Establishing Lawns—Watering:

Do I need to use sprinklers to water my newly installed lawn?
Generally, yes. It is very hard to water lawn areas by hand, due to the frequency and amount of watering necessary to grow grass. Ideally, one should place enough sprinklers on the lawn to water all areas, eliminating the need to move sprinkler heads.

How much should I water my newly seeded lawn?
Thoroughly soak the newly seeded area, as soon after seeding as possible. For seeds to germinate evenly, the top inch of soil must stay moist, so as to not dry out. This may mean sprinkling an inch of water twice daily. On sunny or windy days you will need to water 3 times a day. After the first month of growth, you can decrease the frequency of watering to several times weekly, but increase the length of time of each watering to give deeper moisture penetration. Watering very early in the morning is best, helping to avoid rust and mildew formation on the new grass. Avoid watering between the hours of 11:00 A.M. and 3:00 P.M. as the chance of evaporation is much higher during mid day.

How much should I water my newly sodded lawn?
Give your new sodded turf area at least 1 inch of water the day of installation. Water every day, or more often, in order to keep the sod and soil beneath moist until sod is rooted (about two weeks). Weather conditions will dictate the amount and frequency of watering. Be certain that your new lawn has enough moisture to survive hot, dry, or windy periods. Remember sod strips near buildings often reflect heat and dry out more easily. Also sod strip edges along paths and driveways will be first to dry out and last to root in the topsoil. Be sure these areas get enough water and stay moist.

Establishing Lawns—Misc.:

How long does it take for grass seed to grow?
It takes 6–14 days for grass seeds to germinate, depending upon the time of year. It takes about a month to see relatively complete coverage.

Can I walk on my newly seeded lawn?
Yes, but try to minimize the impact during the first three weeks. This will reduce footprints, insuring the soil beneath the turf will compact more evenly, while reducing the damage to the grass seedlings.

When should I start mowing my newly seeded lawn?
Start mowing when seedlings are at about 2–2½ inches high. Mow when surface is fairly dry. Mowing through a wet, immature lawn will result in muddy wheels which will pull out some of the grass seedlings, harming the establishment process. Set mower at 1½ to 2 inches and mow at an angle, change mowing directions each subsequent cutting.

Why do I have weeds in my newly seeded lawn?
All soils contain weed seeds, which are released and begin to grow as a result of grading and pulverizing. As the lawn begins to grow (aided by proper mowing, fertilizing and weed control), the weed population is reduced and the lawn will begin to thicken.

When can I apply herbicides to my newly seeded lawn?
You may apply herbicides after the third mowing.

Does my lawn need to be re-seeded if there are bare spots after seeding?
Just because there are bare spots in a new lawn does not mean that additional seeding is necessary. Grass plants have rhizomes that grow to continue to fill gaps and thicken a lawn. The best approach is to wait and let the grass grow and fill the gaps. If the area of concern is greater than one square foot, additional seeding may be desirable, but not entirely necessary.

Do I need to remove the covering mulch from my newly seeded lawn?
You should not remove the covering mulch. Its purpose is to help retain moisture and reduce erosion while establishing the lawn. An attempt to remove the material will cause damage to the grass seedlings and soil structure. Whether it is pellets or straw, the covering mulch we use in seeding will decompose into the soil.

When should I start mowing my newly sodded lawn?
Wait until the sod is rooted down before mowing. Try lifting the sod in the middle of a roll of sod to test if it has rooted to the underlying soil. If you can no longer lift up the sod in the middle or on the edges of the sod roll, raise the mower to the highest mowing height and mow your lawn on an angle the first time. Gradually lower the height of the cut to a minimum of 3" and change your mowing patterns on the subsequent mowings. Remove no more than 1/3 of the leaf surface at any one time.

When should I fertilize my newly sodded lawn?
After one growing season, use a proper fertilization program.