It’s that time of year! You’ve had your spring cleanup, you’ve cleared out old brush, or you’ve finished your recent hardscaping project. No matter what, you’ve just had new lawn installed, and now, you just can’t wait to see that first green up.
- Immediately after seeding, keep the very top layer of soil moist. Keeping the seeds themselves a little wet lets the grass plants break out of the seed pod, the first step to establishing the lawn. Our lawn expert Tom recommends wetting about the top half-inch of the soil.
- Once you start watering, you must be consistent. Water until germination occurs. You’ll know when it does: you’ll start to see fine green shoots all over the lawn.
- Now that the grass has germinated, it’s time to change up how you water. Watering less frequently – about every other day – is fine, however, you must water deeply. Letting the water penetrate deeper into the soil encourages the grass roots to reach further down to access the water, leading to better established plants.
- As stated, watering every other day is fine, but keep in mind how much and when. We recommend you apply about an inch of water per week to your lawn. If you’re not sure whether your lawn is getting enough water, place an empty tuna or cat food can on your lawn while you’re watering or running your sprinkler. It’ll help you measure how much water you’re getting to your grass.
- Wondering when to water? The best time is the early morning. Watering during the day can be problematic, as the water will quickly evaporate. Watering the evening may result in your lawn being too wet for too long, making it susceptible to root rot and other diseases.
- Once your lawn has reached about 3-3 ½ inches in height, it’s time for the first mow. If you have a professional landscape service, your lawn technicians will know when the time is right. If not, it can’t hurt to grab a ruler. Taking the leaf tissue off the grass at this point actually promotes growth and health.
- The first year you have a new lawn is a great time to get on schedule for lawn fertilizer applications. We recommend once in the fall, and once mid-spring. Why not check out an organic option too, like Holganix?
Have a specific question? Let us know!