After years of helping homeowners install their lawns, we have developed the following list of recommendations to assist you in making your lawn a beautiful, green reality. The condition and appearance of your lawn is now entirely up to you, and with the following tips, you’ll be well on your way to a beautifully landscaped home.
- Watering should start immediately after seeding and mulch application. Water thoroughly, especially in corners and off-shaped areas. Moistened straw does not readily blow about and the seed must be moist to germinate. Be sure straw remains uniformly spread. If straw is piled too thickly, seed will be smothered and not germinate. If it blows off in areas the seed will take longer to germinate.
- Begin watering with the sprinkler farthest away from the house. Each time you reposition, move the sprinkler closer to the house. This will help you from stepping on muddy ground. If you are planning to purchase a sprinkler, look for a good quality tripod impulse sprinkler, don’t buy the gear driven style.
- You will have to mow in about 3 weeks. Do not water the lawn a day or two in advance so you don’t leave ruts. In case of a steady rain, hold off mowing until the lawn is firm enough. Sinking in the new lawn is easily fixed by stepping on the rut when its firmed up a little. Its normal for your lawn to not come in uniform, areas of your lawn will blend together over time. You do not need to remove the straw, it will naturally decompose. Any sparse areas can be re-seeded and covered with straw to protect the area until the grass has settled in. We can give you grass seed and straw at no charge.
- Use a light, push mower. Under no conditions should you use a riding mower on the first three cuttings, it will kill a lot of the same seedlings. You will leave ruts in your new sod, making future mowings a nightmare. Be sure the mower blades are sharp and the height adjustment is set to cut at 2 1/2″.
- After two-three weeks, or when the lawn starts to fill in nicely (this depends on the growing season), fertilize your lawn with a starter fertilizer. This encourages a good deep root system. You will notice a yellowish color to your grass if it does not have enough fertilizer. A week after fertilizing you should notice a change in color. If its still yellowish, fertilize again every week until the grass is a deep green. Some areas will need more than others, fertilize accordingly. Its best if you the homeowner can stay on top of the fertilizer with a nice broadcast spreader. Next best is to have Valley Lawn Care do it for you.
- Weeds are best controlled by mowing frequently to keep them small so they don’t smother the new seedlings. Wait until Spring or fall to spray the weeds, it should take one application to wipe out most of the weeds. Its best to hire this part out to Valley Lawn Care.
- Our grass seed is Deluxe 50 from Reinders. It uses a blend of Rye Grass, Blue Grass and Fescue. The germinate at different times, the Rye grass is up first in the first week, the Fescue is about 2 weeks and the Blue grass takes 3 weeks. When you are mowing your lawn for the first time, you will only have 2/3 of the seed germinating. Every sprout grows into a larger patch of grass about 4 inches across. A normal lawn takes about one year to look decent. It takes about 3 years to fully establish.