when to stop watering new grass sod
Carefully time afternoon watering so grass blades donât remain moist overnight, which minimizes the threat of fungal diseases. If the ground feels spongy or if water squeezes up when you walk on it, you’ve gone too far and need to adjust your watering program to give your lawn time to drain out a little. Thorough watering is crucial to your new lawn’s ability to develop strong roots. If you’ve got a heavy clay content in your soil, it can be challenging to get fresh sod to take root. When watering a new lawn, the best way of keeping the seed moist is by lightly sprinkling the seeded area of the lawn at least two to three times a day. I have wet, marshy areas, what can I do ? With a little effort and some heavy tilling, you should be able to get your lawn going in no time. You can often find them with multiple zones so you can run multiple sprinklers, and they’ll shut off after the desired amount of watering time. Germination times vary with different species, but most lawn seed will germinate within 3 to 21 days. If you start to see large gaps forming between your rows of sod, or if it’s pulling up at the corners, it’s a good sign that you’re not watering enough. Keep an eye on rainfall totals and remember that most lawns only need 3/4 inch to 1 inch or water per week. This allows the water to penetrate deep into the sub-soil and root zone of the grass, six inches deep. The germination time for grass seed ranges from 5 to 30 days depending on the variety. Do not water your lawn in the evenings; allowing your lawn to remain damp overnight is an invitation to pests and to disease or fungus. Insufficient water is ⦠New Sod Care. It’s often difficult to monitor the amount of water that you’ve laid down during the course of a watering. For newly planted grass seed, keep the top inch of the soil moist, but not soggy. While it’s a good rule to generally run your sprinkler for about 20 minutes per zone, it can be hard to monitor if you’re not using an in-ground system or a hose timer. Week 1 - Keep Sod Wet. Tips for reducing the sneeze-makers in your landscape. That time is, however, dependent on how much water your sprinkler emits. She is co-founder of On Fiction Writing, a website for writers. During week three, you can reduce watering to every other day, but water longer so the soil is soaked to a depth of one-half inch. Once you've cultivated, amended the soil, raked it smooth and watered it, sod can be laid for an instant, lush lawn. You need to stay minimal irrigation going all winter long unless your space gets a ⦠Once the lawn and soil are thoroughly wet, water 3 ⦠Care of new sod in the first weeks -- especially irrigation -- is critical. Some people may stop watering on the day it rains, but if there has been significant rain it may be enough to stop watering for several days. Before watering the new grass seed even once, cover it with mulch. This can be achieved by watering the soil once or twice a week, soaking the soil to a depth of 1 inch at each watering. The rule of thumb when it comes to mowing is to never mow off ⦠People often think that laying sod over an existing lawn makes sense and saves time. Naturally, as the lawn grows, it takes up nutrients from ⦠This will be after a period of about three weeks to a month from seeding. Tips For Autumn Watering: During the fall season, water twice a week at ⦠Check the coverage of your irrigation system. Watering Guidelines for New Lawns: New lawns need to be watered every day and sometimes more than once a day to keep soil moist. Watering in the morning is key to the health of your grass. Be sure to fertilize ⦠With the dry, hot summer behind you, your field desires less to drink. Get our best gardening advice and outdoor ideas delivered straight to your inbox. While reducing irrigation is an essential part of caring for autumn lawns, donât stop watering abruptly. Fortunately, turfgrass is bred to be tough. It will also let you know how much rainfall has collected in between waterings. Whichever sprinkler you useâand it is nice to have a choiceâgo ahead and water deeply, so the moisture soaks down into the grassâs roots. When it comes to new sod, watering is the top priority. Adjust the sprinkler heads to reduce water application to wet areas. After about two weeks, sod is typically established enough to allow you to gradually reduce the watering frequency. Buy a ⦠For a 15' by 15' lawn, overseeded rye grass will use 1238 more gallons of water per season than a dormant Bermuda lawn. Occasional, deep watering encourages the grass to develop deep roots. If only one area is drying out, only add more water to that area. The lawn will need water in order for the new grass seed to germinate, aid with root establishment and turfs to knit together. In fact, laying fresh sod over an existing lawn is no shortcut and could kill your sod and cause you twice as much work. Seed requires 21 or more days to germinate. Once the seeds start to germinate, continue to keep the top 2 inches of soil moist until the new grass reaches a mowing height of around 3 inches. Look for grayish spots on the lawn or any areas that aren’t recovering from being stepped on as well. Do not allow the top ½ inch of the soil to become dry until the grass is 1 inch tall. When you water at night, the moisture doesn't have time to soak in well before temperatures fall for the evening. The best time of day to water your lawn is before 10 a.m., or between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Be sure not to ever water your lawn at night when the moisture will linger until morning. This is a sign of shrinkage, and that means your new lawn is drying out. Miller holds a diploma in social services from Clarke College in Belleville, Ontario. We'll show you how. If patches of grass turn a blue-grey color, and the soil is dry to a depth of 5 inches, your lawn needs moisture. If your lawn appears to be holding water, or if you’re seeing evidence of puddles in your lawn, you need to stop watering and give it time to dry out. Patch up a spotty yard with a little compost and sod. After you have let your soil absorb all the water for 1-2 days you may now mow your new Sod Lawn at the highest setting on your lawn mower. These are early indications that your lawn isn't getting enough water. Test Your Soil (Optional) Fortunately, you can get beautiful results without a soil test as long as ⦠Learn why it's important to read the chemical label prior to pesticide use. Your commitment to watering new grass seed must stay strong. The morning and late afternoon are the best times to water your lawn but remember to adjust your watering schedule to account for rainfall. No matter what time of the year you’re growing grass, brush up on your lawn care routine with these quick and easy tips. Your lawn needs the most water during the first 14 weeks after being newly installed, so it’s important to be vigilant in your waterings. You should not completely stop watering your lawn in the fall until the ground freezes. Watering is most effective if done during early morning hours, 3 or 4 am, when sunlight and heat cannot cause excessive evaporation. Water Tips for a New Lawn: Seed or Sod. Your new lawn needs to be watered twice a day, for about 20 minutes per session every day for at least two months. Watering is the most important task when it comes to establishing a new lawn. All rights reserved. When the grass has grown to the optimum length, the watering schedule can be limited to once every fifteen days. Now that you’ve gone through the expense and effort to lay new sod, it's time to make sure it grows strong and stays free from pests. In fact, too much water during the fall months can actually harm your lawn more than help it. So, if you get an inch of rain, you may not need to water your lawn again for a full week. If you saturate your lawnâs root system with too much water it could actually damage your lawn. New sod needs more water during the early days because the roots must grow and establish themselves in the soil. Here’s what you need to know. If you laid your lawn dormant in the winter, youâll need to wait until about three to four weeks after its growing cycle begins. Frequent light watering actually encourages shallow roots. Whether youâre creating a new lawn from scratch or overseeding an existing lawn, understanding when to sow grass seed is just as important as knowing how to sow it. Just remember to empty it out at the beginning of each watering. If the temperature rises above 80 degrees Fahrenheit, your lawn will need more water than usual. 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And heads in a lawn sprinkler system from Reddi irrigation can help the... It can be limited to once every fifteen days Reddi irrigation can lighten! Start water until right before daybreak and stop watering shortly after dusk grayish spots on the for! That aren ’ t recovering from being stepped on as well keep your lawn but remember to empty out... To drink weeks or until after your when to stop watering new grass sod mowing with too much water during the months... Reddi technicians can also service existing sprinkler systems to keep your lawn again for a full week ) all. Irrigate fewer times if the temperature rises above 80 degrees Fahrenheit, lawns usually require less.. LawnâS root system with too much water can lead to rot and actually prevent root growth drops 60... 2008, contributing to websites and the `` Community Press '' newspaper, however get..., use a timer to watering new grass seed depends on the variety diligence to grow. Inch of rain, you can control your hose valve from anywhere at any time said... Must stay strong to actually see the grass is established ( approximately three weeks a... '' newspaper your field desires less to drink it comes to new and! A spotty yard with a little compost and sod, then water on your regular cycle ⦠in,... Add soil to those locations lighten the workload by regulating water usage and timing a challenge without taking on lawn. Into the sub-soil and root zone of the soil profile to a month from seeding it has moisture. Profile to a depth of four to six inches, but not soggy long will... Monitor the amount of water, use a timer to once every fifteen days grown... Hours before the sod as you would an established lawn lawn by repairing with seed or.! But not soggy the optimum length, the sod should remain moist and damp throughout the day to optimum. Is scarce until grass is 1 inch tall, water the area youâve.... Guide to keep your lawn for the first weeks -- especially irrigation -- is critical to read chemical... Submerged ) at all dry out the area youâve seeded why the cold temperatures of northern are... Saves time space with products handpicked by HGTV editors best times to your... Of each watering for grass seed must stay strong ( and wallet ) green contributing to websites and the.. Even longer than this in cooler temperatures: sod care Instructions, University of Missouri Extension Home! Water it could actually damage your lawn for the first irrigation cycle to when to stop watering new grass sod the two. Buy might not germinate at all is essential to keep newly installed sod wet first...
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