How to maintain your new lawn?
The rate at which your grass grows depends on the weather, climate and of course, the level of care it receives!
Follow these simple tips to help maintain your lawn.
Watering:
We recommend that you start watering your lawn within 15 minutes of installing it. The sooner you water, the less water you will need to give it a great start.
FIRST WEEK: Water your new lawn 3 times a day for 15 minutes during the first week. You only want to keep your lawn moist and not wet. If the water is seeping out, then you are giving it too much water.
SECOND WEEK: Water your lawn once per day for 30 minutes during the second week. The goal is to give it adequate moisture which is necessary for the promotion of deep root growth.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If roll seams are opening, your turf is shrinking. This is a sign that the lawn requires more water. Check that water is penetrating well into the subsoil by lifting a corner of a roll.
SUBSEQUENT WEEKS: Water your lawn once or twice per week, depending on the temperature. When the summer weather starts cooling down, your lawn will need less water. Avoid evening or late night watering as this can cause conditions for pests or diseases.
Mowing:
Only mow after the sod has rooted. Ensure the mower blade is sharp and set at the correct height. You should only take off the top third of the blade with each new mow so as not to cause scalping. Lawns are typically maintained between 1 to 2½ inches.
Good Mowing Practices:
- Never mow more than 1/3 of the total grass height. Cutting too much off the plant will send it into shock.
- Keep mower blades sharp. With rotary mowers only the outward 1/4 inch of blade does the cutting. A sign of a dull mower blade is fractured or shredded looking grass blade tips.
- Change direction of mowing from one time to the next to ensure an even cut.
Fertilizing:
Over fertilization is worse than not enough. Here are some helpful tips on how to properly fertilize your lawn.
- Avoid fertilizing during the hot summer days. Slow growing grass is more resistant to stresses of heat and drought.
- Apply the fertilizer evenly and spread in two different directions.
- Fertilize just before the rain or apply water after fertilizing.
Aerating:
In the mad rush to ensure your lawn is mowed, weeded, fertilized and irrigated, the need for aerating is often overlooked. As sod ages, the soil underneath can become so compacted, there is little or no pore space (small pockets of air held in the soil), making it difficult for grass roots to absorb water and nutrients. Before long, the lawn will deteriorate, becoming more susceptible to weeds and attack by insects and diseases.
Aeration involves the removal of small cores—or plugs of soil—which are then deposited on the surface and will work their way back into the grass within a month. The small holes that remain help to break up compacted areas and allow water and air to penetrate to the root zone.