City lawns suffer from the same sorts of use and abuse as suburban and country lawns. The kids use it as a playground and the adults use it to entertain friends and family on this precious patch of green. After a few years the soil gets compacted, the weeds begin to appear, the grass gets patchy and the lawn needs some help.

Periodic lawn renovation is a good thing. It gives your lawn the foundation for you to have a beautiful lawn, that is relatively easy to maintain without the use of chemicals.

Late summer and early fall, from Labor Day until Columbus Day

is the very best time to restore, rehabilitate, and renovate your lawn. The weather is cooler, rain is more frequent, the kids have gone back to school, and almost all of the annual weed seeds that produce crabgrass and other annual weeds have already germinated. These conditions give your new grass seed the very best chance to sprout and get established before the cold of winter sets in.

Lawn renovation begins with a soil pH test that determines the acid or alkaline level of your lawn on a scale of 1 to 14. Grass grows best when the pH is between 6.5 and 7.0. Buy a kit from a garden center or catalogue and follow the instructions. Chances are you will need to add pulverized limestone because most soils in the Northeast are on the acid side.

Most worn-out lawns need an infusion of new grass seed. To get the new seeds growing you can either overseed your existing lawn or dig the whole thing up entirely and start from scratch. If your lawn is 50 percent good, you can overseed. If your lawn is too far gone, it is better to re-seed the entire area.

It is very important that you grow the right type of grass seed for your lawn. Newer strains of grass seed are always being developed at the university research centers. These new selections are better than the grass you planted even ten or fifteen years ago. They are more resistant to drought, disease and even insect damage.

Grass Seed 101: All of you here in the New York metropolitan area and the rest of the Northeast region grow what are called cool season grasses. That's is opposed to warm season grasses which grow in North Carolina, Alabama and places south.

Cool season grasses include Kentucky blue, fine and chewing fescue, annual and perennial rye grass. You shouldn't waste your money on annual rye grass for a fall planting because it will die at the first freeze and be gone forever. You want to grow perennial grass in your lawn.

If your lawn is mostly sunny, you should plant a blend that consists of mostly perennial rye grass, a little bit of fescue and a little bit of Kentucky blue. Kentucky blue is a good looking grass but it is not as drought resistant and it demands too much fertilizer to look its very best.

If your lawn receives a lot of traffic such as kids playing soccer or some other activity, you might consider planting turf type tall fescue, a.k.a. athletic field or sports grass. This is a very rugged grass that is also very attractive.

If your lawn is shady, you should plant a blend that consists of mostly fine fescue, not very much perennial rye and little if any Kentucky blue.

Most better lawn and garden centers will carry grass seed blends for sunny lawns or shady lawns and you can read the ingredients right on the box to be sure you are buying what you want and need.

Don't buy cheap grass seed. Pay more and get more seed, better seed and less chaff. With grass seed you get what you pay for.

Overseeding: If your lawn is more than fifty percent in good shape, you can overseed. Cut your grass as low as your mower blades will allow. If your lawn is small, scar the soil surface with a steel garden rake. If it is large, rent a verticilator to do the job.

Sprinkle the seeds over the prepared area according to the box instructions and cover the seeds with a fine layer of compost, dehydrated manure or peat moss about 1/4 inch thick. This layer makes sure the seeds make good contact with the soil and prevents the seeds from drying out.

Water the area lightly every other day, less if it rains, until the seeds germinate, in about two weeks. Mow the grass when it reaches a height of 4 inches, setting the blade to leave the grass at a three inch height.

After the grass is established and you have mowed it at least once, you should spread an application of natural organic fertilizer over the lawn. November is the best time to do this because the root system of the grass will absorb and store the nutrients from the fertilizer and your; lawn will be ready to green-up in early spring.

Re-Seeding: If your lawn is in really bad shape, you might as well renovate the whole thing. Cut the grass as low as your mower will allow and then roto till the entire area to a depth of six inches. Rake out as much of the weeds and green debris as you can. The more you eliminate now, the less likely the weeds will return next year.

Spread a coating of natural organic fertilizer over the area according to manufacturer's instructions. Spread a one inch-thick layer of compost over the area and dig all of this in to a depth of four inches. Rake it all smooth and you are ready to plant.

Apply the grass seed evenly over the area and cover it all with a thin layer of straw, not hay which is full of weed seeds. The straw will protect the seeds from drying out and help germination. If you cannot locate straw, a thin layer of compost, dehydrated manure or peat moss will be a good alternative.

Water lightly every other day until germination in about two weeks. Cut the grass to attain a height of three inches and leave the straw on the lawn over the winter during which time it will decompose.

If you want to keep you lawn looking good next spring and summer, sharpen your mower blades, let the grass grow to a height of 3 inches and leave the grass clippings on the lawn. All of these steps help the grass grow deep roots which make the grass tougher and more able to withstand drought, and wear and tear.