Mistake That Kills It
- Weeding a Creeping Thyme Lawn Without Killing It
- When to Plant Creeping Thyme Seed
- Why Creeping Thyme Seed Fails to Germinate
Fine fescue
- Chewings Fescue Lawn Care Guide
- Creeping Red Fescue Lawn Care Guide
- Hard Fescue Lawn Care Guide
- How to Plant a Chewings Fescue Lawn
- How to Plant a Creeping Red Fescue Lawn
- How to Plant a Hard Fescue Lawn
- How to Plant a Sheep Fescue Lawn: Step by Step
- Sheep Fescue Germination Time and Temperature
- Sheep Fescue Lawn Care Guide
- Sheep Fescue Seeding Rate: How Much Seed You Need
- When to Plant Sheep Fescue: Fall, Spring and by Climate
Native grass
- Blue Grama Grass Lawn Care Guide
- Buffalo Grass Care: Mowing, Watering and Year-Round Maintenance
- Buffalo Grass Germination Time and Temperature
- Buffalo Grass Lawn: The Complete Guide
- Buffalo Grass Seeding Rate: How Much Seed You Need (with Calculator)
- How to Plant Native Grass from Seed: Establishment
- How to Plant a Blue Grama Grass Lawn
- How to Plant a Buffalo Grass Lawn: Step by Step
- How to Plant a Pennsylvania Sedge Lawn
- Pennsylvania Sedge Lawn Care Guide
- When to Plant Buffalo Grass: The Best Time by Method and Zone
- Why Is My Buffalo Grass Not Growing? Troubleshooting
Ground covers
- Dichondra Germination Time and Temperature
- Dichondra Lawn Care Guide: Watering, Mowing, Weeds and Pests
- Dichondra Lawn Problems and Fixes: A Troubleshooting Guide
- Dichondra Lawn: The Complete Guide
- Dichondra Seeding Rate (with Calculator)
- How to Overseed a Lawn with Eco Seed: The Complete Method
- How to Plant a Dichondra Lawn: Step by Step
- Killing the Old Lawn Before You Plant Ground Cover
- When to Plant Dichondra: Spring, Fall and by Climate
- When to Plant Lawn Seed: Fall, Winter and Spring Seeding Guide
Moss lawns
- Do You Ever Water an Established Moss Lawn?
- How to Attach Moss to Stone, Wall and Hardscape
- How to Establish Live Moss: Sheets, Fragments, Slurry
- How to Get Rid of Moss in a Lawn (And Why You Might Not)
- How to Plant a Moss Lawn: Seed, Soil Prep and Establishment
- Moss Around Water Features, Streams and Ponds
- Moss Between Pavers: Steps and Flagstone
- Moss Lawn Care: Watering, Weeding and Seasonal Maintenance
- Moss Lawn Mistakes: The Six That Kill It
- Moss Lawn in Autumn: Leaves Will Kill It
- Moss Lawns in Summer: The Brown Months
- Moss Milkshake on a Wet, Boggy Site
- Moss Slurry Recipe: What Goes In and What Ruins It
- Moss Slurry vs Live Sheets: Which Establishes Faster
- Moss Under Trees: The One Place It Beats Grass Outright
- Moss Walls: Growing Moss Vertically on Stone and Brick
- Moss and Soil pH: Does Moss Really Mean Acid Soil?
- Moss for Green Roofs: What Actually Survives Up There
- Moss in a Rock Garden: Placement and Species
- Moss on Slopes, Walls and Rocks: Erosion and Vertical Moss
- Moss on a Lawn You Barely Use: The Case for Doing Nothing
- Painting Moss onto Stone: The Slurry Method Step by Step
- Shady Moss Milkshake: The Classic Deep-Shade Blend
- Single-Species Moss Milkshakes: One vs a Blend
- Sunny Moss Milkshake: Growing Moss Where Moss Shouldn't
- The Japanese Moss Garden: Principles and Plant Choice
- The Moss Milkshake Method: Growing Moss from a Slurry
- Watering a New Moss Lawn: The First Six Weeks
- Weeding a Moss Lawn Without Destroying It
- Why Is Moss Growing in My Lawn? What It Is Telling You
- Why Is My Moss Turning Brown? Diagnosis and Fixes
- Why Won't My Moss Spread? Establishment Troubleshooting
Wildflower & meadow
- Clover Lawn for Bees: Best Plant for Native Bees
- How to Plant a Yarrow Lawn
- Meadowscaping and Wildflower Lawn Seed: Converting Grass to Native Plants
- Tapestry Lawn: How to Plant a Multi-Species Grass-Free Lawn
- Wildflower Lawn Planting Guide: Timing and First Season
- Yarrow Lawn Care Guide
- Yarrow Lawn: How to Plant and Grow Achillea millefolium as a Lawn
By situation & problem
- Barefoot Lawn: Ground Covers Soft to Walk On
- Dog-Safe Lawn: Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants
- Fragrant Lawns and Paths: Plants That Smell
- How to Build a Kids' Play Lawn That Survives Them
- How to Convert a Lawn to Low-Maintenance, Step by Step
- How to Fix Bare Patches in a Lawn
- How to Fix a Clay Lawn and What Never to Add
- How to Seed a Shade Lawn: Preparation, Timing and Establishment
- How to Sow a Flowering Lawn Into Existing Grass
- How to Start a Wildflower Meadow Lawn from Seed
- How to Stop Lawn Erosion on a Hillside
- Lawn Watering Restrictions: What You Can Grow
- No-Mow Flowering Lawn: Lawn Meets Meadow
- No-Mow Slopes: End the Mowing You Cannot Do
- Overseeding a Thin Lawn: Timing, Rate and Method
- Planting Between Pavers and Stepping Stones
- Repairing a Dog Lawn: The Full Method
- Repairing a Dog-Damaged Lawn: A Practical Guide
- Salt Damage to Lawns: De-Icing, Spray and Soil
- Shade Lawn: Diagnose the Shade Before You Buy Seed
- Why Wildflower Meadows Fail in Year One
- Why Your Lawn Has a Path Worn Through It
- Winterkill: Why Your Lawn Died Over Winter
- Xeriscape Lawn: Replacing Turf Where Water Is Restricted
- Your Grass Is Too Strong for Wildflowers. Fix That First.
Seasonal & planting
- Fall Overseeding Guide: Timing, Rate and Method
- Planting Calendar by USDA Zone: When to Seed Your Lawn
- Spring Planting Guide: How to Seed a Lawn in Spring
Ecology
- Native Plant Lawn: Turf to Wildflowers and Groundcovers
- Wildflower Lawn for Pollinators: Bees and Butterflies
Science
General method
- Creeping Thyme Lawn Care: What to Do Each Year
- How to Grow Creeping Thyme from Seed: Step-by-Step Guide
- How to Kill Grass Without Chemicals
- How to Remove a Lawn: Every Method, Honestly Compared
- Sheet Mulching a Lawn: The No-Dig Conversion
- When to Plant Creeping Thyme: Zone-by-Zone Timing Guide
Seed trials
Step-by-step methods
Practical, do-it-yourself instructions — what to do, in what order, and when. The library covers removing an old lawn, sowing and overseeding any species, and plant-by-plant guides for clover, thyme, moss, fescue, native grasses and dichondra.
Start here: removing your old lawn
Remove
How to Remove a Lawn: Every Method, Honestly Compared
No chemicals
How to Kill Grass Without Chemicals
Smother
Sheet Mulching a Lawn: The No-Dig Conversion
Sowing & overseeding — any species
Overseed
How to Overseed a Lawn with Eco Seed: The Complete Method
Fall
Fall Overseeding Guide: Timing, Rate and Method
Spring
Spring Planting Guide: How to Seed a Lawn in Spring
Timing
Planting Calendar by USDA Zone: When to Seed Your Lawn
How-to guides by plant
Every species has its own step-by-step library — planting, care, and the failure points specific to that plant.
Clover
How to Plant and Overseed a Clover Lawn
Thyme
How to Plant and Care for a Creeping Thyme Lawn
Moss
How to Grow a Moss Lawn: Planting, Care and Establishment
Fescue
How to Plant a Creeping Red Fescue Lawn
Buffalo grass
How to Plant a Buffalo Grass Lawn: Step by Step
Dichondra
How to Plant a Dichondra Lawn: Step by Step
Creeping thyme, step by step
Plant
When to Plant Creeping Thyme: Zone-by-Zone Timing Guide
From seed
How to Grow Creeping Thyme from Seed: Step-by-Step Guide
Care
Creeping Thyme Lawn Care: What to Do Each Year
Plan it: calculators & references
Common questions
How do I replace my existing lawn?
In short: clear the old turf (smother it or lift it), prepare a firm, weed-free seedbed, sow at the right depth and time for your zone, then keep it moist until it establishes. Each step-by-step guide above walks a specific plant through that process; use the planning tools to size seed and timing for your yard.
Can I plant over my old grass?
Usually not with success — most alternatives need good seed-to-soil contact and can’t outcompete established turf. Removing or smothering the old lawn first gives far better establishment.
When is the best time to sow?
It depends on the plant and your USDA zone — generally spring or early fall when soil is warm and moisture is reliable. Each guide states the ideal window; the planting-calendar tool maps it to your zone.
Do I need special equipment?
No — a rake, a way to smother or lift the old turf, and consistent watering cover most projects. The guides note anything plant-specific.
Know what you’re planting?
Get seed + a plan
Pick your seed and use the calculators to time the sowing.
“This page is general gardening information, not professional horticultural, legal, or veterinary advice. Verify your USDA hardiness zone and your local invasive-species and HOA rules before planting. Confirm pet/child safety for your situation. ”
Insurance for your first season
Plant with a safety net.
Establishment Assurance re-ships seed if your stand fails in year one when you follow the guide; the Season Pass adds scheduled check-ins from our team through establishment.