From Fall Sowing at www.japanese-home-gardens.com

Don't mistake me, it is quite possible to get a good lawn from fall sowing a spring sowing. But the care and attention needed to do so is greater than from fall sowing a fall sowing. Two special problems that must be faced are the rapid growth of weeds and the need for more abundant watering during dry periods throughout the first summer, this latter because the roots have not penetrated as deeply as those of grasses sown the previous fall. Weeds are likely to be especially abundant if such plants flourished in the topsoil the previous year, and there is really no practical way of getting rid of them in spring before the lawn grass is sown. In preparation for fall sowing, a few weeks' repeated shallow cultivation before the grass seed is sown will clear the surface soil of most weeds.

A good timetable for fall lawn making is: early August, mix in organic matter, cinders, sand and clay according to needs of soil. One week later incorporate lime and arsenate of lead if needed, and a week after that mix in synthetic soil conditioner if you are using it. Late August or early September mix in fertilizer. Mid-September sow grass. If the lawn is to be completed in spring mix in organic matter, cinders, sand and clay, according to needs, as early as possible, preferably the fall before and lime, if needed, a week later. Mix in arsenate of lead, if needed, two to three weeks before sowing or planting, fertilizer a week later. If a synthetic soil conditioner is to be used mix it in just before sowing or planting.

Let's suppose that your seed bed is in perfect condition and the seed is at hand. Now comes the business of sowing. Choose a calm day. It is impossible to sow evenly if it is breezy. Divide the seed to be sown in half, then walking in parallel paths in one direction (say north and south) sow one half as evenly as you possibly can over the whole area. When this has been accomplished sow the remaining seed over the same area walking in parallel paths at right angles to the original direction. In this way you will get the most even distribution. The sowing may be done by hand or with a mechanical seeder adjusted to let the seed fall at the density required.