How to Care for Your Turf

How to Care for Your New Turf

As the landscape crews are finishing their clean-up and the trucks pull away, the first thing you will be wondering is how do I grow my newly seeded turf or establish my freshly laid sod? The first key to this is water, and not only getting it, but getting the correct amount. Newly installed seed/sod has a high risk of not producing and dying before it has the chance to thrive. Please read our outlined recommendations to best care for your investment!

 

It is not easy to recommend a "one-size-fits-all" watering program due to the variations in soil conditions, rain, temperature and turf’s water needs. Every situation is different. Underwatering is the most common cause of failure in turf establishment. This is because one may not have the time to effectively water all square feet of your yard. If you follow the outlined guidelines provided, you will have the best chance at a germinating and thriving turf!

 

Watering:

No matter the size of your new turf space, seed and sod MUST BE WATERED WITH A SPRINKLER SYSTEM. Those with inground irrigation systems will need to adjust their watering schedule to reflect the recommendation below. Most homeowners will need to set up a temporary sprinkler system that will be used for around three to five weeks. This system consists of an automatic spigot timer(s), hose(s), and sprinkler(s). The number of supplies needed depends on the space of the newly installed turf. For example, for an average front yard – you will need at minimum 2 sprinklers to cover the turf space on both sides of the driveway. For a backyard, 3 sprinklers are minimally needed to effectively water the sides and middle of the backyard. When running multiple sprinklers, you will need a 2-3 zone (hose) timer. You will need one hose per sprinkler. See recommended products below.

 

Recommended Watering Supplies: 

• Tripod Sprinkler: Orbit Telescoping Tripod Sprinkler
• Irrigation Timer: Orbit 3 Station Irrigation Timer
• Hose: 50’ rubber Garden Hose

 

Watering System Setup:

Tripod sprinklers are capable of being set up to water 360 degrees when placed in the center of the lawn or can be adjusted to any degree to allow placement along property lines. Sprinklers should always be set up to overlap one another. If this is not possible, manual moving/placement of sprinklers may be necessary during the day to ensure all soil is being saturated. After sprinklers are set in place, connect hoses and run to water spigot on home. Using a multiple station irrigation timer prevents water pressure from decreasing as it allows each hose to be connected and water to be routed individually to each sprinkler throughout the day. Following the timer instructions, set up the day/time/occurrence/duration. To avoid rotting and fungal issues, watering should NEVER occur after 6pm. Below is the recommended watering schedule for both seeded and sodded lawns.

 

 

 

Seeded Turf Watering Schedule:

• Weeks 1 – 3 The goal is to saturate soil/seed to prevent seed from drying out.
  • Water twice daily. 1^st watering before 8am – second watering before 2pm
  • 30-45 minutes of duration per sprinkler

 

• Week 4 – At this point, grass seed should be germinating and roots establishing. Your goal during week 4 is to allow soil to dry in the afternoon to encourage deep rooting of grass.
  • Water once daily. 1^st watering before 8am
  • 1 hour of duration per sprinkler

 

• Week 5 – At this point your turf should be established and can withstand days without water. However, to protect your investment we recommend watering once a week especially if rain is absent.
  • Water once a week. 1^st watering before 8am
  • 1 hour of duration per sprinkler

 

• Week 6 – Enjoy your new lawn! Seeded lawns in their first 2 years will be thin and may need additional seed in areas that do not spread. During drought periods, water the lawn as needed to prevent high stress situations on your new grass.
  • Introduce new seed every fall season
  • Water as needed to ensure continued growth.
  •  

Sodded Turf Watering Schedule:

• Weeks 1 -2 During the first 2 weeks, sod must stay fully saturated. You should not be able to walk on the sod without sinking. Treat your sod like it is seed, you must remember that although you have lush green topside, you are starting over with the root system.
  • Water twice daily. 1^st watering before 8am – second watering before 2pm
  • 45 - 60 minutes of duration per sprinkler

 

• Week 3 – After 2 weeks of watering, the sod roots should be attached to the soil below (you should not be able to pull up sod). Watering once a day allows sod to dry out in the afternoon to grow deeper roots.
  • Water once daily. 1^st watering before 8am
  • 1 hour of duration per sprinkler

 

• Week 4- At this point your turf should be established and can withstand days without water. However, to protect your investment we recommend watering once a week especially if rain is absent.
  • Water once a week. 1^st watering before 8am
  • 1 hour of duration per sprinkler

 

• Week 5- Enjoy your new lawn! Sod will begin to brown and will be easy to catch if water is needed. Soak any dried up sections as needed.  
  • Water as needed to ensure continued growth.

 

 

My grass is growing, now what?

Watering should be your main focus in the weeks after installation is completed. However, quality turf is a product that requires attentive service and care after roots are established. Natural occurrences, weather, and your weekly mowing can cause problematic issues if not properly attended to. Do not hesitate to contact LKM if you need assistance with any of the following!

Weeds:

Contrary to common belief, weeds do not originate from the seed blend that contractors install. Besides the occasional bird/wind spreading weeds from yard to yard, almost all weeds that will grow in your new lawn are already in the soil. This is because weed seeds can lie dormant for years and germinate when we disturb the soil for grading and planting. The disturbance can allow water, sunlight, and air to encourage weed growth. LKM Mowing & Landscaping offers custom weed control programs to maintain your lawn to provide continued lush quality. For those homeowners who pride themselves in manicuring their lawn, here are our tips!

 

During the germination and growth of your new grass seed, weeds will begin to emerge at a similar rate. Do not apply a broadleaf weed control application until week 5-6 at the earliest. Immature grass roots can easily be damaged with weed control applications and should be applied after watering is completed. Crabgrass and other annual weed types cannot be treated until 16 weeks have passed since seed is installed. For sod installation, broadleaf weed control and post-emergent crabgrass control can be applied to the turf after 4 weeks of root establishment. LKM recommends applying pre-emergent crabgrass control the following spring only.

Fertilizer:

At the time of seeding, a starter fertilizer can be applied to encourage quick growth but is not required. If you plan to apply your own fertilizer, apply your first application after week 4 at the earliest. Use an organic fertilizer or slow-release chemical fertilizer to best add nutrients to the new turf at the proper pace. A young lawn can be easily burned and should not be treated with a quick-release fertilizer within the first month. The following year, a 6-step application of fertilizer and weed control should be applied to maintain your investment! For more information visit our Fertilizer Resource Page

Mowing:

We know the mental clarity that mowing brings to those who enjoy cutting their lawn, but mowing immature grass will stress out new blades. We recommend waiting 5 weeks at minimum before mowing. New grass should grow to at least 4-5” before performing the first mowing. All turf should be mowed at a height of 3.5” and no shorter than 3”.  Mow when the soil is firm and dry and the grass is well rooted. Mowing on wet soil will pull out seedlings and cause ruts. For more information about proper mowing visit our Mowing Resource Page

Erosion Mats:

Lawns installed by LKM will have either a hydro-pellet erosion blanket or straw matting installed over the seed. These are installed to prevent erosion of seed and help retain moisture by creating a cover to the seed. All hydro-pellets will naturally decompose over the years and are made up of natural materials. Do not remove any straw matting used to prevent erosion. All erosion mats used by LKM will break down naturally. They are designed to break down after enough time (a couple of years) has passed to allow the grass seed to become established and therefore stabilize the soil. Removing the erosion mats before seed is established will remove a significant percentage of seedlings. If they are needed to be removed, we recommend manually cutting it away to reduce the disturbance of established seedlings.

1-3 years after:

We always inform customers that seeded lawns are a 3-year game. The first year you will be establishing your turf and encouraging mature growth. Year two requires maintenance to combat weeds and introduce nutrients through proper fertilizer applications. Year three is when you will begin to see a thick lush turf as a testament to your hard work! During those following years, LKM highly recommends to introduce more seed every fall season. Generally, in the first year, germination is can be between 50%-75%. By adding new seed every year, you are filling in areas where seed may not have grown.