A new lawn can be a source of pride for the owner, provided that it is properly taken care of. Knowing some essential lawn care techniques can make all the difference in the world. Some professional lawn care companies try to convince people that caring for a lawn is a job for professionals only. While having professionals control lawn care is not a bad idea, it is not absolutely necessary. It is possible to have a great looking lawn with minimal financial investment.
Once a new lawn has grown in, the most important thing it will need is water. How much water it requires is not an exact science, a good rule of thumb is to keep the soil dark. If the soil is tan or light colored, then it is too dry and needs water. This is especially true during hot weather, on hot days many people water their lawns at dawn. This reduces the risk of the lawn drying out in the hot sun, and prevents the grass blades from burning up.
A widely used watering regimen for new grass is to water six different times per day. Since the earlier times are better, starting sometime before sunrise and then watering every two hours after that would likely produce an extremely healthy lawn. The most crucial time for new grass is the first three weeks, it is important to keep all traffic off the lawn during this time. New grass is very sensitive to pressure and can die very quickly if there are people walking on it frequently during this three-week probationary period.
As far as mowing or cutting the grass is concerned, an optimal time for the first cut is when the entire lawn reaches about three or four inches (7.62-10.16 cm) in height. It is good practice to mow about once every 10 days during the new lawn’s first year, frequent mowing promotes lawn maturity and will give the lawn a full, rich appearance. The final cut of the season, before winter months, should leave the new lawn between one and two inches (2.54-5.08 cm) high; this will enable the lawn to make quicker progress during the following spring.
Weeds are always a possibility when dealing with any form of grass; it is no different when it comes to new lawns. Amazingly, lawns in their infancy can grow weeds even before the actual grass comes in. Even if it has some weeds, it is generally not a good idea to use weed killer until the lawn has been mowed three or more times. Spraying weed killer chemicals on an immature lawn can kill the lawn along with the weeds. If it is necessary to use weed killer on a relatively new lawn, then only chemicals approved for that specific type of weed should be used.
A new lawn should also be fertilized during the first year. One method people use is to fertilize on every major holiday during the year, this method seems to coincide with the natural cycles of the grass. If a new lawn needs seeding, it can be seeded towards the end of the summer months or even during January and February. Grass seed should never be placed on top of snow; it is a waste of seed. Finally, the most important thing for any new lawn to have is a little tender, loving care!