- 1). Water your new lawn planted from sod every day so that the turf is constantly moist. If you live in a very hot environment, you may need to water more than once per day. Do not overwater the lawn, meaning you should not see standing water at the soil line. But make sure that the soil is moist. If the lawn is turning blue or gray, it is not getting enough water. After two weeks, watering two times a week is sufficient. If you are caring for a lawn planted from seeds or plugs, water lightly every day for several weeks, then water once a week. While the water in sod can penetrate up to six inches into the soil without damaging the new lawn, deeply penetrating water in newly planted seed or plugs can quickly kill the lawn.
- 2). Limit foot traffic on the newly planted seed or plug lawn for at least six weeks, which is approximately the amount of time required for a solid root system to develop. Ideally, no one should walk on your new lawn for at least one month. Heavy foot traffic before eight weeks can permanently damage an establishing lawn. A lawn planted from sod requires three weeks of limited foot traffic to develop a root system.
- 3). Mow a seeded lawn after eight weeks and a sod lawn after six weeks. Depending on the lawn turf type, you should set your mower to the cutting height for that specific type. The first time mowing a new lawn, wait until the soil is dry and the grass is more than one and one-half times the mowing height recommended for the turf type. (See Resources.)
- 4). Fertilize a lawn from sod and plugs after six weeks with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer. You can fertilize a seeded lawn after just four weeks. You will need to fertilize your lawn regularly, depending on the type of turf that you have in your lawn. Always fertilize when the lawn is moist.
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