I'm pretty sure you don't mean a backhoe. A backhoe is an articulated shovel attached to the front of a tractor. What they use to level soil for landscaping is called a box blade. A box blade looks like a hoe and fits on the back of the tractor so join us in the confusion about agricultural and construction terminology. We get the point. The weight of the tractor is perfect for compressing the soil. Of course nothing will replace the tens of thousands of stampeding bison which were responsible for hundreds of thousands of years of development of the Great Plains. However, the footprint of the tractor tires is roughly the same as bison (minus the stampede) as is the footprint of nearly every animal on Earth. Measuring soil firmness is beyond practical application. You would have to be able to measure the firmness of everything ranging from chipped pea gravel (rock solid under all conditions) and round pea gravel (relatively slippery upon itself and when in sand-sized grains, the basis for quicksand) on over to pure clay (brick-like hardness when dry and mushy when wet) and pure organic material (surprisingly firm when wet or dry). Back to seeding. You picked the wrong time of year to do this, but what's done is done. Plan now to have a lot of weeds in August and further plan to reseed properly in the fall. Hydroseeding can work, but I see too often where they don't use enough seed and it comes in thin. That will make the summer weed problem worse. Since your soil is ready now, time is of the essence. Your soil is properly prepared and ready to go. All you have to do is scatter the seed and ROLL it down to ensure you have good soil-to-seed contact. At this time of year I would use a mix of TTTF seed and use twice as much as recommended on the bag. Use the most expensive seed you can find with zero (0.00, ZERO!) weed seed in it. You will have enough of a weed problem without applying extra seed. After you scatter the seed, rent a water fillable roller to roll the seed down. The proper weight of the roller is when you can walk behind it and your foot prints do not compress the soil any further than the roller compresses it. There are several ways to get a more even distribution of seed than scattering it by hand. You can use a broadcast type spreader or you can mix the seed into sand and spread it in a drop spreader. After the seed is down, you have to keep it moist until it both germinates and the roots get established. Water it twice a day for 10-15 minutes for two weeks. After two weeks you can start to skip days of watering. Keep an eye on it but you eventually want to work you way toward watering only once weekly during the hottest heat of summer and less often the rest of the year. The deep, infrequent watering where the soil surface dries out between waterings is what is going to keep your lawn relatively free of weeds. If you reseed in the fall, you will find that you have hardly any weeds next August (2008). Take this opportunity to raise your mower to the highest setting. When the grass is about an inch taller than the highest setting, you can start to mow. Mulch mow so the clippings stay on the grass. Continue to mow at the highest setting until the day before you want to reseed in the fall. Tall grass is healthier, keeps weeds out better, and holds more moisture with deeper roots and cooler soil. After the second mowing, the roots are strong enough to take a chemical fertilizer if you want to do that. If you want to use an organic fertilizer, you can start with alfalfa meal or pellets immediately (even before you seed) at a rate of 10-20 pounds per 1,000 square feet.

Starting your own plants from seed is one of the most rewarding gardening experiences, it can also save you a small fortune! Also, many species and varieties are simply unavailable unless you "grow-your-own". Choosing seeds is the first step, there are many reputable companies that offer catalogs, besides the fun of browsing through them, mail-order companies are generally good about dealing with any problems you might have. In buying seeds through retail outlets,it's a matter of "buyer beware" ,those 10/$1 seeds may not be such a bargain if they don't grow! Check the package for date,and complete growing instructions,a reputable seed company will also list the Latin name and germination percentage you can expect.If you've acquired seeds from GardenWeb swaps,or other seed sources ,ask for any info the grower can give! You can use most any container,as long as it will hold 3-4 " of growing medium and has drainage holes in the bottom. Flats with liners are nice,but "recycled" containers will do, if you're reusing containers, follow the cleaning instructions under "what is damping-off?". Seeds need a loose,porous,fine-textured medium, one that won't develop a "crust" on the surface that can interfere with emergence . "Potting soil" is an extremely variable product, many retail brands (especially the "bargain" types)will give disappointing results in seed-starting! A "soil-less" mix will make your growing experience much easier. Some common ingredients in soil-less mixes: Vermiculite, a heat-expanded rock, can be used alone or in combination for starting seeds. Milled sphagnum moss (NOT the same as peat moss unless it says"sphagnum peat")has the benefit of inhibiting damp-off fungus, mixed with vermiculite it is frequently used by professionals. Peat moss(sometimes called "Michigan peat" or "peat humus")a heavier,more difficult to wet and more variable product than sphagnum moss ,is common in retail mixes sold for starting seeds,often in combination with perlite or vermiculite,it's often(much!) cheaper than sphagnum-containing mixes but can be more difficult to handle,especially for the beginner. Don't start seeds too early,there's a wide variation in optimal indoor starting times,and unless you have lots of room,starting too early can be stressful,for you and your plants! You may want to consider starting perennials in summer for Fall planting,as many perennials don't bloom the first summer,to save room for annuals and veggies that really need a head start in temperate climates. Sowing seeds: Fill containers,allowing an inch or so from the top for easier watering, and moisten well. Allow excess water to drain, medium should be moist,not soggy. Press the medium down lightly to eliminate air pockets. For plants that don't mind ,or even benefit from transplanting, like tomatoes and lettuce,a number of seeds can be planted in larger containers and transplanted to individual pots when seedlings are large enough to handle. For those that dislike transplanting ,such as melons,or to save yourself time later on,plant 1-3 seeds in individual containers,snip off all but the strongest seedling with scissors. Sow the seeds on the surface,and cover with additional dry medium to the proper depth, a general rule is twice the diameter of the seed.Very tiny seeds,or those requiring light are surface-sown without covering. Mist the medium well and cover with clear plastic , a 13-gallon clear kitchen trash bag fits a standard flat perfectly(I buy the kind with the handles and tie them loosely)Don't put an enclosed container like this in direct sunlight!! A temperature of 65-75 degrees is suitable for the vast majority of common plants,but there are many exceptions,too many to list here! Check at least daily,and remove the plastic when seeds begin to sprout. Place under bright light ASAP! Seedlings need intense light to grow strong and stocky,fluorescent lights are your best bet (see "do I need special lights?") Position so that seedlings are 2-4" from lights, 14-16 hours a day. A timer will help automate the process. If space under lights is limited,you can try rotating them under lights in 12-hour shifts. Keep a close eye on them and adjust heights as needed. Containers enclosed in plastic should not require watering until seeds germinate,once plastic is removed monitor closely,seedlings should never be allowed to dry out completely,and should be kept moist until roots begin to penetrate the medium. Allow the medium to become dry 1/4-1/2" down before watering thereafter,to allow air into the medium and encourage roots to spread. If you've used a soilless mix, begin fertilizing 4-5 days after germination with a water-soluble 15-30-15(or similar ) fertilizer at half the recommended strength,and weekly thereafter. I've had good results with fish emulsion and seaweed extract at recommended rates,for those interested in growing organically. For growing on info see"OK my seeds are growing...?"

I am not familiar with your area and what types of grass is grown and readily available, so I will let someone else comment on that. I seeded Bermuda, im in texas, about 2 years ago when my house was built. I started off with rye grass during the winter, but since it did not take everywhere, it resulted in areas where there were washouts. I did not level my lawn again before planting Bermuda, wish I would have, but it is not all that bad for me. I am currently taking my time in leveling the lawn now with a very good amount of grass. I am doing it in small sections as I have over 3/4 of an acre to maintain. So back to your situation and what I would do. If you think you have bad soil, maybe consider doing a soil test. While the soil test is being done, spray the area with round-up if you are trying to get rid of whatever you currently have. If you do not want to do that, then bring in topsoil, and then get someone to use a box blade to smooth the area and then seed whatever and whenever is recommended. I will strongly recommend not tilling. I have tilled in certain areas, where I though the ground was too hard to seed and it did result in a bumpy yard. Tilling also roots up new weeds that you currently do not have. If you do some searching here and other sites, you will see some good posts on leveling, prepping and seeding your yard. Hope that helps as a start for you. To keep this post short, I will try to answer anything else if you have specific questions.

I'm going to sidestep the cultivar discussion and get back to lawn care in general. You do not need to aerate every year...or ever. You can if you want to, and sometimes there is a good reason to, but many high quality lawns are never aerated. Some lawns need more water to stay alive than others, but all lawns (with just a few exceptions that don't pertain to your situation) require about the same amount of water to look good and stay healthy. On a mature lawn fertilizer is not needed until May. If you fertilize in February or March (like the TV commercials will encourage you to do), that will encourage over growth of the grass once it comes out of winter dormancy. The grass will use up much more of the stored resources than it needs to use and, by May, leave the grass looking very weak. Normal grass will come out of winter dormancy with a vengeance. It will grow so fast you might need to mow 2x per week to keep it down. If you fertilize early you might need to mow it 3x to 4x per week. The point is it will be fine until May with no fertilizer. The reasons not to seed in the spring are, as mentioned above, spring seeded grass is weak and often cannot take summer heat stress. By July the new grass will have died and been replaced by crabgrass. That is not the end of the world but it does seem like a waste of time, effort, and money. Also spring is the time when weed seeds, like crabgrass, are germinating. When you water 3x per day to germinate the new grass seed, the weed seeds love that and will germinate at the same time. The weeds are more aggressive and will dominate and crowd out the new grass seed. So fall is the best time to sow new cool weather seeds. Cool weather seeds can make it through a normal winter and toughen up the roots for the next summer; and the spring/summer weeds are not germinating in the fall. Here's something I put together a few years ago to help new lawn owners. Hope it helps you. Basics of Lawn Care After reading numerous books and magazines on lawn care, caring for lawns at nine houses in my life, and reading numerous forums where real people write in to discuss their successes and failures, I have decided to side with the real people and dispense with the book and magazine authors. I don't know what star their planet rotates around but it's not mine. With that in mind, here is the collected wisdom of the Internet savvy homeowners and lawn care professionals summarized in a few words. If you follow the advice here you will have conquered at least 50% of all lawn problems. Once you have these three elements mastered, then you can worry about weeds (if you have any), dog spots, and striping your lawn. But if you are not doing these three things, they will be the first three things suggested for you to correct. 1. Watering Water deeply and infrequently. Deeply means at least an inch in every zone, all at once. Infrequently means monthly during the cool months and no more than weekly during the hottest part of summer. Do not spread this out and water for 10 minutes every day. If your grass looks dry before the month/week is up, water longer next time. If that does not work, then you might have to water more than once per week during the summer's hottest period. Deep watering grows deep, drought resistant roots. Infrequent watering allows the top layer of soil to dry completely which kills off many shallow rooted weeds. You will have to learn to judge when to water your own lawn. If you live in El Paso your watering will be different than if you live in Vermont. Adjust your watering to your type of grass, temperature, humidity, wind, and soil type. It is worth noting that this technique is used successfully by professionals in Phoenix, so...just sayin.' The other factors make a difference. If you normally water 1 inch per week and you get 1/2 inch of rain, then adjust and water only 1/2 inch that week. 2. Mowing Every week mulch mow at the highest setting on your mower. Most grasses are the most dense when mowed tall. However, bermuda, centipede, and bent grasses will become the most dense when they are mowed at the lowest setting on your mower. In fact there are special mowers that can mow these grasses down to 1/16 inch. Dense grass shades out weeds, keeps the soil cooler, and uses less water than thin grass. Tall grass can feed the deep roots you developed in #1 above. Tall grass does not grow faster than short grass nor does it look shaggy sooner. Once all your grass is at the same height, tall grass just looks plush. 3. Fertilizing Fertilize regularly. I fertilize 5 times per year using organic fertilizer. Which fertilizer you use is much less important than numbers 1 and 2 above. Follow the directions on the bag and do not overdo it (unless you use organics in which case you may overdo it without fear of hurting anything). At this point you do not have to worry about weed and feed products - remember at this point you are just trying to grow grass, not perfect it. Besides once you are doing these three things correctly, your weed problems should go away without herbicide.