New Lawn Care Guide
Seeded Lawn
A seeded lawn takes at least one full year to fill uniformly throughout your yard and often two years are needed to develop a thick lawn. In the first season, there may be a weed problem; even though quality topsoil was used. Weeds can be easily controlled using proper fertilization and a weed control program AFTER your new lawn has grown in. We would be happy to provide you with this service for an added cost through our treatment entity, Lee’s Premium Greens.
Proper watering is crucial for any type of new lawn: seeded, hydroseeded or sod
Watering - Once grass seed is planted, sprayed or sod is put down, proper watering is a must. Wait 24 hours to water new hydroseed, and water REGULARLY thereafter. Hand casted or broadcasted seed MUST be watered at once and all types of grass seed MUST BE watered regularly. A regular watering regiment must be followed for any type of new lawn. Grass seed is generally a blend of types with different rates of germination for each therefore, do not stop watering once grass begins to grow. Continue watering. Even after a new lawn is well on its way, watering should be continued, as it is essential for a healthy lawn with vigorous, deep root growth. Proper watering should be part of a regular lawn maintenance program throughout the growing season. Adequate water can be defined as enough water to keep moisture in the soil at a depth of 1 to 2 inches at all times.
Mowing – New grass should be allowed to grow to 3 ½” before the first mowing. At that time, it should be cut to 3” and the clippings should be picked up. Next mowing on new lawns, and regular mowing on established lawns, should be done so that no more than 1/3 of the grass blade is removed at one time. Mowing too short is a common cause of poor unhealthy lawns.
Other Rules of Thumb in New Lawn Care
- Weed controls should be avoided until the lawn has been mowed 3-5 times.
- Fertilizer application can generally begin after the 4th
- De-thatching of a new lawn is usually not needed for 3 years after installation.
- Core aeration of your lawn can be a good part of any lawn maintenance program and can be done the first season after a new lawn installation.
- Heavily shaded lawns that get less than 3-4 hours of direct sunlight or all day filtered sunlight can be generally thin and unsuccessful. The installation of shade-tolerant groundcover is strongly suggested over installation of turf grass.
