Caring For a New Lawn

Care of a Newly Hydro Seeded Lawn!

Four Steps to Follow:

Water frequently, keeping your hydro-seed wet not soaked and it will pay off!

You can step on your hydro-seed but it is not recommended.

Mow when you reach the 3" mark, and only take an inch off to start. You should mow at the minimum once per week. Once you start mowing your grass will thicken! (see picture below)

Be sure to fertilize one month after your hydro-seed has been sprayed. Use a Starter fertilizer only due to the delicateness of your grass. It is recommended you use Scott’s 4-Step program following your first fertilizing at the 30 day mark.

Care and watering

No matter who installs your new lawn the care is very important, particularly for the three months, even after germination and mowing.

Successful seed germination depends on special care. To assure proper germination water regularly. We suggest three times a day in warm weather between ten and fifteen minutes a zone depending on how much sunlight you receive on the area. Keeping the yard moist will maximize seed germination and root retention!

You may walk on the hydro-seeded surface when watering. Try to walk only on areas that are dry, and try to not disturb the mulch mat. If by chance you do just gently press the mulch back down on the soil.

Mowing

Mowing can begin once the new lawn is 3" tall in most areas. Mowing stimulates growth and increases thickness. Set the mower high at first, and then gradually lower. Try to cut no more than 1/3 of the grass at a time. Short grass in heat has a tendency to die.

Caring For a New Lawn

Fertilizing

About one month after seeding, fertilize your new lawn using a high nitrogen (the first of the 3 numbers on the bag) fertilizer. Matt’s Landscaping uses a fertilizer in the initial seeding called "starter fertilizer" when hydro-seeding your lawn. The fertilizer will stimulate root growth, and in the early stages it is important to get good root growth before you stimulate a vigorous top growth with nitrogen. It is easy to tell when your new lawn needs fertilizer, when it starts to get light green with a yellowing tint to it. So, why wait until then, mark the date for four weeks after your new lawn was installed and apply the fertilizer then. Again, it is suggested that you only use a Starter fertilizer at your 30 day application. After that 30 day fertilizer application and for the next 5-6 weeks before your next fertilization you should maintain the watering and mowing to build your turf.

Hydro-seed is special in respect to the duplication of the seed. You may see thin or bare spots; they will fill in overtime with multiple mowing.

Disclaimer:

There are several variables that affect the growth of your hydro-seed. You must decide to participate in the growth of your hydro-seed otherwise it will not germinate or grow properly. It is not the installer’s responsibility to replace or repair your lawn due to your own negligence of not strictly following the above steps. It is also not the installer’s responsibility if the weather affects your seeds growth due to draught, heat, humidity and rain or other natural weather conditions.

Landscape Plants

Please be sure to water all landscape plants daily for the first two weeks after installation to help support the root growth. Not doing so will inevitably kill your plants. You may not notice the plant dying right away because the roots are out of sight, this could happen immediately or up to a year later. In extreme heat or full sun areas you should water for as long as three to four weeks.

The best time for watering is before 10am and after 4pm. You should avoid the times when the sun is hottest, between 10-2, 10-4 times.

Always call us with questions we are here to help you 793-7999.