Looking after your new lawn
There are five main things that you need to do to help your new lawn grow healthy.
1. You should water it every day for the first two weeks
It’s very important to water your new lawn often, as without water the grass won’t grow properly. Your lawn will need a good soaking at least once a day for the first two weeks, or until the roots have grown into the soil. You can check this by trying to lift the turf up at the corners – if you can’t then the grass has rooted, phew!
It’s recommended to use a sprinkler for a good hour or so in the first two weeks. If it’s been raining you won’t need to use the sprinkler as much, or if it’s been hot and dry you may need to use it for longer. Check by lifting the corner of the turf again to see if it’s dry. If it is dry then water again.
After a couple of weeks you’ll find that your lawn doesn’t need as much water. Reduce the frequency and the amount to once every other day for half an hour.
2. Keep off the grass
Try and keep off the grass until the roots are well established. The grass has suffered a lot of trauma on its journey from the field to your garden, so what it now needs is a bit of peace and quiet so it can settle in and recover.
You should wait until you can no longer lift the corners of the turf and each section has knitted together. This could take between four and six weeks, but it all depends on the growing conditions. So as tempting as it is to walk on it, please avoid doing so until this time.
3. Don’t mow until the grass has rooted properly
Avoid cutting the grass until the turf has rooted properly, test this by grabbing a handful of grass and pulling. If the turf stays put, then you’re fine to mow. Otherwise, if you mow too soon you could rip and damage the turf.
It’s also recommended to:
• Make sure your mower blade is sharp – Blunt blades rip and pull at the grass which wounds it and leaves it open to disease while it’s still delicate.
• Keep the mower on a high setting – For the first cut, you only want to take the top off the grass. Don’t remove any more than a quarter of the length. So, if the grass is 8cm high, mow it down to 6cm.
• Bring the mowing height down, gradually – You don’t want to cut the grass too short too soon. For the first month of mowing, keep the mower set high. Then bring the height down by one setting each week, but don’t cut it any shorter than 4cm.
4. Feed it extra nutrients and keep the lawn free of debris
Lawn feed helps the grass grow thicker as it can turn pale and thin if it isn’t fed extra nutrients. There’s different lawn feed depending on whether it was laid in the spring or summer, so pick the specific one to help it grow better.
Try and keep the lawn free of leaves and debris while it’s growing too. All these little steps help!
5. Get prepped for ‘autumn care’
Hopefully by autumn you have lush, new grass, however fear not as autumn is the ideal time to carry out some simple maintenance to your lawn. Hot, dry weather can take its toll, whereas the mild and damp conditions in September and October can be good for your lawn.
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has lots of advice for all of your gardening needs, but we’d recommend checking out their autumn care tips. This covers, scarifying, aerating, feeding and repairing to ensure your lawn stays healthy until the following year. Click here to visit the RHS’ site.
