Want a lush green lawn come spring? Now is the time to plant that grass seed.

Why? Well, according to gardening expert Glenn Ashton, the soil temperature is still nice and warm for seed germination and the air temperature is cool.

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He recommends using a cool season grass as it will respond better to your lawn.

First, start out by looking for the ugly discolored patches within your lawn. Make sure to take out any brown you have left over. Any dead material, either weeds or existing turf should be raked out of the way.

"The weeds will actually compete with the moisture that you're going to be giving to the young seedlings anyway. So you don't really want any competition," says Ashton.

Once you've done that, it's time to prep the soil. You should use a cultivator to really rough it up. This allows the grass seed to go deeper into the soil instead of just lying on the surface.

After prepping the soil, the next step should be to level the area out. Ashton suggests using the back of a rake to smooth things out. Then, start scattering grass seed. Throw out two coats. Don't be afraid to be generous.

"They’ll germinate now," says Ashton. "Root in. We're gonna have the cool weather so they're gonna take off. And they'll have a head start in the spring"

Also, always remember to water. You want to keep the soil really moist until the seeds germinate.

And finally, this is a good time of year to collect samples of soil from your yard and have it tested. Contact the horticultural society in your area for more information.

Happy gardening!