Do you have a new lawn? A new lawn has many benefits, it’s healthy, it keeps the dust and dirt around your home under control, and it’s cool and comfortable under-foot, not to mention it adds value to your property investment. Here are some simple steps you need to do to give your newly installed lawn the best chance of success.
New lawn care involves three main components: water, mowing and traffic.
Regular Watering
New lawns should be watered 4 times through the day 6.00am to 8.00 pm during the first two weeks after installing to help the roots get established. Never let your new lawn dry out. Keep the new lawn moist, but do not over water your new lawn to the point where it results in puddles of water are forming in your lawn. Use a knife or screwdriver pushed into the soil to measure water penetration to 50mm deep. Once your new lawn is two weeks old or it is unable to be pull it up easily, you can reduce watering to two or three times per week. For best results water early in the morning or late in the afternoon to minimise evaporation of the water before it can penetrate into the soil. Try not to walk on the freshly watered lawn otherwise you could damage the grass and leave indentations in the moist soil.
After 14 days, we suggest that you start to reduce the frequency of watering. Less frequent, but deeper watering is recommended for a healthy lawn. Some grass types only need a good watering once a week.
Considered installing an automatic irrigation system? This is an excellent idea and this is a great time to do it as it will manage your watering for you, saving you time and keeping your new lawn looking great, takes all the work away.
Mowing
Your new lawn’s first mow can happen around 2 to 3 weeks after laying. This allows your new lawn to established a good root system, before it undergoes the trauma of a mower blade. It’s best to ensure your lawn is dry and the soil firm before mowing; that your mower blades are sharp and remember to never mow your new lawn too short especially on the first mow.
Minimise Traffic
By minimising the amount of traffic on your newly installed lawn during the first two weeks of establishment will assist in the root system establishing itself and not destroy all the preparation work. You don’t have to keep ALL the traffic off of your new lawn, but keeping traffic to a minimum will protect it from being damaged or pulled out and keep it looking great.