How to Properly Care for Sod & Grass Seed After Planting
Tips for Watering New Grass
For newly planted grass, keeping proper moisture is very important to establishing healthy growth. This applies to both grass seeds and sodding. For the first few weeks, it is best to water for 10-to 15-minute durations daily, or twice a day during hot and humid weather, 3 applications may be necessary. After 2 weeks, it is recommended to water 2 to 3 times a week since your grass should become more established at that point. For the best results of lawn establishment, use a pulsating or oscillating sprinkler positioned to apply water evenly.
Make sure you aren’t overwatering the grass, as it can cause problems with its oxygen intake. Provide light mists of water to ensure that proper moisture is applied to the soil. Keep an eye on your local weather forecast as well, because allowing your grass to be watered through natural rain can be beneficial to keeping it healthy and moist.
If you have planted grass seeds, keep in mind that heavy rainstorms may cause problems with seeds that have not had a lot of time to grow, and it will likely wash away those new seeds, but light showers should be just fine.
Our Guide to Weather Conditions & Common Problems With Grass
During the summer, the intense heat and humidity can bring problems to your turf, including your newly planted grass. When grass does not receive enough watering and is exposed to excessive heat conditions, it can cause the grass to turn a yellow hue, and may even create some brown spots in your yard.
Brown spots on lawns are one of the common major diseases among any grass patches caused by high heat, and can lead to unhealthy growth and even kill your newly planted grass. To try and combat this issue, it is best to plant grass during either spring or fall to avoid the stress heat can cause to new grass plants during summer periods. It is also important to keep your grass watered effectively to avoid these brown patches.
Just make sure that you aren’t giving too much water to the
grass, as that can cause brown spots as well because of the excess water, causing a struggle for oxygen.
When to Mow New Grass
Now that your grass is healthy and growing, you need to determine when is the proper time to mow. It can take from a couple of weeks to a month for the grass to grow to an acceptable level for mowing. Keep caring for your grass during this time period. Once it reaches about 3 to 4 inches, it is time to give it its first mow.
It’s also recommended to make sure your grass and soil are not too wet before mowing it to avoid ruts being formed on the lawn from the wheels of the mower. This is especially important for sod since the soil could be ruined if a mover goes over it when it is too moist.
Also note that if sod was planted, you should make sure that the sod has rooted into the soil during its growth. Gently tug on the sod to see if it doesn’t pull up from the soil. After mowing your new grass for the first time, watering it should be cut down to once or twice a week.
Advice for Handling Weeds
There is a possibility that weeds will appear along with your newly planted grass. This is normal since weed seeds are always present in any soil, even in sodding. If they do appear, you shouldn’t worry too much about taking care of them right away. Wait until you have mowed the grass at least four times before taking action on them. If the weeds are still appearing and causing problems, try and hand pull them so they don’t end up smothering your grass. It’s best to avoid using weed control chemicals as it could harm and even kill your new grass.