Use a lawn roller half-filled with water and roll the soil surface flat and remove any debris that could interfere with the planting surface.
Lightly water each area of soil so the ground is not dry, but not dripping wet either.
Use a lawn roller to press the seeds into the soil. You can also use a piece of plywood placed over the soil followed by a few good stomps. The goal isn't to cover the seed but to enhance the seed-to-soil contact.
Roll the entire lawn surface with an empty lawn roller to set the seed in good contact with the soil. Water the entire area thoroughly with a fine mist.
Once the seed is planted, make sure that the soil is kept evenly moist until germination.
When all of the sod is in place, roll it with a lawn roller to ensure good contact between sod and soil. A lawn roller is a large barrel that you half fill with water (to make it heavy) and pull over the turf.
Roll with a half-filled lawn roller. If a lawn roller is not available, press plugs into firm contact with soil with your feet. Keep the soil evenly moist as the plants grow new roots and leaves begin to spread. Hoe out weeds as they appear.
The heaviest and most expensive reel mower on the market is made by Agri-Fab, an Illinois company that also makes lawn rollers, wheelbarrows and other equipment. Their 40-pound, six-blade, "silent reel" mower has 9-inch wheels and cuts 18 inches wide.
Once you've got your sod installed, stay off it until you've had a chance to use a lawn roller. This heavy piece of equipment eliminates any air pockets, providing better root-to-soil contact.
Once sod has been laid, use a lawn roller to firmly press grass sod down into the soil.
Finally, begin watering ...
Aeration in the spring and fall, coupled with light rolling of the lawn, may help smooth the surface. Rolling the lawn evens the surface by using a lawn roller, which is a machine with a weighted cylinder that rolls along the ground.
The cost of ground prep will vary as you'll need to rent a rotor tiller and a lawn roller in addition to the cost of mulch (which is three yards per thousand square feet) and the cost of gypsum (which is 120 pounds per thousand square feet).
Another option is to rent a lawn roller, a large cylinder that you fill with water and then push over the seedbed to firm it down.
Water and, if needed, fertilize. Seeds require moisture to germinate.
Roll the area with a lawn roller one third full of water to firm and settle the surface and reveal any low spots that should be filled to match the surrounding grade surface.
 See also: Water, Lawn, Soil, Plant, Planting
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