Any tips & tricks when growing grass?

Not sure about New Mexico but the best time to put in a lawn in the east is around Labor Day....warm days, cool nights and the weeds don't have an opportunity to establish themselves. I rough up the ground with a metal rake, use starter fertilizer, use the proper seed and cover it with straw. Don't use hay or you'll have a crop. After that, I water about twice a day until I see it germinate and cut back to once a day.

Good luck.